Lech da Sompunt - Piz de Puez / Puezspitz (path 15)

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 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 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 Portogruaro, where at the highway junction we turn in the direction of Belluno. We follow the highway to its end (we don't 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. On 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 go left on a footpath following the signs »Sponata, Ütia de Puez«. The path quickly brings us to the road where there is a marked junction. We go right and continue on the road which leads up 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, 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 up, we continue for a short time on a gently sloping macadam road, then signposts direct us right up onto the ski slope. After a short ascent, the marked path leaves the ski slope and follows an 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 trail also begins, 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 increasingly sparse forest. The path then turns slightly to the left and begins crossing fairly steep slopes to the south. During the crossing, the path initially still ascends, later becoming gentler and slightly descending 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 leads the path to the Sassongher summit, we continue straight and ascend further 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 leads path number 11 to the Puez hut, we continue left on path number 15, which also leads to the Puez hut. From the junction the path mostly crosses the slopes in a gentle ascent towards the southwest. Later the path turns slightly right and brings us to a marked junction where the path to Para dai Giai summit branches left.
At the junction we continue right on path 15 and ascend somewhat more steeply a few times. The path then runs westwards, ascending all the way to the Forcella de Gherdenacia saddle where there is a junction.
Left leads path 15A to the Sassongher summit, we continue slightly right on path 15 and then descend a little. 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 up towards the Sella mountain group and soon another path to the Sassongher summit branches left. At the junction we continue towards the west, the gentle path mostly slightly descending 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 will see 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.
At the hut we continue west following the signs »Pizes de Puez, Puezspitz«. After a few tens of meters we reach another junction where path number 2 to the Langental valley branches left. We continue slightly right and begin ascending more steeply. The path brings us to a short ridge which takes us below the southern slopes of the Col de Puez summit. Here the path turns left and then crosses steep slopes northwestwards for a while. The slopes are quite steep in places, and there is some scree on the path, so caution is needed on this section. The path then brings us to the west side of the Col de Puez summit where there is a somewhat less visible junction.
Right leads an unmarked path to the Col de Puez summit, we continue left on the marked path to the Piz de Puez summit. The path ascends continuously on the steep slopes of the mountain, which are not difficult when dry. Just below the summit we reach a small saddle from where a view also opens to the north. Here we continue left along the ridge and quickly reach the panoramic summit.
We descend back to the Puez hut and then we can return by the ascent path or by path number 11. Both paths are approximately equally long.

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