Passo Pordoi - Porta Vescovo (ridge way)

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: Via Rateče or Predel border crossings to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then continue 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 a crossroad, where we continue left (also right possible) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all following crossroads 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 arrive at a crossroad, 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 a crossroad, where we continue right in the direction of the pass Passo Pordoi (left Marmolada). We follow the relatively wide and ascending road all the way to the mentioned pass, where we park on a large parking lot.
From Primorska: We drive on the highway towards Venice / Venezia. At Portogruaro we leave the highway towards Venice and continue right on the highway towards Pordenone. At the next highway junction near Conegliano we continue right towards Belluno. Near Belluno the highway ends, and at the following crossroads we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Further we follow the above description.

Path description:
From the parking lot on the pass we continue towards the southeast past the hut Savoia, behind which we will notice signposts. The signposts direct us to the footpath towards the hut Rifugio Fredarola. The wide path initially runs towards the southeast and brings us to the chapel. Here the path turns right and then slightly ascends below the eastern slopes of the peak Sas Bece. From the path we otherwise have a very nice view mainly on the nearby peaks in the mountain group Sella. The path then soon brings us to the saddle on the north side of the peak Sas Bece from where a view towards Marmolada also opens up.
At the saddle where there is a junction we continue straight ahead, left along the ski slope the path leads towards the hut Rifugio Sass Bece. The path from the saddle first crosses grassy slopes towards the south and then brings us to a macadam road.
At the junction we continue slightly left and then head to the footpath that crosses a short grassy slope. Left ahead along the road the path leads towards the hut Sass Bece, right downhill towards the hut Belvedere and further towards the peak Col di Rosc. After a short crossing the path brings us to a wider macadam path where we continue left.
The wide path then runs towards the east and slightly ascends along somewhat steeper grassy slopes with beautiful views towards Marmolada. Along such a path we then soon reach the hut Rifugio Fredarola.
At the hut where there is a junction we continue along the macadam road towards the east following the signs »Viel del Pan«. The road then quickly brings us to another marked junction.
At the junction we continue slightly left onto the ridge path (Sentiero Attrezzato delle Creste), right leads the easier path named Bindelweg towards the hut Rifugio Viel del Pan and further towards the saddle Porta Vescovo. The path from the junction runs along the north side of the ridge and quickly brings us to somewhat steeper slopes from which we have a very nice view towards the mountain group Sella and towards Alta Badia. The path from the northern slopes soon turns right and ascends towards the ridge. Further we ascend along the ridge for some time, then the path brings us to the 2563 meters high peak Col da Cuch from which a view opens up on the entire Padon ridge and towards the lake Lago di Fedaia.
From the peak we continue further along the ridge and begin to descend on mostly grassy terrain. The path, which continues descending, further runs along the south side of the ridge and brings us to a smaller saddle. Right here branches off an unmarked path that crosses grassy slopes towards the hut Viel del Pan, we continue along the ridge and begin to ascend more steeply again.
The path then leads us over an unnamed peak on which a larger cairn is placed and then descends to the saddle below the western slopes of the peak Sas Ciapel. Also at this saddle there is a junction where right across the grassy slope branches off a path towards the Bindelweg path and the hut Viel del Pan.
We continue further along the ridge towards the east and the path brings us below steeper slopes of the peak Sas Ciapel. The marked path here begins to cross the slopes on the south side of the peak, on the left side we will notice some paths leading towards the peak. We head to one of the paths which for a short time ascend over a fairly steep slope, so some caution is needed during the ascent. The path then quickly brings us to the ridge and a short easy ascent to the panoramic peak follows.
From the peak we return to the path that crosses the south slopes below the peak. After crossing steep grassy slopes the path brings us to the ridge on the east side of the peak Sas Ciapel. Here the path begins to descend and runs along a slightly exposed ridge. The slope soon becomes less steep and a descent along the grassy slope beside the ridge to the next smaller saddle follows. We continue further on the ridge path and ascend to the less pronounced peak named Col de Pausa. After descending from the peak we arrive below the western slopes of the peak Le Forfesc. Here right branches off a path towards the easier Bindelweg path, we for a short time continue further along the ridge, then we must be somewhat more attentive as the marked path turns left onto the northern slopes. Right leads an unmarked path that bypasses the steep slopes on the south side and then ascends back towards the ridge. We therefore continue left and cross the slopes on the north side of the peak Le Forfesc. Further for some time in a gentle ascent we cross the slopes towards the east, then the path turns slightly right and ascends towards the ridge. We reach the ridge on the east side of the peak Le Forfesc to which there is only a short ascent along the ridge.
On the ridge we continue left towards the east and then for quite some time cross grassy slopes on the south side of the ridge. Later on the left side we will spot the peak Belvedere on which a cross stands. The path here becomes somewhat less visible and soon joins the path from the saddle Porta Vescovo. At the less visible junction we continue left and an ascent along the panoramic grassy slope to the peak follows.
From the peak we return to the less visible junction and then descend along the eastern grassy slopes towards the saddle Porta Vescovo. In the lower part the slope becomes somewhat steeper and at the shorter place where we cross granite slabs some caution is needed.
The path then in the descent soon brings us to the saddle Porta Vescovo.
Back towards the pass Passo Pordoi we return via the easier Bindelweg path, which runs along the south slopes past the hut Viel del Pan.

On the way: Rifugio Fredarola (2370m), Col da Cuch (2563m), Sas Ciapel (2557m), Col de Pausa (2415m), Le Forfesc (2585m), Belvedere (2650m)