Ristorante Pietofana - Tofana di Dentro

Access to starting point:
A) Access from Gorenjska: From Rateče or Predel we cross the border to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then on the 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 follow to a crossroad where a narrower road towards restaurant Pie Tofana and mountain hut Col Druscie branches off to the right. The crossroad is located in the lower part of the road towards the mountain pass Passo Falzarego. At the mentioned crossroad, we continue right and we follow the asphalt road all the way to a larger parking lot at the restaurant Pietofana.
B) From Primorska: We drive on the highway towards Venice / 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 the asphalt road and then we go left on a macadam road following the signs »Rifugio Pomedes, Forcella Ra Valles«. Macadam road which is closed for traffic starts ascending and it quickly brings us to a marked crossing.
At the crossing, we leave the road and go right on a footpath following the signs »Forcella Ra Valles«. The path is further for quite some time ascending through the forest, therefore a view is quite limited. Later, the path crosses a ski slope and starts ascending through dwarf pines. Here increasingly beautiful views starting to open up on surrounding peaks and the path soon out of the dwarf pines brings us on the scree. After that, the path turns slightly to the right and in ascent crosses scree. Such a path brings us on a ski slope on which we are then ascending. Ski slope further becomes quite steep and because of the gravel on the path also some caution is needed. Higher, the ski slope turns to the left and then the footpath for a short time avoids the ski slope on the left side. When we again join the ski slope only a short ascent follows to the notch Forcella Ra Valles from which a view opens up towards Tofana di Mezzo and Tofana di Dentro.
From the notch where there is a marked crossing we continue left on the path 407. After a short ascent, we come to a little poorly visible crossing, where the path branches off to the left on a ski slope towards the mountain hut Ra Valles.
We continue slightly to the right and we cross a slope towards the walls of peaks Tofana di Mezzo and Tofana di Dentro. The path is then for some time ascending diagonally and soon enters the nature park Parco Naturale delle Dolomites d'Ampezzo. After that, the path for some time runs towards the north and it brings us to a marked crossing.
To the right leads the path downwards through the valley Canalon de Ra Ola, and we continue slightly left and we ascend on the scree below the walls of the peak Tofana di Dentro. The path on the scree brings us to military ruins from the first world war. Here we continue slightly right and the path through a window brings us on steeper slopes. The path further turns a little to the left and is mostly in steep zig-zags ascending on a steep slope upwards. The slope is here quite steep and occasionally there is also a steel cable for help. The path then turns to the right and then follows slightly exposed crossing, which brings us to a saddle on the south side of the peak Cima Formenton.
On the saddle where a view opens up towards the west we continue left and we are then ascending on a slope by the ridge. On some spots there is also a steel cable for help, and then the path turns a little to the left and after a crossing brings us to bivouac Baracca degli Alpini.
From the bivouac after a short crossing, the path soon brings us on a ridge on which we are then for some time ascending. Further, the path from the ridge brings us on the scree on the eastern side of the peak Tofana di Dentro. At first, we in ascent cross scree towards the south, and then the path turns to the right and then follows an ascent on a relatively steep scree all the way to a very panoramic summit Tofana di Dentro.
We descend on the ascent route or we continue ahead on Tofana di Mezzo from where we can return into a valley also with a cable car. In case if we would continue towards Tofana di Mezzo we will need also a self-belay set, because the path further is more demanding.

On the way: Forcella Ra Valles (2300m), Bivacco Baracca degli Alpini (2922m)

Trip can be extended to: Tofana di Mezzo