Passo Sella - Rifugio Sandro Pertini

Access to starting point:
From Kranjska Gora over the Korensko sedlo pass to Austria, where at the first larger intersection we continue left towards Podklošter / Arnoldstein and Trbiž / Tarvisio. At the end of the settlement Podklošter signs for Šmohor / Hermagor direct us right onto a regional road, on which past the mentioned settlement we drive to the end of the Gailtal valley, 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 crossing 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 the settlements Dobbiaco / Toblach, Villabassa / Niederdorf, Monguelfo - Tesido / Welsberg - Taisten, Brunico / Bruneck. A little after the last-mentioned settlement, past which a bypass runs, we turn left into the Alta Badia valley. Further, we drive along the mentioned valley and in the settlement La Villa we turn right towards the pass Passo Gardena. Then we follow the ascending road following the signs for Passo Gardena. From the Passo Gardena pass we descend to the other side and then continue left towards the Passo Sella pass. At the Sella pass we park at the hut Rifugio Passo Sella or at one of the smaller parking lots along the road. The 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 the intersection where a narrower road branches off to the right upwards towards the hut Rifugio Carlo Valentini. At the intersection there is also a smaller parking lot. We head onto the mentioned road and begin to ascend on the initially still asphalted road. The road leads us past the already mentioned hut Carlo Valentini, after which the asphalt ends and we continue slightly to the right on the macadam road following the signs »Sasso Piatto Plattkofel«.
From the road, which runs along grassy slopes, we have a nice view mainly towards the Sella group and Marmolada, and occasionally a view also opens towards the summit Sassolungo. The road continues to ascend 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 located below the slopes of the peak Col Rodela. At the notch, where there is an intersection, we continue right and along the level road we reach the hut Rifugio Friedrich August.
From the hut we continue a few dozen meters along the road, after which the road ends and we continue on the footpath following the signs »Rif. Sasso Piato«. The path initially descends slightly, then crosses grassy slopes towards the west. Further on, the path crosses a stream and brings us below the slopes of the peak Sasso Levante. Here increasingly beautiful views towards the mountain group Catinaccio begin to open up. The path continues to cross the slopes towards the west and then brings us to the hut Rifugio Sandro Pertini.

On the way: Rifugio Carlo Valentini (2201m), Rifugio Salei (2222m), Chalet Margherita (2265m), Forcela Rodela (2318m), Rifugio Friedrich August (2298m)

Trip can be extended to: Rifugio Sasso Piatto (1 h 50 min) , Sassopiatto / Plattkofel (3 h 50 min)