Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada - Belvedere

Access to starting point:
First, we drive to Cortina d'Ampezzo (to here possible over a border crossing Rateče or Predel to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then 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 and then we follow the signs for Alpine mountain pass Passo di Falzarego. Already in the first part of the ascent towards the mountain pass Falzarego we will get to a crossroad, where signs for mountain pass Passo di Giau (2233 meters) and Marmolada point us to the left. The road behind the mountain pass Giau starts descending and lower we follow it through the settlements in the direction of Marmolada or mountain pass Passo di Fedaia. The road which then again starts ascending higher brings us on a mountain pass Fedaia, and we follow it over on the other side of the lake, where we park on a parking lot near the mountain hut Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada.
Access from Primorska: We drive on a 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 follow the road ahead in the direction of Belluno, where at the larger crossroad we continue right in the direction of the town Agordo. From the mentioned town ahead we follow frequent signs for Marmolada or mountain pass Passo di Fedaia. When we get on the mentioned mountain pass we follow the road over on the other side of the lake, where we park on a parking lot near the mountain hut Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada.

Path description:
From the parking lot at the mountain hut Rifugio Castiglioni Marmolada at first we carefully cross the road, and then we go on a footpath in the direction of "Porta Vescovo" (beginning of the path is on the northern side of the lake Lago di Fedaia). The path which at first runs on the road, quickly changes into a wide footpath which starts ascending steeper towards the north. During the ascent, which runs over wide grassy slopes, increasingly beautiful views are opening up on lake Lago di Fedaia and Marmolada, the latter is additionally adorned by largest glacier in the Dolomites.
The path which runs on granite grounding, then brings us to abandoned wooden cottage, where there is a marked crossing. We continue on the path 698 (direction Porta Vescovo, left path 601 Viel del Pan), which is further a little less steeply ascending towards the upper station of the cable car, which we see since the starting point. Pleasant and a panoramic path then after a good hour of walking, it brings us to a saddle Porta Vescovo, from which a nice view opens up towards the north, where we clearly see Piz Boe.
From the saddle, we continue towards the west on the path which starts ascending steeply on the eastern grassy slope of the peak Belvedere (beginning of the path isn't marked, and also blazes on the path ahead are very rare, or towards the summit there aren't any). The path higher ascends even steeper over short granite plate (mainly in wet great risk of slipping), and then turns to the left, where flattens a little. Next follows a diagonal ascent towards the south, where after few minutes of additional walking, we step on nice viewpoint. Here the path entirely flattens and turns sharply to the right. Next follows only few minutes of easy walking on the upper grassy ridge of the mountain.

On the way: Porta Vescovo (2478m)