Ossario del Pordoi - Cresta Strenta (Via Ferrata Vallon)

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: Through the border crossings at Rateče or Predel to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then on the motorway 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 (also right possible) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all following intersections, we follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo.
In Cortina d'Ampezzo we then follow the signs for the alpine pass Passo di Falzarego. We follow this ascending road to the mentioned pass. At the pass we come to an intersection, where we continue on the left road in the direction of Marmolada and the settlement Arabba (right Alta Badia). The road continues descending for quite some time, then brings us to an intersection, where we continue right in the direction of the pass Passo Pordoi (left Marmolada). We follow this relatively wide and ascending road all the way to the mentioned pass. At the pass we then turn right onto a narrow asphalted road towards the ossuary of German soldiers (Cimitero Militare Germanico). We park in the parking lot at the end of the mentioned road.
From the Primorska side: We drive on the motorway towards Venice / Venezia. Near Portogruaro we leave the motorway towards Venice and continue right on the motorway towards Pordenone. At the next motorway junction near Conegliano we continue right towards Belluno. Near Belluno the motorway ends, and at the following intersections we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Further we follow the above description.

Path description:
From the parking lot we continue on a well-maintained path towards the ossuary where 8582 German soldiers who fell in the First World War and 849 soldiers who fell in the Second World War are buried. At the ossuary we then continue left where signposts for the via ferrata Via Ferrata Cesare Piazzetta direct us. The path then leads us across a panoramic grassy slope and soon begins to ascend somewhat more steeply. For a short time the path then crosses a steeper slope to the right, then resumes ascending the slope upwards. The path, which is mostly marked with red arrows, then ascends until we approach the mighty wall where we join path 626.
Here we continue right and after a short traverse the path brings us to a sign marking the start of the extremely demanding path Via Ferrata Cesare Piazzetta. We continue on the easy path which traverses slopes below vertical walls towards the east. The path then traverses such a slope for some time, slightly ascending and descending a few times. From the path a view soon opens towards the hut Ütia Franz Kostner and after a short descent we reach a marked junction.
To the left upwards branches path 638, which through the gully Rissa di Pigolerz leads towards the summit Piz Boe. At the junction we continue on path 626, which continues traversing slopes below sheer walls. Along the path we will also notice some ruins from the First World War, and the path also leads past a smaller lake. The path then turns slightly left and after a short descent brings us to another junction.
This time path Lichtenfels (path 672) branches left towards the summit Piz Boe, while we continue right towards the hut Ütia Franz Kostner. From the junction the path descends slightly more and to the right downwards also branches the path towards the settlement Arabba. Then follows only a short ascent to the hut, which we have been able to see from the path for some time.
At the hut we then head left towards the north and descend slightly along the wide path. When we reach the junction we head left onto path 638.
A little after the junction the path turns left and ascends towards the scree where we are again at a junction.
This time we leave path 638 and head right onto the path named Roda de Valun. The path then runs northwestwards and through scree brings us into a valley surrounded by sheer peaks. Here the path first ascends traversing scree on the left side of the valley then brings us to flatter terrain where there is also a junction.
To the right leads the easy circular path Roda de Valun, while we continue left towards the secured climbing path Via Ferrata Vallon where a large inscription on the rock directs us. The path, marked here with red-blue markings, then ascends the scree and brings us to the wall where the secured path begins. Before entering the secured section of the path we equip ourselves with a helmet and via ferrata set.
The secured path in the initial section turns right and ascends steeply several times along the cable. The cables are quite slack in this section and the distance between the pegs to which the cables are attached is also relatively large. The path then briefly turns slightly left and brings us below even steeper slopes. Here we continue right again and after several diagonal ascents on the exposed slope the path brings us to a suspension bridge. Over the bridge we cross a small waterfall then the ascent becomes somewhat more demanding. Behind the bridge the path ascends almost vertically left upwards and some arm strength is also needed for progress (difficulty C). The demanding section is relatively short and the secured path soon ends, bringing us to gentler slopes where there is also a small lake.
Here the path turns right and ascends an easy slope from which a view opens towards the summit Piz Boe and numerous other nearby peaks. The path then turns left and gently ascends the rocky slope on the right side of the valley. On the left side we will also notice a somewhat larger lake located below the western slopes of the peak Pizes dl Valun. We continue on the relatively flat path southwards, which slowly turns slightly right. When we approach the summit Piz Lech Dlace we reach a junction.
The right path bypasses summit Piz Lech Dlace on the west side and then joins path 672. We continue left and traverse the slope towards the east side of the mentioned summit. When we join path 672 the slope becomes somewhat steeper and an ascent towards the ridge follows. Here steel cables assist us on a short section of the path. On the ridge we then continue right and soon reach the summit Piz Lech Dlace on which there is a large cairn.
From the summit we continue along the ridge and after a short descent reach a saddle where there is a junction. From the right another path from the secured path Via Ferrata Vallon joins here. Likewise to the right branches a transverse path towards hut Rifugio Boe, and from the left an unmarked trail past lake Eissee joins.
We continue straight and begin ascending the rocky slope again. Slightly higher the path slowly turns left and brings us to the ridge from where a view opens to the west. We continue along the ridge southwards and then traverse steeper slopes along the ridge. On the short section a cable assists us. When we reach the ridge again we attain the somewhat less known summit Cresta Strenta, which with 3124 m is the second highest peak in the Sella group.

On the way: Ütia Franz Kostner (2500m), Piz Lech Dlace (3009m)

Trip can be extended to: Piz Boe