Passo Campolongo - Setsas

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, 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 past settlements La Vila and Corvara. Next follows an ascent towards the mountain pass Passo Campolongo. Some hundred meters before the mountain pass, we will notice on the left side a macadam parking lot on which we park. The parking lot is located after the hotel Laguscei on the opposite side of the bus stop. By the road is also a bottom station of the chairlift. A smaller parking lot is also on the right side of the road before the bus stop.

Path description:
From the parking lot at the hotel Laguscei we ascend on a cart track which runs right below the cableway and after few ten meters, we get to a marked crossroad.
We go left on a worse cart track, where signs »Inzija, Pralongia« point us to. And to the right leads the cart track towards the summit Cherz. Our path then crosses a ski slope to the left side of the cableway and the cart track quickly passes into a footpath. The path then brings us into the forest and left downwards a path branches off towards the parking lot Planac and forward towards the settlement Corvara. We continue straight and the path quickly out of the forest brings us on a ski slope. Here the path for a short time steeply ascends on the ski slope and then from the ski slope turns to the left and again passes into the forest. Further, the path runs through the forest from which occasionally still views open up towards the mountain group Puez. Such a path soon brings us to a crossing, where from the right joins another slightly longer path from the mountain pass Passo Campolongo.
At the crossing, we continue left and then we through the forest cross slopes mostly towards the east. The path then out of the forest brings us on a clearing or a ski slope where there is a bench and another crossing.
Left downwards leads another path towards the settlement Corvara, to the right leads the path towards the summit Cherz, and we still continue straight and we follow the signs »Inzija, Pralongia«. A gently sloping path, which occasionally even slightly descends still runs through the forest towards the east. Here we will by the path also notice quite a few benches and wells. When we come out of the forest, only a short descent follows and the path brings us to the saddle Passo Incisa, where we join the macadam road. Here on the left side there is also a well-settled mountain hut La Marmotta.
At the marked crossroad in front of the mountain hut we continue straight on the road in the direction of Pralongia. The road immediately from the hut starts relatively steeply ascending towards the east. Here the path runs near the cableway and ski slope Incisa. We still continue on an ascending road from which increasingly beautiful views opening up on the mountain groups Marmolada, Sella and Puez.
Left a little downwards then the path branches off towards the mountain hut Rifugio Punta Trieste, and we still continue on the road upwards. Higher, the road turns slightly to the left and it brings us to another crossroad. Left leads another path towards the mentioned mountain hut, and we continue a little to the right and we are still ascending towards the summit Pralongia on which we already see the upper station of the cableway. On a panoramic road we then continue all the way to the top by which there is also the mountain hut Rifugio Pralongia. From here opens up even more beautiful view also on mountains above the valley Val Badia and towards the summit Setsas.
From the top, we continue on a wide path towards the east where signs point us towards Setsas and Col di Lana. At first, the path slightly descends and runs on a wide indistinct ridge. After that, the path still runs towards the east and starts slightly ascending. When we get closer to slopes of the peak Stores, the path turns to the left and it brings us on the northern side of the mentioned summit, where there is also a marked crossing.
Here we leave a wider macadam path and we go right upwards on a footpath which ascends on a grassy slope towards the summit Stores. After a short ascent, we already notice the cross on the top. After that, the path turns slightly to the left and on the upper grassy slope we soon reach the panoramic peak with a cross and a bench.
From the top of Stores we continue on a wide grassy ridge and then for quite some time, we are mostly slightly descending towards the east. Later, the ridge on the right south side becomes a little steeper and the path then for a short time again ascends a little. Next again follows the descent still on the left side of the grassy ridge. Such a path then brings us to a saddle where we cross a cart track.
From the saddle, we again start ascending and by the path, there are again more trees. Here we are ascending also by a small stream which occasionally runs also on the path which is consequently also a little muddy. Trees further again become rarer and when we get a little closer to the slopes of the peak Setsas, the path brings us to a marked crossing.
Straight leads the path towards the saddle Passo Sief, and we go left towards the summit Setsas. From the crossing, we are still ascending on a grassy slope, which soon becomes a little rough because of the torrents. Terrain then becomes a little more rocky and the path again brings us to a marked crossing.
This time we go right upwards where signs »Cima Setsas - Spitze« point us to, and straight leads the path towards the mountain pass Passo Valparola and another path towards the summit Setsas. From the crossing, the path is even a little steeper ascending and it slowly turns a little to the left. When we reach the ridge, then from the left joins also the other path.
For some time we are still slightly ascending on a wide grassy terrain, and then the path brings us on rocky slopes. Further path avoids the ridge on the northern side and is mostly ascending diagonally towards the east. We will soon also notice a cross on the top of the mountain and only a short ascent follows to the top from which breathtaking views open up on all sides.

On the way: Passo Incisa (1938m), Rifugio La Marmotta (1938m), Pralongia (2109m), Stores (2185m)