Capanna Alpina - Ütia de Gran Fanes

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: Through the border crossing at Rateče or Predel to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then on the highway in the direction of Udine to the exit Tolmezzo. From Tolmezzo we follow the road in the direction of the settlement Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then descends and brings us to an intersection, where we continue left (also right possible) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. In all following intersections we follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo.

In Cortina d'Ampezzo we then follow the signs for the alpine pass Passo di Falzarego. We follow this ascending road to the mentioned pass, then we continue right towards the pass Passo Valparola. From the pass we then descend towards the Val Badia valley. When the road flattens out lower down we will notice on the right a larger parking lot, a restaurant and a camp. We continue a few hundred meters more on the main road and then right behind the bridge, which crosses the stream Rü Sciare, we turn right towards the restaurant Capanna Alpina. We follow the mentioned road to its end where we park on the large parking lot before the mentioned restaurant. In the summer months the parking lot is payable. The price for one day of parking is 5€ (July 2019).

From Primorska: We drive on the highway towards Venice / Venezia. At the 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 intersections we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Further we follow the above description.

Path description:
From the parking lot we continue past the restaurant Capanna Alpina on a macadam road which is closed to traffic. The road then quickly brings us to a plain where there is a junction. To the right leads path 20 towards the hut Ütia Scotoni, and we turn left onto path 11 and follow the signs for Col de Locia and Fanes.

From the junction we walk for some time on a gentle macadam path, which meanwhile crosses a stream over a bridge. Further on the path becomes somewhat narrower and brings us into dwarf pines and then also into a sparse forest. Here the path also starts to ascend somewhat more steeply. Somewhat higher the path turns left and then ascends along the fence on a somewhat steeper slope. From the path beautiful views open up towards the west where the mountain group Sella is clearly visible. The path then crosses a pasture fence and brings us to gentler terrain beside the indistinct summit Col de Locia, which is located along the path on our left side. On the summit there are also a few benches.

The path here turns slightly right and first gently descends and then crosses a small stream. Further we walk through a gentle and wide valley which mostly runs towards the north. For some time the path still runs along dwarf pines later it brings us to expansive grassy slopes. Such a path then brings us to a marked junction where to the right branches off the path towards lake Lech de Legacio and further towards the hut Lagazuoi.

At the junction we continue straight across expansive meadows on which livestock also grazes in the summer months. The path again starts to descend gently and with wonderful views brings us to yet another marked junction.

This time to the left branches off the path towards the peaks Conturines and Lavarela. We continue further on the wide path all the way to the pasture Malga Gran Fanes where there is a marked junction. To the right leads the Path of Peace (Fridensweg / Via della pace), and we continue straight and in a few minutes reach the hut Ütia de Gran Fanes, which we already see in front of us.

On the way: Col de Locia (2069m), Ju dal'Ega (2157m)

Trip can be extended to: Lago di Limo ( 20 min) , Bivacco Baccon Barborka (1 h 40 min) , Vallon Bianco (2 h 10 min) , Bivacco della Pace , Furcia Rossa III (2 h 20 min)