Passo Falzarego - Rifugio Averau

Access to starting point:
First, we drive to Cortina d'Ampezzo (you can get there via the border crossing Rateče or Predel to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then on the highway in the direction of Vidma / Udine to the Tolmezzo exit. From Tolmezzo, we follow the road in the direction of the settlement Ampezzo and the mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then descends and brings us to an intersection, where we continue left (right is also possible) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all subsequent intersections, we follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Or from the Primorska side, where we drive on the highway in the direction of Trst / Trieste. Further, we drive on the Italian highway in the direction of Padova, but only to the highway junction, where we continue in the direction of Veneto and Belluno. Near Belluno, the highway ends, and at the next intersections we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo and then follow the signs for the alpine pass Passo di Falzarego. We then follow this ascending road to the large parking lot on the mentioned pass.
We can also reach Cortina d'Ampezzo from the direction of Austria (direction Karawanks Tunnel, Spittal, Lienz, Sillian, Dobbiacho / Toblach, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Passo Falzarego).

Path description:
From the Falzarego pass we head south on path 441 (direction Rifugio Averau and Rifugio Nuvolau), which begins to ascend on gentle grassy slopes. After a short ascent, we reach an unmarked junction, where a less noticeable path branches off to the right, leading towards the summit or ridge of Col Galina; we continue slightly left on the wide and still marked path. The path, from which beautiful views open up on Sas de Stria, Lagazoi Piccolo, Tofana di Rozes, Averau and Croda Negro, brings us higher to a marked junction, where the path to Croda Negro branches off to the right.
We continue in the direction of the Averau hut on the path, which gradually transitions to the eastern slopes of Croda Negre. Here the path temporarily flattens completely and then crosses a deep torrent gorge via a large bridge. After the bridge, the path begins to ascend steeply, then suddenly flattens and transitions into more plateau-like terrain. The path ahead ascends a smaller torrent gorge and brings us just a few 10 m further to the next junction.
We continue left (right Croda Negre) and continue the ascent through a steep gorge; the path higher temporarily transitions to steep slopes, then turns left and flattens completely. After a short descent, we reach a marked junction, where the path from the Col Gallina hut joins from the left; we continue right, where after a few 10 steps of further walking we arrive at the Forcella Averau saddle (2435 m). Here the path descends to the steep walls of the nearby Averau peak, where we then cross panoramic and dangerous-for-falling-rocks slopes. The path, from which a beautiful view opens up on Marmolada and its glacier, temporarily ascends steeply, then transitions to scree fields over which we walk to the nearby hut (the Averau hut is currently being renovated, data August 2010).

On the way: Forcella Averau (2435m)

Trip can be extended to: Rifugio Nuvolau ( 30 min) , Averau ( 45 min)