Malga Ciapela - Cima Ombretta di Mezzo (via Passo Ombretta)

Access to starting point:
A) First, we drive to Cortina d'Ampezzo (you can get here via the border crossing Rateče or Predel to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then on the highway in the direction of Udine to the Tolmezzo exit. From Tolmezzo, we follow the road in the direction of the village Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then descends and brings us to an intersection, where we continue left (right is also possible) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all subsequent intersections, we follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo and then the signs for the alpine pass Passo di Falzarego. Already in the first part of the ascent towards the pass Falzarego, we will come to an intersection, where the signs for pass Passo di Giau (2233 m) and Marmolada direct us left. The road after the pass Giau starts descending, and we follow it through the settlements in the lower part in the direction of Marmolada or pass Passo di Fedaia. We then follow the road towards pass Passo di Fedaia to the intersection a little before the lower station of the gondola cable car. Here we turn left onto a narrow asphalt road towards the mountain pasture Malga Ciapela. The road then leads us past the camp and tourist farm Malga Ciapela. Just a little after the farm, the asphalt road ends. Here we park on one of the parking lots by the road.
B) Access from Primorska: We drive on the highway in the direction of Padova, but only to the highway junction, where we continue in the direction of the region Veneto and Belluno. Near Belluno the highway ends, and we follow the road ahead in the direction of Belluno, where at the larger intersection we continue right in the direction of the town Agordo. From the mentioned town onwards we follow frequent signs for Marmolada or mountain pass Passo di Fedaia. We then follow the road towards mountain pass Passo di Fedaia to the intersection a little before the lower station of the gondola cable car. Here we turn left onto a narrow asphalt road towards the mountain pasture Malga Ciapela. The road then leads us past the camp and tourist farm Malga Ciapela. Just a little after the farm, the asphalt road ends. Here we park on one of the parking lots by the road.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we head onto the macadam road, which is further closed to traffic. First, we cross the bridge, then the road brings us to a marked junction.
Left, the footpath towards the saddle Passo di Forca Rossa branches off, and we continue right on the macadam road, which ascends more steeply. Soon we come to another junction. This time we head right into the forest on the footpath towards the mountain pasture Malga Ombretta and hut Falier. Further on the road and later on the mule track, there is also another somewhat gentler path towards the same mountain pasture.
From the junction, the footpath starts to ascend more steeply, and occasionally a nice view opens up from the path on the nearby peaks. The path then turns slightly right and crosses a steep slope in the ascent. The path on this part is not demanding as it is secured with a fence, and steps also help us. The slope becomes less steep again, and from the path a view opens towards a smaller dam by the path. The path continues ascending through the forest and later crosses a mule track. The path becomes somewhat gentler and soon brings us out of the forest to the panoramic mountain pasture Malga Ombretta, where there is also a smaller hut.
From the hut, we continue on the path running across pastures towards the west. Further on, the path turns slightly right so that it runs on the right side of the valley. The path then leads us through a short stretch of forest, and only a short ascent follows to the hut Rifugio Failer, which is located below the slopes of the peak Cima Ombretta.
From the hut, we continue on path 610 towards the saddle Passo Ombretta. From the hut, the path ascends on a mule track mostly through dwarf pines towards the north. When we get somewhat closer to the walls of Marmolada, the dwarf pines end, and the path turns left. The increasingly scenic path then ascends towards the west and runs over terrain partly covered with grass. The grassy slopes later transition into scree, and the path ascends slightly towards the west for some time. In the last part of the ascent towards the saddle Passo Ombretta, the path turns right and starts ascending steeply over scree all the way to the mentioned saddle, where there is also a junction.
On the saddle, we continue left, and only a short ascent follows to the bivouac.
From the bivouac, we continue towards the south, and after a short ascent the path brings us to steel cables. Here the path turns slightly left and ascends the rocky slope with the help of fixed protections. The secured path is short and quickly brings us to scree fields. The path further runs over scree towards the south and gradually becomes steeper. Higher, the slope becomes quite steep and also dangerous for slipping. Such a path then brings us to the saddle below the peak Cima Ombretta di Mezzo.
The marked path here turns left to the south side of the ridge, and we continue right (towards the west) on an unmarked trail towards the military trenches below the peak Cima Ombretta di Mezzo. We continue slightly right past the military trench, then soon ascend left upwards, and a further ascent follows over pathless slope to the summit.

On the way: Malga Ombretta (1904m), Rifugio Onorio Falier (2074m), Passo Ombretta (2702m), Bivacco Dal Bianco (2730m)