Lech da Sompunt - Ciampani

Access to starting point:
A) Access from Gorenjska: Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving towards Spittal and further towards Lienz (a little after Spittal the highway ends). Further, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through the Drau Valley, which brings us to Italy. The road further leads past Dobbiaco / Toblach and Brunico / Bruneck. Only a little after the last-mentioned town, past which a bypass leads, we turn left into the Val Badia Valley. Further, we drive through the mentioned valley to La Villa, where just a few meters after the sign that marks the settlement, we turn right towards the lake Lech da Sompunt. Then we follow the ascending road to Hotel Sompunt, which is located by the mentioned lake.
B) From the Primorska side: From Nova Gorica, we drive to Italy and then continue on the highway to the town of Portogruaro, where at the highway junction we turn in the direction of Belluno. We follow the highway to its end (we do not turn in the direction towards Belluno), and then we continue driving towards Cortina d'Ampezzo. When we arrive in Cortina d'Ampezzo, we follow the signs for the alpine pass Passo Falzarego. At the pass Passo Falzarego (2105 m), we turn right towards the neighbouring pass Passo Valparola (2192 m), from there we descend into the Val Badia Valley. In La Villa, we turn right towards Brunico / Bruneck. Just a few meters before the sign that marks the end of La Villa, we turn left towards the lake Lech da Sompunt. Then we follow the ascending road to Hotel Sompunt, which is located by the mentioned lake.

Path description:
At the parking lot by the lake, we head left onto the footpath following the signs »Sponata, Ütia de Puez«. The path quickly brings us to the road where there is a marked junction. We head right and continue on the road that leads uphill along the ski slope. Further, we ascend the ski slope from which increasingly beautiful views open up towards the Val Badia Valley and the Lavarella mountain group. Higher up, a mountain bike trail joins us for a short time, which is also indicated by signs along the path. We continue ascending the ski slope and soon spot the Rifugio Sponata hut, followed by a short ascent to it.
From the hut, where a view towards Marmolada opens up, we continue for a short time along a gently sloping macadam road, then signposts direct us right uphill onto the ski slope. After a short ascent, the marked path leaves the ski slope and follows the ascent through the forest to the right of the ski slope. The path then brings us to a junction where the path from the upper cable car station joins. At the marked junction, which is also the start of the mountain bike trail, we continue on path number 5 towards the Rifugio Gherdenacia hut.
Here we enter the Puez-Odle nature park and the well-maintained path begins to ascend steeply through the increasingly sparse forest. The path then turns slightly to the left and begins crossing fairly steep slopes towards the south. During the crossing, the path initially continues ascending, later becoming gentler and slightly descending in a few places. The path then brings us out of the forest onto the Munt de Gherdenacia pasture where the Gherdenacia hut is also located.
At the hut, where there are signposts, we continue west following the signs »Ütia de Puez«. The path soon begins to ascend and turns slightly to the right into a sparse larch forest, bringing us to a marked junction. Left leads the path to the Sassongher summit, while we continue straight ahead, ascending further beside increasingly sparse larches. For a short time, we then gently ascend a scenic grassy slope, then we reach a narrow valley where there is another junction.
Left leads path number 15 to the Puez hut, while we continue uphill through the mentioned narrow valley on path number 11, which also leads to the Puez hut.
Further on, we ascend through the mentioned valley for quite some time, during which beautiful views occasionally open up, especially towards the Lavarella mountain group. The path here runs northwest to a marked junction near the Ciampani summit.
At the mentioned junction, left leads the path to the Puez hut, right downhill leads path number 1 towards Badia Abtei, while we leave the marked paths here and head north into pathless terrain. After a short ascent, we will soon notice the summit, which at first glance may seem difficult to reach as it is surrounded by steep gullies. The ascent to the summit is not difficult and we quickly reach it along the gentle slope above the gullies.

On the way: Rifugio Sponata (1730m), Rifugio Gherdenacia (2050m)