Rifugio Auronzo - Laghi dei Piani

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: Via the border crossing Rateče we drive to Trbiž / Tarvisio, where we head onto the highway in the direction of Vidma / Udine. We leave the highway at the Tolmezzo exit and follow the road to the mentioned settlement. From Tolmezzo we continue in the direction of the settlement Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then starts descending and brings us into the Cadore valley, where we continue right (left Belluno and Cortina d'Ampezzo) in the direction of the settlement Auronzo. After a few additional km of driving, we come to the next bigger crossroad, where we go right in the direction of Austria and Tre Cime / Tre Cime (left Cortina d'Ampezzo). We leave the road towards Austria after another 100m or so, because signs for Tre Cime / Tre Cime point us right onto a payable mountain road which after 7km brings us to a large parking lot near the mountain hut rifugio Auronzo.
From Primorska side: We drive on the highway which leads over the border crossing Sežana to Trst / Trieste. Further, we drive on Italian highway in the direction of Padova, but only to a highway junction, where we continue in the direction of Veneto and Belluno. Near Belluno the highway ends, and we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo and Auronzo. When the road brings us into the Cadore valley we will get to a bigger crossroad, where the road goes towards Cortina d'Ampezzo left, and towards Auronzo right. Here we continue right towards Auronzo. Further, follow the upper description.

Path description:
At the mountain hut Auronzo we go on a macadam road which leads towards the mountain hut Lavaredo slightly towards the east. After approximately 20 minutes of walking on a very panoramic road which leads below the mighty mountain walls of Tre Cime we get to the hut Lavaredo.

From the mountain hut, we continue slightly to the left and start ascending on the scree towards the notch (Forcella Lavaredo) between Monte Paterno and Tre Cime. At the notch where there is a path junction we go on a wide path, which from the notch starts descending a little towards the north. To the right branches off the path which leads to Monte Paterno from the south side and path 104, which starts descending towards the east. During the descent towards the mountain hut Locatelli we can choose the lower wide path or the upper slightly harder one, which crosses slopes below the western wall of Monte Paterno. At the mountain hut from where there is a very nice view towards Monte Paterno and Tre Cime both paths join again.

From the mountain hut, we continue right towards the east and we will soon below us notice the lakes Laghi dei Piani. To the lakes follows only a shorter descent on a grassy slope.

On the way: Rifugio Lavaredo (2344m), Forcella Lavaredo (2454m), Rifugio Locatelli (2405m)