Belopeška jezera - Visoka Ponca (ferrata)

Access to starting point:
From Kranjska Gora over the border crossing Rateče we drive towards Trbiž / Tarvisio. Already after a few kilometers after the border crossing in the settlement Fusine / Fužine the road branches off to the left in the direction of the Belopeška lakes / Laghi di Fusine, which in a few minutes of moderate ascent brings us to a large parking lot at the Upper Mangart (Belopeško) lake. We park there.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue on the left side of the inn in the direction of the mountain hut Zacchi. The path at first runs along the forest road, which we leave after a few minutes, as the blazes direct us to the left onto a wide cart track (it is also possible to continue on the forest road; this variant is slightly longer). The cart track on which we walk turns into a footpath a little higher. The relatively wide and well-marked path, rocky in places, then brings us in a moderate ascent through the forest in about an hour of walking from the starting point to the mountain hut Zacchi.
Before or below the hut we find the sign "Ponza di Mezzo, Ponza Grande", which marks the beginning of the path towards the Poncas. The path first crosses the torrential riverbed, then ascends through steep dwarf pines, all the time slightly to the right, below the overhanging walls of the Poncas. Higher up it brings us to the first steel cables. Here the path turns a little to the left; a few times we ascend quite steeply along the steel cable. When we get very close to the walls below Visoka Ponca, the path leads us to the right, crossing a wide torrential gully. Then follows a shorter steep ascent to the right of the gully, which brings us to a path junction. To the right (sign "Ponza di Mezzo") branches off the path that leads to Visoka Ponca via a somewhat easier route (via normale) and to Srednja Ponca; we go to the left, onto the very demanding climbing path (ferrata).
We continue ascending to the right of the gully, partly over the steep slope of Srednja Ponca, partly across rocky ledges. When we cross the gully again, this time of course to the left, we stand at the entrance to the ferrata.
The most difficult spot is right at the beginning: the first few tens of elevation meters we climb up the vertical gully, after which follows an exposed traverse to the left. Immediately after the traverse the terrain flattens a little; we wind nicely through the passages, in places helped by a steel cable or temporary rope, and over one shorter section by a ladder.
In the summit section the ferrata flattens out completely; there are no more steel cables, and unfortunately mostly no blazes either. Cairns help us in places. Orientation in this part is otherwise not demanding if visibility is good. In a moderately steep ascent over gravelly terrain we soon reach the summit.

On the way: Rifugio Zacchi mountain hut (1380m)