Lech da Sompunt - Piz de Puez / Puezspitz (path 15)

Access to starting point:
A) Access from Gorenjska: Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Avstria, and then we continue driving towards Spittal and forward towards Lienz (a little after Spittal highway ends). Further, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through Drau valley, which brings us in Italy. The road further leads past Dobbiaco / Toblach and Brunico / Bruneck. Only a little after the last-mentioned town, past which leads a bypass road, we turn left into a valley Val Badia. Further, we drive through the mentioned valley to La Villa where only few meters after the sign, which marks settlement we turn right towards the lake Lech da Sompunt. Then we follow an ascending road to Hotel Sompunt, which is located by the mentioned lake.
B) From Primorska side: From Nova Gorica, we drive to Italy and drive forward on the highway to Portogruaro, where at the highway junction we turn in the direction of Belluno. We follow the highway to its end (we don't turn in the direction towards Belluno), and then we continue driving towards Cortina d'Ampezzo. When we get into Cortina d'Ampezzo, we follow the signs for Alpine mountain pass Passo Falzarego. On the mountain pass Passo Falzarego (2105 m) we turn right towards the neighbouring mountain pass Passo Valparola (2192 m), from there we descend into the valley Val Badia. In La Villa we turn right towards Brunico / Bruneck. Only few meters before the sign, which marks the end of the settlement La Villa we turn left towards the lake Lech da Sompunt. Then we follow an ascending road to Hotel Sompunt, which is located by the mentioned lake.

Path description:
At the parking lot by the lake we go left on a footpath following the signs »Sponata, Ütia de Puez«. The path quickly brings us to the road where there is a marked crossing. We go right and we continue on the road which leads on a ski slope upwards. Further, we are ascending on a ski slope from which beautiful views start to open up towards the valley Val Badia and on the mountain group Lavarella. Higher for a short time mountain bike track joins that is also pointed out by the signs by the path. We continue ascending on a ski slope and we soon notice a mountain hut Rifugio Sponata to which only a short ascent follows.
From the mountain hut where a view towards Marmolada opens up for a short time, we continue on a gently sloping macadam road, after that signposts point us right upward on a ski slope. After a short ascent marked path leaves ski slope and ascent through the forest right from the ski slope follows. The path then brings us to a crossing where the path from the upper cableway station joins. At the marked crossing where there is also the beginning of the mountain bike track, we continue on the path number 5 towards the mountain hut Rifugio Gherdenacia.
Here we enter into nature park Puez-Odle and well-settled path starts ascending steeply through thinner and thinner forest. After that, the path turns a little to the left and starts crossing quite steep slopes towards the south. At the crossing at first the path is still ascending, later it becomes less steep and on some spots, it also slightly descends. The path then brings us out of the forest on the mountain pasture Munt de Gherdenacia where a mountain hut Gherdenacia is also located.
At the mountain hut where there are signposts, we continue towards the west following the signs »Ütia de Puez«. The path soon starts ascending and turns a little to the right into thin larch forest and it brings us to a marked crossing. Left leads the path towards the summit Sassongher, and we continue straight and continue ascending by increasingly rare larches. A short time we are then slightly ascending on a grassy slope with a nice view, and then we come to a narrow valley where there is another crossing.
Right through the mentioned valley leads the path number 11 towards the mountain hut Puez, and we continue left on the path number 15, which also leads towards the mountain hut Puez. From the crossing, the path mostly in a gentle ascent crosses slopes towards the southwest. Later, the path turns a little to the right and it brings us to a marked crossing where the path towards peak Para dai Giai branches off to the left.
At the crossing, we continue right on the path 15 and then we ascend a little steeper few times. After that, the path runs towards the west and is ascending all the way to the notch Forcella de Gherdenacia where there is a crossing.
Left leads the path 15A towards peak Sassongher, and we continue slightly right on the path 15 and then descend a little. The path then brings us below the slope of the peak Col da la Sone, which we bypass on the left south side. From the path increasingly beautiful views starting to open up towards the mountain group Sella and then soon to left another path towards peak Sassongher branches off. At the crossing, we still continue towards the west, and gentle path continues to mostly slightly descending all the way to a crossing where we join the paths from the mountain pass Passo Gardena and Colfosco.
At the crossing, we continue right towards the mountain hut Puez. The path from the crossing is gentle and soon turns slightly to the left and crosses steep slopes. Soon we will in front of us notice a flag, which is located near the mountain hut. Panoramic path is still gentle and soon brings us to the hut, which is located on grassy slopes below the peak Col de Puez.
At the mountain hut, we continue towards the west following the signs »Pizes de Puez, Puezspitz«. After few ten meters we come again to a crossing where the path number 2 towards the valley Langental branches off to the left. We continue slightly right and start ascending steeper. The path brings us on shorter ridge which brings us below the southern slopes of the peak Col de Puez. Here the path turns left and then some time crosses steep slopes towards the northwest. Slopes are on some spots pretty steep, there's also some gravel on the path therefore some caution is needed on this part. Such a path then brings us on the west side of the peak Col de Puez where there is also a little poorly visible crossing.
Right leads unmarked path towards the summit Col de Puez, and we continue left on a marked path towards the summit Piz de Puez. The path further is all the time ascending on steep slopes of the mountain, which in snowless conditions isn't difficult. A little below the summit, we come on a smaller saddle from where also a view opens up towards the north. Here we continue left and by the ridge we quickly reach the panoramic peak.
We descend back towards the mountain hut Puez and then we can return on the ascent route or on the path number 11. Both paths are approximately equally long.

On the way: Rifugio Sponata (1730m), Rifugio Gherdenacia (2050m), Forcella de Gherdenacia (2548m), Rifugio Puez (2475m)