Lech da Sompunt - Muntejela de Puez (path 15)

Access to starting point:
A) Access from Gorenjska: Through the Karawanks Tunnel we drive into Austria, then we continue driving towards Spittal and further towards Lienz (a little after Spittal the motorway ends). Further we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through the Drava 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 only a few meters after the sign which 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 further on the motorway to Portogruaro, where at the motorway junction we turn in the direction of the town Belluno. We follow the motorway to its end (we do not turn towards Belluno), 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 to 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. Only a few meters before the sign which 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 turn 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 turn right and continue along the road that leads uphill along the ski slope. Further we ascend the ski slope from which increasingly beautiful views open towards the Val Badia valley and the Lavarella mountain group. Higher a mountain bike track joins us for a short time, as indicated by the signs along the path. We continue ascending the ski slope and soon spot the Rifugio Sponata hut, followed by a short ascent.
From the hut where a view towards Marmolada opens for a short time, we continue along a gently sloping gravel road, then the 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 where the mountain bike track also begins, we continue along path no. 5 towards the Rifugio Gherdenacia hut.
Here we enter the Puez-Odle nature park and the well-maintained path begins to ascend steeply through increasingly sparse forest. The path then turns slightly left and begins crossing fairly steep slopes to the south. During the crossing the path initially still ascends, later it becomes gentler and slightly descends in 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 right into sparse larch forest, bringing us to a marked junction. Left the path leads to the Sassongher summit, we continue straight ahead and continue ascending beside increasingly sparse larches. For a short time we then gently ascend a panoramic grassy slope, then we reach a narrow valley where there is another junction.
Right through the mentioned valley path no. 11 leads to the Puez hut, we continue left along path no. 15, which also leads to the Puez hut. From the junction the path mostly gently ascends crossing slopes to the southwest. Later the path turns slightly right and brings us to a marked junction where left branches the path to the Para dai Giai summit.
At the junction we continue right along path 15 and ascend somewhat more steeply a few times. The path then runs west, ascending all the way to the Forcella de Gherdenacia saddle where there is a junction.
Left path 15A leads to the Sassongher summit, we continue slightly right along path 15 and then descend slightly. The path then brings us below the slope of the Col da la Sone summit, which we bypass on the left southern side. From the path increasingly beautiful views open towards the Sella mountain group and soon another path to the Sassongher summit branches left. At the junction we continue west, the gentle path then mostly gently descends all the way to the junction where we join the path from Passo Gardena pass and Colfosco village.
At the junction we continue right towards the Puez hut. The path from the junction is gentle and soon turns slightly left crossing steep slopes. Soon we spot a flag ahead near the hut. The panoramic path remains gentle and soon brings us to the hut, located on grassy slopes below the Col de Puez summit.
From the hut we return a few tens of metres back to the marked junction and head along path no. 1-11 following the signs »Badia Abtei, Ütia Gherdenacia«. At the junction the path ascends bringing us to gentler terrain partly covered with grass. Here we already see the Muntejela summit ahead. The easiest approach to the summit is to continue along the marked path to the eastern side of the mountain. There we leave the marked path and turn sharply left onto the eastern ridge of the mountain. Along the undemanding ridge we then ascend to the summit where a cairn is also placed.
We descend by continuing along path 1-11 to the junction where we then turn right onto path 11 by which we return to the Gherdenacia hut.

On the way: Rifugio Sponata (1730m), Rifugio Gherdenacia (2050m), Forcella de Gherdenacia (2548m), Rifugio Puez (2475m)