Lech da Sompunt - Rifugio Puez (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 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 road 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 then further on the highway to Portogruaro, where at the highway junction we turn in the direction of the town of Belluno. We follow the highway to its end (we do not turn in the direction towards the town of 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 the town of Brunico / Bruneck. Only a few meters before the sign, which marks the end of the town 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 only a short ascent.
From the hut where a view towards Marmolada opens up for a short time, we continue on a gently sloping macadam road, then the signposts direct us right upwards 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 towards the south. During the crossing the path initially still ascends, later it becomes gentler and slightly descends 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 westwards following the signs »Ütia de Puez«. The path soon begins to ascend and turns slightly to the right into sparse larch forest, bringing us to a marked junction. To the left the path leads towards 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.
To the right through the mentioned valley path number 11 leads towards 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 to the right and brings us to a marked junction where to the left the path towards the Para dai Giai summit branches off.
At the junction we continue right on path 15 and ascend somewhat more steeply a few times. The path then runs westwards and ascends all the way to the Forcella de Gherdenacia saddle where there is a junction.
To the left path 15A leads towards the Sassongher summit, we continue slightly right on path 15 and then descend a little further on. 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 begin to open up towards the Sella mountain group and soon another path towards the Sassongher summit branches off to the left. At the junction we continue towards the west, the gentle path continues 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 to the left and crosses steep slopes. Soon we will see a flag ahead of us, located near the hut. The panoramic path remains gentle and soon brings us to the hut, which is located on grassy slopes below the Col de Puez summit.
We can descend along the ascent path or along path number 11. Both paths are approximately equally long.

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

Trip can be extended to: Muntejela de Puez ( 30 min) , Col de Puez / Puezkofel , Piz de Puez / Puezspitz