Pian dei Spiriti - Cima Cadin Nord Est (Via Ferrata Ceria Merlone)

Access to starting point:
A) Access from Gorenjska: Over the border crossing Rateče we drive to Trbiž / Tarvisio, where we go on the highway in the direction of Videm / Udine. We leave the highway at exit Tolmezzo and we follow the road to the mentioned settlement. From Tolmezzo we continue in the direction of the settlement Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then starts descending and brings us into a valley Cadore, where we continue right (left Belluno and Cortina d'Ampezzo) in the direction of the settlement Auronzo. After few additional km of driving, we come to the next bigger crossroad, where we go right towards the mountain pass Misurina and Tre Cime (left mountain pass Tre Crocci). From the mountain pass Misurina the road starts descending and it quickly brings us to a crossroad where signs for Tre Cime point us to the right on the mountain road towards the mountain hut Auronzo. We follow this road to a crossroad where a macadam road marked with the caption »Rifugio Fonda Savio« branches off to the right. We can park on a macadam parking lot at the beginning of the mentioned road. One more parking lot is located also a little higher, if we continue on a macadam road. The mountain road to here isn't payable.
B) From Primorska side: We drive on the highway towards Venice / Venezia. At town Portogruaro we leave the highway towards Venice and continue right on the highway towards Pordenone. At the next highway junction near Conegliano, we continue right towards Belluno. Near Belluno the highway ends, and we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo and Auronzo. When the road brings us into a valley Cadore we will get to a bigger crossroad, where the road goes towards Cortina d'Ampezzo left, and towards Auronzo right. Here we continue right towards Auronzo. Further, we follow the description above.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on a macadam road which starts ascending through the forest and on a smaller clearing from the left joins an unmarked path from a little higher starting point. The road here turns to the right and then brings us to the mountain pasture Pian dei Spiriti where there is one more parking lot.
On the mountain pasture where there are signposts, we go slightly left on a footpath 115 towards the mountain hut Rifugio Fonda Savio. The path again brings us into the forest through which we are then ascending for some time. Forest is becoming thinner and a little higher, the path turns to the right. After that, the path in ascent crosses a slope towards the southeast and brings us on more panoramic slopes below the cargo cableway. The path here turns to the left and is then for some time ascending in zig-zags below the cableway. Higher terrain flattens and a view opens up towards the mountain hut Rifugio Fonda Savio and on surrounding precipitous peaks. The path again turns to the left and leads us on a relatively gentle and mostly grassy terrain towards the northeast. When we come below precipitous slopes of the peak Cima Ciadin dei Toce path turns slightly to the right and then it is ascending on the left side of the valley. Further, we are ascending on the more and more rocky terrain and a little before the mountain hut path brings us to a marked crossing.
The path towards the notch Forcella del Diavolo and mountain hut Rifugio Col de Varda branches off to the right, and we go left towards the mountain hut Rifugio Fonda Savio. To the hut then follows only shorter a little steeper ascent. At the last ascent, there is also a steel cable for help, which isn't urgently needed. At the mountain hut, which is situated on a saddle Passo dei Tocci below the slopes of the peak Torre Wundt also a view opens up towards the northeast.
At the mountain hut where there is a crossing, we continue right following the signs »Ferrata Merlone«, left leads the path downwards towards the notch Forcella Rinbianco and ahead towards the mountain hut Rifugio Auronzo. Our path from the mountain hut starts ascending towards the south below the slopes of peaks Cadin. The path then brings us into a valley surrounded by the precipitous peaks and the steepness decreases. Here we will soon come also to a crossing by which we will notice an old signpost.
At the crossing, we leave the path towards the notch Forcella della Neve, and we go slightly left and we follow blue blazes. The footpath is here poorly visible and at first slightly descends and crosses the valley in which in late summer there can still be snow fields. The valley is not that steep so in spite of possible snow field crossing isn't difficult. After the crossing of the valley, we continue slightly to the right and then we need to pay attention to blue signs, which point us to the left towards a wall. Near the beginning of the secured path we will in a wall also notice bigger blue caption »1966«, which is the year when was made secured path Via Ferrata Ceria Merlone to the summit of Cima Cadin Nord Est.
Before the beginning of entrance into a secured part of the path, we equip ourselves with a helmet and self-belay set. In the initial part secured path at first by the steel cable in ascent crosses a slope to the left and then turns to the right and the slope becomes slightly less steep. The path in this part isn't secured therefore at the ascent still caution is needed. We follow numerous blue blazes, which again take us to steel cables and soon up to the first ladder. Further, we are long time ascending on numerous ladders, which make the ascent a little easier on an otherwise very steep slope. Higher follows an ascent on a slope, which isn't equipped with ladders so the ascent on this part is even slightly more demanding. In the upper part then steepness decreases and then follows an ascent on shorter scree where we have to be careful not to trigger stones. Next again follows the ascent with the help of steel cables, which brings us to the ridge from where a view opens up towards the east. On the ridge, we continue left and we quickly reach the panoramic peak.
To the summit leads only one path, so we have to descend on the ascent route.

On the way: Pian dei Spiriti (1896m), Passo dei Tocci (2358m), Rifugio Fonda Savio (2367m)