Ossario del Pordoi - Cresta Strenta (Via Ferrata Vallon)

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: From Rateče or Predel we cross the border to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then we continue on a 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. On the mountain pass, we come to a crossroad, where we continue on the left road in the direction of Marmolada and settlement Arabba (right Alta Badia). The road ahead is for quite some time descending, and then it brings us to a crossroad, where we continue right in the direction of the mountain pass Passo Pordoi (left Marmolada). We follow a relatively wide and ascending road all the way to the mentioned mountain pass. On the mountain pass, we then turn right on a narrow asphalt road towards the ossuary of German soldiers (Cimitero Militare Germanico). We park on a parking lot at the end of the mentioned road.
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 on a well-settled path towards the ossuary where 8582 German soldiers are buried, who fell in the first world war and 849 soldiers, who fell in the second world war. At the ossuary, we then continue left where signposts for climbing path Via Ferrata Cesare Piazzetta point us to. The path then leads us on a panoramic grassy slope and it soon starts a little steeper ascending. For a short time then path crosses a steeper slope to the right, and then again starts ascending on a slope upwards. The path which is mostly marked with red arrows is then ascending until we get very close to mighty walls where we join the path 626.
Here we continue right and after a short crossing, the path brings us to a sign which marks the beginning of extremely demanding path Via Ferrata Cesare Piazzetta. We still continue on an easy path, which crosses slopes below vertical walls towards the east. After that, the path for quite some time crosses such slope and in doing so few times slightly ascends and descends. From the path soon also view opens up towards the mountain hut Ütia Franz Kostner and after a short descent, we come to a marked crossing.
The path 638 branches off to the left upwards, which through the gully Rissa di Pigolerz leads towards the summit Piz Boe. At the crossing, we continue on the path 626, which then crosses slopes below the steep mountain walls. By the path, we will then also notice some ruins from the time of the first world war, and the path leads us also past a smaller lake. After that, the path turns a little to the left and after a short descent brings us to another crossing.
This time path Lichtenfels (path 672) branches off to the left towards the summit Piz Boe, and we continue right towards the mountain hut Ütia Franz Kostner. From the crossing, the path slightly descends and also the path towards the settlement Arabba branches off right downwards. Then only a short ascent follows to the hut, which can be seen from the path for quite some time.
At the mountain hut, we then go left towards the north and we slightly descend on the wide path. When we come to a crossing we go left on the path 638.
A little after the crossing, the path turns to the left and it ascends towards the scree where we are again at the crossing.
This time we leave the path 638 and go right on the path named Roda de Valun. After that, the path runs towards the northwest and on the scree brings us in a valley surrounded by the precipitous peaks. The path here at first in ascent crosses scree on the left side of the valley and then it brings us on more flat terrain where there is also a crossing.
Right leads easy circular path Roda de Valun, and we continue left towards the secured climbing path Via Ferrata Vallon where a bigger sign on rock points us to. The path which is here marked with red-blue blazes then ascends on the scree and it brings us to the wall where the secured path begins. In front of the entry into a secured part of the path, we equip ourselves with a helmet and a self-belay set.
The secured path in the initial part turns to the right and few times steeply ascends by the steel cable. Steel cables are in this part quite loose and also the distance between iron spikes on which steel cables are attached to is relatively long. After that, the path for a short time turns a little to the left and it brings us below even steeper slopes. Here we again continue to the right and after some diagonal ascents on the exposed slope path brings us to a hanging bridge. By the bridge we cross a smaller waterfall and then an ascent becomes even more demanding. The path behind the bridge ascends almost vertically left upwards and to move forward also some strength in arms is needed (difficulty C). Demanding part is otherwise relatively short and secured path then soon ends and brings us on less steep slopes where there is also a smaller lake.
The path here turns to the right and is ascending on an undemanding slope from which a view towards the summit Piz Boe opens up and on numerous other peaks nearby. The path then turns to the left and is slightly ascending on a rocky slope on the right side of the valley. On the left side, we will here also notice a little bigger lake, which is located below the western slopes of the peak Pizes dl Valun. We still continue on a relatively gentle path towards the south, which slowly turns slightly to the right. When we get closer to the summit Piz Lech Dlace we come to a crossing.
The right path bypasses the peak Piz Lech Dlace on the west side and then joins the path 672. We continue left and we cross a slope towards the eastern side of the mentioned summit. When we join the path 672 the slope becomes a little steeper and then follows an ascent towards the ridge. Here on a shorter part of the path, we also get help from steel cables. On the ridge, we then continue right and we soon reach the peak Piz Lech Dlace on which there is situated a bigger cairn.
From the top, we continue on the ridge and after a short descent, we come to a saddle where there is a crossing. From the right here joins also the other path from secured path Via Ferrata Vallon. Also, the diagonal path towards the mountain hut Rifugio Boe branches off to the right, and from the left joins unmarked footpath past the lake Eissee.
We continue straight and we again start ascending on a rocky slope. A little higher, the path slowly turns to the left and it brings us to the ridge from where a view opens up towards the west. We continue on the ridge towards the south and then we cross steeper slopes by the ridge. On the shorter part, there is also a steel cable for help. When we come again on a ridge we reach a little less known peak Cresta Strenta, which is with 3124 meters the second-highest peak in the mountain group Sella.

On the way: Ütia Franz Kostner (2500m), Piz Lech Dlace (3009m)

Trip can be extended to: Piz Boe