Rifugio Passo Sella - Sassopiatto / Plattkofel (Via Ferrata Oskar Schuster)

Access to starting point:
From Kranjska Gora over mountain pass Korensko sedlo to Austria, where at the first larger crossroad, we continue left towards Podklošter / Arnoldstein and Trbiž / Tarvisio. By the end of the settlement Podklošter signs for Šmohor / Hermagor point us to the right on a regional road, on which past the mentioned settlement we drive to the end of the valley Gailtal, or more precisely to the settlement Kötschach-Mauthen, where we turn right towards the settlement Oberdrauburg. The path ahead leads us over an Alpine mountain pass Gailbergsattel (982 meters), after which we descend into the mentioned settlement. After we cross the bridge through river Drau, we continue left towards the settlement Lienz. In the main roundabout in Lienz we continue "left" in the direction of the settlement Sillian and Italy. Further, we cross the border between Austria and Italy, and we follow the main road past settlements Dobbiaco / Toblach, Villabassa / Niederdorf, Monguelfo - Tesido / Welsberg - Taisten, Brunico / Brunec. Only a little after the last-mentioned settlement, past which leads a bypass road, we turn left into a valley Val Badia. Further, we drive through the mentioned valley and in the settlement La Villa we turn right towards the mountain pass Passo Gardena. Further, we follow an ascending road following the signs Passo Gardena. From the mountain pass Passo Gardena we descend on the other side and then we continue left towards the mountain pass Passo Sella. On the mountain pass Sella we park at the mountain hut Rifugio Passo Sella or on one of smaller parking lots by the road. Parking lot at the mountain hut is payable (July 2012 – 4€).

Path description:
At the mountain hut Rifugio Passo Sella we go through the parking lot to the bottom cableway station, which runs towards the mountain hut Demetz on notch Forcella Sassolungo. We continue on a wide footpath and at the first crossroad signposts point us to the left on a macadam road. After few ten meters we are again at the crossing and we continue right. The road then passes into a footpath and starts ascending towards the scree below precipitous peaks of group Sassolungo. The path further turns slightly to the right and brings us on slopes below the cableway. Here we start ascending in zig-zags on the scree towards the notch Forcella Sassolungo. From the path, we have all the time a very nice view towards the precipitous walls of the nearby peaks in the group Sassolungo, and very nice is also a view towards groups Sella and Marmolada. After that, the path all the time runs near the cableway and is still ascending in zig-zags on steep scree. Such a path then continues all the way to the mountain hut Rifugio Toni Demetz.
From the mountain hut, we continue towards the northwest and we start descending through the valley between the peaks Sassolungo and Piza de Dantersasc. The path is here all the time descending on the scree and then turns slightly left towards the mountain hut Rifugio Vicenza / Langkofel Hütte. From the notch Forcella Sassolungo we descend good 400 altitude meters.
At the mountain hut, we continue left following the signs »Oskar Schuster Via Ferrata« into cirque Conca del Sassopiatto. The path then starts ascending and at first runs on the left side of the valley below the slopes of the peak Piza de Dantersasc. Higher, the path turns to the right and then follows a little steeper ascent on the scree, which brings us below the wall of the peak Sassopiatto where there is the beginning of the climbing path.
In the initial part of climbing path we are ascending through and by a relatively steep gully upwards. On this part, the path with the exception of a short steel cable at the very beginning it isn't secured and that is why a lot of caution is needed. On unsecured part climbing of 1-2 grade is needed.
Higher, the path is well secured and is ascending on a wall left upwards. Further, we quite few times very steeply ascend by the steel cable, so that also some strength in arms is needed. Increasingly panoramic climbing path then brings us to the notch where the path turns to the right and then vertically ascends with the help of numerous stemples and a ladder. Further, we are for some time still steeply ascending by the steel cable, and then fixed safety gear end. The path here turns to the right and then it is ascending by a relatively steep gully upwards. On this part, the path isn't secured and again climbing of 1-2 grade is needed.
From the gully we then come on the ridge where a view opens up towards the west. On the ridge where we join the easier path which runs on the western slopes of the mountain we continue right and only a short ascent follows by the ridge to the top.
We descend on an easier path on the western slopes to the hut Rifugio Sasso Piatto and then on the path 557 back to mountain pass Passo Sella. For a descent we will need a good 3 hours.

On the way: Rifugio Toni Demetz (2685m), Rifugio Vicenza (2253m)