Passo Campolongo - Piz Boe (Lichtenfels)

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive into Austria, then continue driving towards Spittal and further towards Lienz (the highway ends a little after Spittal). 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. Just 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 La Vila and Corvara. Next follows the ascent towards the Passo Campolongo pass. A few hundred meters before the pass, we will notice a macadam parking lot on the left side, on which we park. The parking lot is located behind the Hotel Laguscei, opposite the bus station. By the road is also the lower station of the chairlift. A smaller parking lot is also on the right side of the road before the bus station.

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, west side of the road. At the hotel, where there are also signposts, we turn right onto the macadam road following the signs for »Rifugio Lago Boe«. Behind the hotel, the road turns right and slightly descends, then starts to ascend and crosses the ski slope. Further on, the road ascends for a short time through the forest and then brings us to the alpine pasture Malga Plan Fisti.
We continue along the road across the pasture and a little after the pasture we come to a marked junction where the footpath to the Kaiser Hütte hut branches 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 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 back to the ski slope. A little higher, the road turns right and continues ascending along mostly grassy slopes. The road then becomes gentler and soon brings us to the Rifugio Lago Boe hut. A circular cabin cable car from Corvara in Val Badia also runs to the hut. Near the hut there is also the lower station of the chairlift that goes towards the Vallon summit (2530 m). 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 the signs direct us to Lech de Boe lake and the Ütia Franz Kostner hut. 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 a rocky ridge.
From the lake we continue further along path 638, which turns left and crosses the ski slope. Further on, the path runs a little 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 Kaiser Hütte hut (Rifugio Bec de Roces) branches left. We continue further along the path, which ascends the slope parallel to the ski slope, and soon path 646A to the Boeseekofel summit (Piz da Lech) branches right. We continue further along the path, which runs left of the ski slope, and slowly beautiful views begin to open towards the Ütia Franz Kostner hut and the sheer walls of nearby peaks in the Sella mountain group. Further on, the slope becomes somewhat gentler and the path brings us to a marked junction.
Right branches the path to the upper station of the Vallon cableway and further to the Boeseekofel summit (Piz da Lech), while we continue left along path 638 to the Ütia Franz Kostner hut. The wide and panoramic path runs westwards and quickly brings us to another junction.
If we do not visit the hut, we can continue straight at the junction along path 638; otherwise, we turn left and after a short ascent reach the Ütia Franz Kostner hut.
At the hut, we turn right onto path 637 and after a short descent come to a junction. Left downwards leads path 637 to Arabba, while we continue right onto path 638. After a few tens of meters, the path to the secured Via Ferrata Vallon path and to the Roda de Valun path branches right. This time we continue left and the path begins to ascend diagonally across the scree. After a short ascent, we are again at a junction.
Left leads the path to Passo Pordoi pass and path 638 to the Piz Boe summit. At the junction, we turn right upwards onto path 672 (Lichtenfels), which also leads to the Piz Boe summit. From the junction, the path begins to ascend the scree and runs up the right side of the valley. At the end of the valley, the path turns right into the rocks and becomes more demanding. The path, which is well secured with steel cable here, runs along a steep rocky slope and ascends somewhat more steeply a few times. More experienced mountaineers will manage the ascent even without self-belaying. The relatively short secured section then ends and the path becomes less demanding.
Further on, the path turns left and then for some time mostly in a gentle ascent crosses steep slopes on the eastern side of the Pizes dl Valun peak. After the crossing, the path brings us to less steep slopes where we come to a marked junction.
At the junction, we continue right along path 672 (Lichtenfels), while straight leads the path that later joins path 638. Our path then ascends somewhat to the left of the wide and relatively gentle valley and runs westwards. When we reach the southwest side of the Pizes dl Valun peak, the path turns a little further left and brings us to a wide ridge from which a beautiful view opens to the Piz Boe summit. We continue further west and soon arrive below the slope of the Piz Lech Dlace peak. Here the path moves to the right side of the ridge and after a short ascent across scree, the secured Via Ferrata Vallon path joins from the right.
At the junction, the path turns left and ascends a steeper rocky slope. On the shorter section, a few steel cables also assist us. On the ridge, we then continue right and soon reach the Piz Lech Dlace summit, on which there is a larger cairn.
From the summit, we continue along the ridge and after a short descent come to a saddle where there is a junction. From the right, another path from the secured Via Ferrata Vallon path joins here. Also right branches a transverse path to the Rifugio Boe hut, and from the left an unmarked trail past Eissee lake joins.
We continue straight and begin ascending the rocky slope again. A little 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 cross steeper slopes beside the ridge. On the shorter section, a steel cable also assists. When we reach the ridge again, we arrive at the somewhat less known Cresta Strenta summit, which at 3124 meters is the second highest peak in the Sella mountain group.
We continue further south and further on the path runs along the gentler western side of the ridge. Soon the path from the Rifugio Boe hut joins from the right and to the summit only a short undemanding ascent remains.

On the way: Malga Plan Fisti (1930m), Rifugio Lago Boe (2185m), Lago Boe (2252m), Ütia Franz Kostner (2500m), Piz Lech Dlace (3009m), Cresta Strenta (3124m), Forces dai Ciamorces (3110m)