Rifugio Auronzo - Monte Paterno (via east ridge)

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: Over the border crossing Rateče we drive to Trbiž / Tarvisio, where we go on the highway in the direction of Videm / Udine. We leave the highway at exit Tolmezzo and we follow the road to the mentioned settlement. From Tolmezzo we continue in the direction of the settlement Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo della Mauria. The road then starts descending and brings us into a valley Cadore, where we continue right (left Belluno and Cortina d'Ampezzo) in the direction of the settlement Auronzo. After few additional km of driving, we come to the next bigger crossroad, where we go right in the direction of Austria and Tre Cime (left Cortina d'Ampezzo). We leave the road towards Austria after additional some 100m, because signs for Tre Cime point us to the right on a payable mountain road which after 7km brings us to a large parking lot near the mountain hut rifugio Auronzo.
From Primorska side: We drive on the highway which leads over the border crossing Sežana in Trst / Trieste. Further, we drive on Italian highway in the direction of Padova, but only to a highway junction, where we continue in the direction of Veneto and Belluno. Near Belluno the highway ends, and we continue in the direction of Cortina d'Ampezzo and Auronzo. When the road brings us into a valley Cadore we will get to a bigger crossroad, where the road goes towards Cortina d'Ampezzo left, and towards Auronzo right. Here we continue right towards Auronzo. Further, follow the upper description.

Path description:
At the mountain hut Auronzo we go on a macadam road which leads towards the mountain hut Lavaredo slightly towards the east. After approximately 20 minutes of walking on a very panoramic road which leads below the mighty mountain walls of Tre Cime we get to the hut Lavaredo.
From the mountain hut, we still continue on the road, and it quickly brings us to a crossing, where we continue right in the direction of Piani di Lavaredo. The path which ahead runs on a mule track, descends past a smaller lake and then after crossing scree brings us to wide meadows, where we can mainly in the morning and evening time notice numerous marmots. Here we go left on the path which leads slightly to the left and starts quite steeply ascending on the scree (direction northeast). And wide mule track still leads towards the east. After the ascent over the scree we join a little better beaten footpath which leads from the mountain hut Rifugio Pian di Cengia.
At the crossing, we go left and we in a gentle ascent cross a slope below Pian di Cengia. The path becomes even less steep and brings us on notch Forcella dei Laghi. From the notch, we continue towards the west and we soon enter the climbing part of the path. On the south side of the ridge we descend by the steel cable into a steep gully from which we then also with the help of a short ladder ascend on the other side. Slpe again becomes for some time more gentle and then in few ascents and descents we cross precipitous slopes towards the west. At the end, we cross also shorter bridge, and then we soon reach notch Forcella del Camoscio. On the notch, where our path joins with other two, we go left. With the help of steel cables we ascend over almost vertical wall. This part of the path is otherwise short, but demanding and that is why it is highly recommended use of self belaying. After that, the path becomes less demanding and through nice passages on the upper slope of the mountain we soon reach a very panoramic peak.

On the way: Rifugio Lavaredo (2344m), Forcella del Camoscio (2650m)