Passo Sella - Rifugio Friedrich August

Access to starting point:
From Kranjska Gora over Korensko sedlo pass to Austria, where at the first larger crossroad we continue left towards Podklošter / Arnoldstein and Trbiž / Tarvisio. At the end of the settlement Podklošter signs for Šmohor / Hermagor point us to the right on a regional road, on which past the mentioned settlement we drive to the end of the valley Gailtal, or more precisely to the settlement Kötschach-Mauthen, where we turn right towards the settlement Oberdrauburg. The route ahead leads us over the alpine pass Gailbergsattel (982 m), after which we descend into the mentioned settlement. After we cross the bridge over the river Drau, we continue left towards the settlement Lienz. In the main roundabout in Lienz we continue "left" in the direction of the settlement Sillian and Italy. Further, we cross the border between Austria and Italy, and we follow the main road past settlements Dobbiaco / Toblach, Villabassa / Niederdorf, Monguelfo - Tesido / Welsberg - Taisten, Brunico / Bruneck. Only a little after the last-mentioned settlement, past which leads a bypass road, we turn left into the Alta Badia valley. Further, we drive through the mentioned valley and in the settlement La Villa we turn right towards the pass Passo Gardena. Further, we follow the ascending road following the signs Passo Gardena. From the pass Passo Gardena we descend on the other side and then we continue left towards the pass Passo Sella. On the pass Sella we park at the hut Rifugio Passo Sella or on one of smaller parking lots by the road. Parking lot at the hut is payable (July 2012 – 4€).

Path description:
From the hut Rifugio Passo Sella we continue on the main road to a crossroad where a narrower road towards the hut Rifugio Carlo Valentini branches off to the right upward. At the crossroad there is also a smaller parking lot. We head onto the mentioned road and start ascending along the initially still asphalted road. The road leads us past the already mentioned hut Carlo Valentini, then the asphalt ends and we continue slightly right on a macadam road following the signs »Sasso Piatto Plattkofel«.
From the road which runs by grassy slopes we have a nice view mainly towards the Sella group and Marmolada, and occasionally a view towards the summit Sassolungo also opens up. The road continues ascending towards the south and leads us past the hut Rifugio Salei and then also past the hut Chalet Margherita to the notch Forcela Rodela, which is situated below the slopes of the peak Col Rodela. At the notch where there is a crossroad we continue right and on a gentle road we come to the hut Rifugio Friedrich August.

On the way: Rifugio Carlo Valentini (2201m), Rifugio Salei (2222m), Chalet Margherita (2265m), Forcela Rodela (2318m)

Trip can be extended to: Rifugio Sandro Pertini ( 40 min) , Rifugio Sasso Piatto (2 h 30 min) , Sassopiatto / Plattkofel (4 h 30 min)