Passo Campolongo - Setsas

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, then 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. 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 places 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. Beside 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 stop.

Path description:
From the parking lot at the hotel Laguscei we ascend on a cart track which runs right below the cableway and after a few tens of meters we get to a marked crossroad.
We turn left on a worse cart track, where signs for »Inzija, Pralongia« direct us. To the right leads the cart track towards the summit Cherz. Our path then crosses the ski slope to the left side of the cableway and the cart track quickly turns into a footpath. The path then brings us into the forest and left downwards a path branches off towards the parking lot Planac and further towards the place Corvara. We continue straight and the path quickly brings us out of the forest onto the ski slope. Here the path for a short time steeply ascends on the ski slope then turns left from the ski slope and again enters the forest. Further, the path runs through the forest from which occasionally views still open towards the mountain group Puez. Such a path soon brings us to a junction, where from the right another slightly longer path from the pass Passo Campolongo joins.
At the junction we continue left and then through the forest cross the slopes mostly towards the east. The path then brings us out of the forest onto a clearing or ski slope where there is a bench and another junction.
Left downwards leads another path towards the place Corvara, right leads a path towards the summit Cherz, we continue straight ahead and follow the signs »Inzija, Pralongia«. A level path, which occasionally also slightly descends, further runs through the forest towards the east. Here we will notice along the path also quite a few benches and springs. When we come out of the forest then only a short descent follows and the path brings us to the saddle Passo Incisa, where we join the macadam road. Here on the left side is also a nicely kept hut La Marmotta.
At the marked crossroad in front of the hut we continue straight on the road in the direction Pralongia. The road immediately from the hut starts to ascend relatively steeply towards the east. Here the path runs near the cableway and ski slope Incisa. We continue further on the ascending road from which increasingly beautiful views open on the mountain groups Marmolada, Sella and Puez.
Left somewhat downwards then a path branches off towards the hut Rifugio Punta Trieste, we continue further on the road upwards. Higher the road turns slightly left and brings us to another crossroad. Left leads another path towards the mentioned hut, we continue somewhat to the right and continue ascending towards the summit Pralongia on which we already see the upper station of the cableway. Along the panoramic road we then continue all the way to the summit beside which there is also the hut Rifugio Pralongia. From here an even more beautiful view opens also on the mountains above the valley Val Badia and towards the summit Setsas.
From the summit we continue on a wide path towards the east where signs direct us to Setsas and Col di Lana. Initially the path slightly descends and runs along a wide indistinct ridge. The path then continues further towards the east and starts slightly ascending. When we approach the slopes of the summit Stores, the path turns left and brings us to the north side of the mentioned summit, where there is also a marked junction.
Here we leave the wider macadam path and turn right upwards on a footpath that ascends the grassy slope towards the summit Stores. After a short ascent we already see the cross on the summit. The path then turns slightly left and along the summit grassy slope we soon reach the panoramic summit with a cross and bench.
From the summit Stores we continue along the wide grassy ridge and further for quite some time mostly slightly descending towards the east. Later the ridge to the right south side becomes somewhat steeper and the path then again slightly ascends for a short time. A descent follows again further along the left side of the grassy ridge. Such a path then brings us to a little saddle where we cross a cart track.
From the saddle we start ascending again and along the path there are again some more trees. Here we ascend also along a stream that occasionally flows along the path, which consequently can be somewhat muddy. Trees further become sparser again and when we somewhat approach the slopes of the summit Setsas the path brings us to a marked junction.
Straight leads the path towards the saddle Passo Sief, we turn left towards the summit Setsas. From the junction we continue ascending the grassy slope, which soon becomes somewhat eroded by torrents. The terrain then becomes somewhat more rocky and the path brings us again to a marked junction.
This time we turn right upwards where signs »Cima Setsas - Spitze« direct us, straight leads the path towards the pass Passo Valparola and another path towards the summit Setsas. From the junction the path ascends even somewhat more steeply and slowly turns somewhat left. When we reach the ridge then from the left another path joins.
For some time we still slightly ascend on wide grassy terrain, then the path brings us to rocky slopes. Further the path moves from the ridge to the north side and mostly traverses ascending towards the east. Soon we will also see the cross on the summit of the mountain and only a short ascent to the summit follows from which wonderful views open on all sides.

On the way: Passo Incisa (1938m), Rifugio La Marmotta (1938m), Pralongia (2109m), Stores (2185m)