Ponte de Ru Curto - Monte Formin (via Rifugio Croda da Lago)

Access to starting point:
A) Access from Gorenjska: From Rateče or Predel we cross the border to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then on the highway in the direction of Videm / Udine to exit Tolmezzo. From Tolmezzo we follow the road in the direction of village Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo Mauria. The road then descends and it brings us to a crossroad, where we continue left (possible also right) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all next crossroads, we follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo.
In Cortina d'Ampezzo then we follow the signs for Alpine mountain pass Passo di Falzarego. This ascending road we then follow to a crossroad at an altitude of approximately 1400m. At the crossroad, we continue left in the direction of Alpine mountain pass Passo di Giau and Marmolada. From the mentioned crossroad, we continue driving for 4km, after that few hundred meters before the bridge Ponte de Ru Curto we park on a parking lot on the left side of the road.
B) From Primorska: 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 at the next crossroads we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Further, we follow the description above.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we go left on a footpath following the signs »Rif. Croda da Lago«. The footpath at first slightly descends and crosses a stream Rio Costeana. After that, the path turns left and mostly in a gentle ascent crosses slopes towards the east. The path here runs through the forest, in spite of that occasionally a nice view opens up towards Tofanas. After that, the path turns slightly to the right and crosses another stream and then it starts slightly steeper ascending through the forest. The path then brings us to a marked crossing.
From the left joins the path from the bridge Pezie de Paru, right leads the path through the valley Val Formin, and we continue straight following the signs »Rifugio Croda da Lago«. From the crossing, the path is still ascending through the forest and then turns a little to the left, so that it brings us below east slopes of the peak Ciadenes. From the path also views towards the east starts to open up, where mountain groups Cristallo, Sorapiss and Antelao stand out. After that, the path becomes less steep and crosses a grazing fence. Further, we walk through the valley named Val Negra and occasionally we also slightly descend. Such a path then brings us to the lake Lago Federa. At the lake from the left joins the path from the mountain hut Rifugio Lago de Aial and to the hut Rifugio Croda da Lago follows only some easy walking by the lake.
From the mountain hut, we continue on the path 434 towards the notch Forcella Ambrizola. Wide and not that steep path here runs towards the south below the slopes of the peak Croda da Lago. Soon the last trees vanish and from the path, we have a breathtaking view on the mountain groups east from Cortina d'Ampezzo and on the nearby Croda da Lago and Becco di Mezzodi. Panoramic path continues slightly ascending all the way to the notch Forcella Ambrizola, which is located on northwestern side of the peak Becco di Mezzodi.
On the saddle where there is a marked crossing we continue right towards the notch Forcella Rossa, left leads the path towards the settlement San Vito di Cadore and unmarked path towards the summit La Rocchetta. From the saddle, the path slightly descends and turns to the right. Next follows a short crossing and soon paths branch to the left towards settlements Pescul and Toffol and then also towards the mountain pass Passo Giau.
At the crossings, we continue right towards the notch Forcella Rossa and the path soon starts ascending steeper. The path here runs through the valley below precipitous walls of the peak Cima Ambrizola. The increasingly panoramic path is then still quite steeply ascending all the way to the notch Forcella Rossa, where a view opens up towards the mountain group Tofana.
On the notch, we then leave the marked path and we go left on not that steep slopes towards the summit Monte Formin. Here we walk on pathless terrain, but ascent isn't demanding and we also get help from cairns by the path. When we reach indistinct secondary peak on which there are numerous cairns and obelisks, a view towards the summit Monte Formin opens up.
From the secondary peak, we then slightly descend, and we continue with an ascent on the more and more panoramic slopes. In the last part of the ascent, we turn slightly to the right, so that we reach the peak from the north side. On the left (south) side in the last part there are some cracks or narrow gullies, which in case if they are covered with snow can also be dangerous.
We can descend on the ascent route, or from the notch Forcella Rossa we descend on the north side through the valley Val Formin.

On the way: Cason di Formin (1845m), Lago Federa (2038m), Rifugio Croda da Lago (2046m), Forcella Ambrizola (2277m), Forcella Rossa (2462m)