Ristorante Pietofana - Rifugio Ra Valles (via Rifugio Pomedes)

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: From Rateče or Predel we cross the border to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then we continue on a 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 follow to a crossroad where a narrower road towards restaurant Pie Tofana and mountain hut Col Druscie branches off to the right. The crossroad is located in the lower part of the road towards the mountain pass Passo Falzarego. At the mentioned crossroad, we continue right and we follow the asphalt road all the way to a larger parking lot at the restaurant Pietofana.
From Primorska: We drive on the highway towards Venice / Benetke / 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 continue on the asphalt road and then we go left on a macadam road following the signs »Rifugio Pomedes, Forcella Ra Valles«. Macadam road which is closed for traffic starts ascending and it quickly brings us to a marked crossing, where the path towards the notch Forcella Ra Valles branches off to the right.
At the crossing, we continue straight on the road which out of the forest brings us by the ski slope. Here we are for some time ascending by the cableway, and then the road turns left over ski slope. When the road crosses a ski slope we need to pay attention because here our path branches off right on a ski slope. The footpath on a ski slope is at first quite poorly visible and brings us again on the right side of the cableway. Further, the path is still relatively steeply ascending on a ski slope, and it all the time runs a little right from cableway. Quite steep ski slope slowly turns to the left, later when we come near the mountain hut Rifugio Duca d'Aosta it becomes less steep.
Here from a ski slope we go left and follows only some easy walking to the hut from which there is a nice view towards the mountains above Cortina d'Ampezzo.
From the mountain hut, we continue on a ski slope, that runs on the left side of the cableway. The transverse path towards the mountain hut Dibona branches off to the left, and we continue further on a ski slope, which soon becomes quite steep. Grassy slopes are replaced by sand because of which on some spots also some caution is needed. After that, the path becomes less steep and a view opens up towards the mountain hut Pomedes. The path here turns slightly to the right towards the cableway and only a short ascent follows to the hut.
To the mountain hut Rifugio Pomedes we can come also with a chairlift and so we shorten walking time for 1h 45min.
At the mountain hut, we continue towards the north following the signs »Sentiero Attrezzato Giuseppe Olivieri« and at first, we slightly descend, and then we cross the scree above the ski slope. The path then brings us below the mountain walls on the eastern side of the peak Punta Anna and few times ascends by the steel cable. Further, the path is ascending diagonally above little steeper slopes and then also crosses some exposed gullies.
Later, the path becomes even a little more demanding and ascends over a vertical ladder and then few times steeply ascends by the steel cable. After that, the path turns a little to the left and then it ascends on a less steep slope. From the path, we have otherwise all the time a very nice view mainly on peaks above Cortina d'Ampezzo, and on the south views start to open towards Monte Pelmo and Civetta. Further follows again a little steeper part of the path, where we again get help from a ladder and some steel cables. After that, the path becomes less demanding and brings us on a ski slope from which a view towards Tofana di Mezzo opens up.
At the marked crossing we continue right downwards towards the mountain hut Rifugio Ra Valles, left leads the path towards the peaks Punta Anna and Tofana di Mezzo. The path further is most of the time slightly descending and it brings us to the mountain hut Ra Valles where there is also a station of the cable car.
We descend on the ascent route or on an easier path (path number 407) over notch Forcella Ra Valles.

On the way: Rifugio Duca d'Aosta (2098m), Rifugio Pomedes (2203m)

Trip can be extended to: Cima Formenton (1 h 35 min) , Bivacco Baracca degli Alpini (1 h 45 min) , Tofana di Dentro , Tofana di Mezzo