Palafavera - Monte Civetta (Via Ferrata Alleghesi)

Access to starting point:
Via the border crossing Rateče we drive to Trbiž / Tarvisio, where we turn onto the motorway in the direction of Udine. We leave the motorway at the Tolmezzo exit and follow the road to the mentioned place. From Tolmezzo we continue in the direction of the settlement Ampezzo and the mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then starts descending and brings us to the Cadore valley, where we continue left towards Cortina d'Ampezzo. We then follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo to the settlement Venas di Cadore. A little before the end of the mentioned settlement we turn left towards the settlement Forno di Zoldo. The road then through the Cibiana pass brings us to the Val di Zoldo valley, where we continue right towards the Staulanza pass. We follow the ascending road to the settlement Palafavera, where we park on a large parking lot by the Rifugio Palafavera hut. The parking lot is located on the left side of the road by the ski slope.

Path description:
From the parking lot at the Rifugio Palafavera hut we continue south and then turn right onto the gravel road following the signs "Rifugio Coldai, Forcella D'Alleghe". After a few meters the road brings us to a junction where we continue right on the gravel road closed to traffic. The road then ascends along and beside the ski slope, and during the ascent beautiful views open up mainly towards the summits of Monte Pelmo and Civetta. Later the road brings us to the western side of the peak Col Marino della Travesera. Here a quite flat road runs across the ski slope and brings us to the pasture Malga Pioda at the Forcella D'Alleghe saddle.
On the pasture where there is a junction we continue left on the footpath following the signs "Rif. A. Sonnino al Coldai". Initially still very wide, the path starts to ascend slowly in long zigzags towards the slopes of the peak Cima di Coldai. The path then turns left and crosses the slopes ascending southwards, bringing us below the cargo cableway. Here the path turns right and then ascends more steeply on the slope below the cableway. When we reach the upper station of the cargo cableway, the path flattens and quickly brings us to the hut.
A little beyond the hut where there is a junction we continue left following the signs "Sent. Tivan, Ferr. Alleghesi", straight ahead the path leads to Lago Coldai lake. The path then for quite some time crosses relatively steep slopes southwards and on a shorter section steel cables assist us. Such a path then brings us to the saddle below the Schinal del Bech summit. At the saddle where there is a junction we continue right where a large sign on the rock "Ferrata Alleghesi" directs us. The path then turns slightly left and soon we are at the entrance to the climbing section of the path.
The protected path named Via Ferrata Alleghesi first ascends moderately along the steel cable, then soon follows a vertical ascent on pegs and ladder. Further on the path mostly runs through a well-protected steep gully and occasionally includes shorter crossings left and right. Higher up the path brings us to a more demanding section, where with the aid of numerous pegs we climb over a slightly overhanging chimney. Further we continue ascending along the steel cable and increasingly beautiful views towards the north begin to open up.
The path then turns left and crosses the slopes below Punta Civetta summit. Later the path starts ascending somewhat more steeply again and continues southwards. In the final section there follows an ascent along the ridge to the panoramic summit.
We descend via the normale path, which leads down the eastern slopes of the mountain past the Torrani hut and then back towards the Coldai hut. The slopes down which we descend are slightly less steep, but due to the slippery sand considerable caution is required on this path too.

On the way: Malga Pioda (1816m), Rifugio Sonino al Coldai (2132m)