Capanna Alpina - Vallon Bianco

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: From Rateče or Predel we cross the border to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then we continue on the highway in the direction of Videm / Udine to exit Tolmezzo. From Tolmezzo we follow the road in the direction of village Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo Mauria. The road then descends and it brings us to a crossroad, where we continue left (possible also right) in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. At all next crossroads, we follow the signs for Cortina d'Ampezzo.
In Cortina d'Ampezzo then we follow the signs for Alpine mountain pass Passo di Falzarego. This ascending road we then follow to the mentioned mountain pass, and then we continue right towards the mountain pass Passo Valparola. From the mountain pass, we then descend towards the valley Val Badia. When lower the road flattens on the right we will notice a larger parking lot, a restaurant and a camp. We continue few 100 meters more on the main road and then right behind the bridge, which crosses the stream Rü Sciare we turn right towards the restaurant Capanna Alpina. The mentioned road, we then follow to its end where we park on a large parking lot before the mentioned restaurant. In the summer months, the parking lot is payable. The price for one day of parking is 5€ (July 2019).
From Primorska: We drive on the highway towards Venice / Benetke / Venezia. At town 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 next crossroads we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Further, we follow the description above.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue past the restaurant Capanna Alpina on a macadam road which is closed for traffic. The road then quickly brings us to a plain where there is a crossing. To the right leads the path 20 towards the mountain hut Ütia Scotoni, and we go left on the path 11 and follow the signs for Col de Locia and Fanes.
From the crossing, we for some time walk on a gentle macadam path, which meanwhile over a bridge crosses a stream. Further, the path becomes a little narrower and brings us into dwarf pines and then also into a thin forest. Here the path starts also ascending a little steeper. A little higher, the path turns to the left and then it is ascending by the fence on a little steeper slope. From the path here beautiful views are opening up towards the west where there is clearly visible mountain group Sella. The path then crosses a grazing fence and it brings us on a less steep terrain by indistinct summit Col de Locia, which is situated by the path on our left side. On the summit, there are also some benches.
The path here turns slightly to the right and at first, it slightly descends and then crosses a smaller stream. Further, we walk through a gentle and wide valley, which mostly runs towards the north. For some time path still runs by dwarf pines and later it brings us on ample grassy slopes. Such a path then brings us to a marked crossing where the path branches off to the right towards the lake Lech de Legacio and forward towards the mountain hut Lagazuoi.
At the crossing, we still continue straight on ample meadows on which in the summer months also livestock is grazing. The path again starts slightly descending and with wonderful views it brings us to another marked crossing.
This time path branches off to the left towards the peaks Conturines and Lavarela. We still continue on the wide path all the way to the mountain pasture Malga Gran Fanes where there is a marked crossing.
Straight there is only few minutes of walking to the hut Ütia de Gran Fanes, which we already see in front of us. At the crossing, we go right on the path number 17 or Walk of Peace (Fridensweg / Via della pace). The path from the crossing at first runs on a grassy slope and then it brings us into a lane very thin larch and pine forest. The path is further marked with number 17 and with signs VB and FR, which marks peaks Vallon Bianco and Furcia Rossa. The path is still slightly ascending and runs on an old military mule track towards the southeast. The path slowly turns a little more to the left and a view starting to open up also towards the east on the valley Valle di Fanes. Mule track here brings us on more rocky terrain on which we soon reach the crossing.
To the right leads the path 17 towards Monte Castello or bivouac Bivacco della Pace, and we continue left on the path towards the peaks Furcia Rossa and Vallon Bianco. From the crossing, the path then for quite some time crosses slopes a little more towards the east and it brings us to little steeper slopes. Next follows an ascent mostly in zig-zags on a steep slope and the path brings us to the next crossing.
To the right secured climbing path branches off towards the summit Furcia Rossa III and forward towards the bivouac Bivacco della Pace. At the crossing, we continue left and we are for some time still ascending on a panoramic path. After that, the path turns a little to the right and on a wide ledge and then on the upper edge of the scree again brings us to a crossing where the path branches off to the right towards the summit Furcia Rossa II by which there is also a small bivouac Bivacco Baccon Barborka. To mentioned bivouac is otherwise approximately 10 minutes of walking.
At the crossing, we continue left towards the summit Vallon Bianco and after a short crossing, the path brings us on the northern slopes of the mountain. We then cross the slopes towards the east and the path becomes also slightly exposed, and we get help from some steel cables. Here we also enter into nature park Parco Naturale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo. The path then turns to the right, crosses a short small bridge and soon brings us to a saddle by which we will notice a lot of ruins from the time of the first world war.
On the saddle, we continue left and well-settled military path, which is carved into a steep slope then ascends in few hairpin turns. After that, the path crosses even a little more exposed slopes towards the east and then it crosses an interesting narrow bridge. Further, the path still mostly in a gentle ascent crosses exposed slopes towards the east, and by the path, we are all the time accompanied by numerous ruins from the time of the first world war. A little below the summit, the path brings us to a smaller crossing where we go sharply right and we ascend steeper with the help of few stemples. To the top then follows only a short ascent on panoramic upper slope of the mountain. From the top on which there is an inscription box and few smaller benches is outstanding view on a larger part of Dolomites. Especially nice is a view on the nearby Tofanas.
We descend on the ascent route.

On the way: Col de Locia (2069m), Ju dal'Ega (2157m), Ütia de Gran Fanes (2102m)