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List of forums / Italy / Dolomites / Monte Cristallino di Misurina

Monte Cristallino di Misurina

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bagi29. 08. 2024 12:29:33
Cristallino di Misurina is of the more shy sort nasmeh. You can hardly see it properly from anywhere, and if you do, it's hard to recognize it. It's 2768 m high and right next to Monte Cristallo. The path to it was carved out by the army, like many peaks nearby. The surroundings are wild and serious, few visitors. The old path at the entrance to the wall is mostly to blame for the low number of visits, we could easily dedicate the famous song by the Mi2 group to it. It runs through a loose gully, fully exposed to projectiles from above. But it's excellently marked, which misled us at the start zavijanje z očmi.

Fortunately, in 2022 they ran cables parallel to the gully along the side ridge. This avoided falling rocks and path maintenance. The ferrata is quite long, difficulty up to B, and ends at the junction with the old path. That one also turns into the wall, just much higher.

Now an explanation of our mistake. As I mentioned, the gully is excellently marked and those marks misled us. On the other hand, during our visit (August 2024) there was no sign for the ferrata entrance. It hides pretty well and you spot it more by chance, it's just a bit higher than the first boulders with the old mark. Luckily we noticed the cables on the ridge fairly quickly in the gully and cautiously went back to the ferrata entrance.

From the junction with the old variant, the continuation to the summit is an excellently laid out military path. It cleverly overcomes the steepness and slowly climbs towards the summit section in numerous switchbacks. But it keeps distancing itself, as something new appears after each bend. When the slope finally flattens, military structures appear, just above them the ridge. It has some intermediate summits, the real and most demanding peak is far right. Two paths lead to it at the end, both requiring caution.

Descent from the summit to Val Popena follows the same path, from there we chose a loop variant for the return. Since the day was still long, we visited nearby Monte Popena along the excellent mule track, descended on the other side all the way to Lake Misurina and then returned to the start along the shore.

Cristallino di Misurina left us a great impression and I can only recommend it nasmeh. More on the entire route in pics and words...

Starting point coordinates (Misurina, Col de Varda parking): 46.577923, 12.253120
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Early in the morning we park by Lake Misurina at the Col de Varda parking lot.1
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Istituto Pio XI, center for treating childhood asthma.2
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Right across the road we look for signs for path 224. That will be our route.3
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Working environment of Malga Misurina :)4
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Higher at the junction we choose the left variant of path 224, returning via the right one.5
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The sun is awakening, we are still in pleasant shade. Even at this height it's too warm for this time of day.6
Monte Cristallino di Misurina It's also stuffy, most so in the scree.7
Monte Cristallino di Misurina But soon we reach the open. A gentle breeze provides pleasant coolness :)8
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We go left, towards the former Rif. Popena hut.9
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Slowly gaining altitude and views become ever more expansive.10
Monte Cristallino di Misurina One of many deep gullies constantly deepened by scree and heavy rains.11
Monte Cristallino di Misurina A wooden footbridge helps us over the rocky step. The old path on the left was washed away by rain.12
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Forcella Popena saddle with ruins. At first I thought it was a former military object, but not so.13
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The hut is the work of enthusiast Lino Conti who carried all material to the saddle himself for construction and opened the Popena shelter in 1937.14
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Unfortunately, the fire in 1948 destroyed his dreams. He was no longer able to fully restore the structure and the hut began to decay. Only the name lives on …15
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We descend into Val Popena valley. Our summit hides in the background somewhere in the middle of the photo16
Monte Cristallino di Misurina View back towards the approach direction …17
Monte Cristallino di Misurina First sign at all for Cristallino di Misurina18
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Military mule track takes us high below the base of the cliffs19
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The route keeps to the right side, confirmed by occasional markings20
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Interesting rock formation. Obviously flat going for perseverance :)21
Monte Cristallino di Misurina After long ascent we reach steep gully with huge boulders. Markings lead us out of it …22
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Soon it's clear to us this is the harder part of the path. Everything collapsed, progress is scrambling23
Monte Cristallino di Misurina View down the gully, then comes DELIVERANCE : ). On nearby ridge spot cables. Carefully we turn24
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Via ferrata entrance not very obvious and unmarked at all. But so what, grinning ear to ear :)25
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Via ferrata is new, cables nicely routed and tensioned26
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Spot two more hikers and somewhat surprised27
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Continue with pleasant ascent28
Monte Cristallino di Misurina This is the parallel old path. Red marking on large boulder, one of many in gully29
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Here they sometimes secured their souls after strenuous gully ascent. Shortly before this spur old path joins new30
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Continuation nice military path with numerous carved steps31
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Still easy going for us, this time due to properly routed path :)32
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Few markings in this section, but numerous cairns assist33
Monte Cristallino di Misurina View back …34
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We are in the summit section right below the ridge. Here the army arranged numerous shelters35
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Much is still preserved, including the wooden platform in the cavern36
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Some small sections of the path have been washed away, but there are no major issues37
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The main summit is not immediately visible, it is however at the far right in the ridge38
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The military path is narrow here, so caution is advised39
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The slope inclination is also becoming steeper …40
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Cristallino de Misurina. But one still needs to reach it41
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Of the two accesses in the summit section we choose the right one42
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Detail from the path …43
Monte Cristallino di Misurina On the summit there is a really modest marker with Mary …44
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Also a memorial plaque next to an interesting cross with numerous nails45
Monte Cristallino di Misurina If nothing else, the army at least had a nice view46
Monte Cristallino di Misurina From the summit we descend via another path variant that also demands its due47
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We have enough time, so we visit an unnamed peak with a cross as well48
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The view from it is wonderful. Opposite is Cristallo di Mezzo which we visited yesterday49
Monte Cristallino di Misurina The descent to the valley follows the same path as there is no other50
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Key point of the final descent. Immediately after the footbridge ferrata on the right straight ahead gully51
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Of course we choose the ferrata which downhill is even faster than uphill52
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Some details are more demanding but nothing particularly difficult53
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Tick tock we are down at the entry part of the ferrata54
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Another view of the wrong entry as a warning to potential visitors of this beautiful mountain55
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Look back, farewell, we continue onwards …56
Monte Cristallino di Misurina In Val Popena valley we choose a new direction towards the Forcella delle Pale di Misurina saddle. This is also path 22457
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We are already at the saddle, swarming with tourists …58
Monte Cristallino di Misurina This is how house pets are carried :)59
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Lago di Misurina, Sexten in the background60
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Down there our car is parked. The left parking by the lake is paid, the right one behind Col de Varda is free61
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We are quick, so we decide to also visit the nearby Monte Popena62
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Here there is not much visitation, the easy mulatjera is quite overgrown in the lower part63
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Higher up there is less greenery, progressing is comfortable and with views64
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Only in the summit steepness the tooth of time appears and in places more experience is needed for safe progression65
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Monte Popena Basso, 2222 m high summit66
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We descend the opposite side. Both path variants have marking 224A. They are not very generous with numbers here :)67
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Climbing crag. At the top we even met two Slovenes who had just climbed from the wall68
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Some climbing doesn't pass us by either :)69
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We descend to the east side of the lake. There is an insanely large number of tourists with motorhomes70
Monte Cristallino di Misurina Grand Hotel Misurina, architecturally very similar to the Institute Pius XI on the opposite lake side71
Monte Cristallino di Misurina We go around the lake on the footpath on the opposite shore from the main road72
Monte Cristallino di Misurina One more farewell and we drive towards new adventures73
Monte Cristallino di Misurina GPS track, this time a bit tangled :) It showed 18 km and 1700 elevation meters74
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