Passo Campolongo - Cresta Strenta (Via Ferrata Vallon)

Access to starting point:
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 the towns of 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 past the towns of La Vila and Corvara. Next follows an ascent towards the pass Passo Campolongo. A few hundred meters before the pass, we will notice on the left side a macadam parking lot where we park. The parking lot is located behind the Hotel Laguscei opposite the bus stop. By the road there is also the lower station of the chairlift. A smaller parking lot is also on the right side of the road before the bus stop.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue along the main road (towards the south) to the Hotel Boe, which is located on the right western side of the road. At the hotel, where there are also signposts, we turn right onto the macadam road following the signs "Rifugio Lago Boe". Behind the hotel, the road turns right and slightly descends, then it starts to ascend and crosses the ski slope. Further, the road ascends for a short time through the forest and then brings us to the mountain pasture Malga Plan Fisti.
We continue along the road across the mountain pasture and a little after the mountain pasture we come to a marked junction where the footpath to the mountain hut Kaiser Hütte branches off to the left. We continue right and continue ascending along the road. After a short ascent, the path 638A to the summit Crep de Munt also branches off to the right. We continue left along the road from which beautiful views open towards Marmolada and the mountains above the Val Badia valley. Here the road ascends somewhat more steeply and brings us again to the ski slope. Somewhat higher, the road turns right and continues ascending along mostly grassy slopes. The road then becomes gentler and soon brings us to the hut Rifugio Lago Boe. A circular cabin cable car from the town of Corvara in Val Badia also runs to the hut. Near the hut there is also the lower station of the chairlift that goes to the summit Vallon (2530m). Both cable cars also operate in the summer months.
Near the hut, where there is a junction, we continue left along the ski slope where signs direct us to Lake Lech de Boe and the hut Ütia Franz Kostner. The path runs along the right edge of the ski slope and after a short ascent brings us to the mentioned lake, which is located to the right of the ski slope below the rocky ridge.
From the lake we continue along path 638, which turns left and crosses the ski slope. Further, the path runs somewhat to the left of the ski slope across partly grassy terrain. The path soon brings us to a marked junction where path 636 to the hut Kaiser Hütte (Rifugio Bec de Roces) branches off to the left. We continue along the path, which ascends the slope parallel to the ski slope, and soon path 646A to the summit Boeseekofel (Piz da Lech) also branches off to the right. We continue along the path, which runs to the left of the ski slope, and slowly beautiful views open towards the hut Ütia Franz Kostner and the sheer walls of nearby peaks in the Sella mountain group. Further, the slope becomes somewhat gentler and the path brings us to a marked junction.
To the right, the path to the upper station of the Vallon cableway and further to the summit Boeseekofel (Piz da Lech) branches off, while we continue left along path 638 to the hut Ütia Franz Kostner. The wide and panoramic path runs westwards and quickly brings us to another junction.
To the left there is only a short ascent to the hut Ütia Franz Kostner. If we also visit the hut, we return to the junction and continue right along 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 turn right onto the path named Roda de Valun. The path then runs northwestwards and across the scree brings us into a valley surrounded by sheer peaks. Here the path first ascends crossing the scree on the left side of the valley and 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 larger sign on the rock directs us. The path, marked here with red-blue blazes, 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 a self-belay set.
The secured path in the initial part turns right and steeply ascends several times along the steel cable. The steel cables are quite loose in this part and the distance between the pegs to which the steel cables are attached is also relatively large. The path then turns somewhat to the left for a short time and brings us below even steeper slopes. Here we continue right again and after several diagonal ascents along the exposed slope, the path brings us to a hanging bridge. Over the bridge we cross a small waterfall and then the ascent becomes somewhat more demanding. Behind the bridge, the path ascends almost vertically to the left upwards and some arm strength is also needed to progress (difficulty C). The demanding part 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 along the relatively gentle path southwards, which slowly turns slightly right. When we approach the summit Piz Lech Dlace we come to a junction.
The right path bypasses the summit Piz Lech Dlace on the western side and then joins path 672. We continue left and cross the slope towards the eastern side of the mentioned summit. When we join path 672 the slope becomes somewhat steeper and an ascent follows towards the ridge. 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 larger cairn.
From the summit we continue along the ridge and after a short descent we come to a saddle where there is a junction. From the right another path from the secured path Via Ferrata Vallon joins us here. Likewise to the right a cross path to the hut Rifugio Boe branches off, and from the left an unmarked trail past Lake Eissee joins.
We continue straight and begin ascending the rocky slope again. Somewhat higher the path slowly turns left and brings us to the ridge from where a view opens towards the west. We continue along the ridge southwards and then cross steeper slopes along the ridge. On a short section a steel cable assists us. When we reach the ridge again we attain the somewhat less known summit Cresta Strenta, which with 3124 meters is the second highest peak in the Sella mountain group.

On the way: Malga Plan Fisti (1930m), Rifugio Lago Boe (2185m), Lago Boe (2252m), Ütia Franz Kostner (2500m), Piz Lech Dlace (3009m)

Trip can be extended to: Piz Boe