Lech da Sompunt - Rifugio Gherdenacia

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.

On the way: Rifugio Sponata (1730m)

Trip can be extended to: Rifugio Puez , Muntejela de Puez , Ciampani (1 h 50 min) , Col de Puez / Puezkofel , Piz de Puez / Puezspitz