Lago di Fedaia - Punta Penia (Marmolada)

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 to the mentioned mountain pass we follow the road on the west side of the lake, where we go left on the road which runs over a dam and then we park on the upper large parking lot.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we go on the path 606 following the signs “Punta Penia, Rif. Pian dei Fiacconi”. The path is at first ascending through rare dwarf pines and bushes a little left from a cableway, which runs towards the mountain hut Pian dei Fiacconi. The path then brings us out of the dwarf pines and soon turns to the right and brings us on the west side of the cableway. Here the path starts ascending below the steep mountain walls of the peak Col di Bousc (2494m) towards the south. Next follows few ascents in zig-zags and we are already on a saddle Col di Bousc (2438m). On the saddle where there is a crossing, we continue left in the direction of the mountain hut Pian dei Fiacconi.
Further, we are ascending on rocky terrain towards the southeast. From the path on which we are ascending all the time wonderful views are opening up in the direction towards Marmolada and also towards the north where Piz Boe stands out. When we again get closer to the cableway, the path turns slightly to the right and to the hut where there is usually a lot of people follows only a short undemanding ascent.
From the mountain hut, we then continue towards the south in the direction towards the glacier. A poorly marked path runs a little right from the mountain hut Capanna al Ghiacciaio and soon brings us to glaciers.
On the glacier in the lower part we stick a little more to the left side, in the upper part when the slope is already a little steeper we then cross to the right all the way to steep rocky slopes, where we leave the glacier. In the summertime this is quite visited path, therefore through a glacier leads already well-beaten footpath. At the ascent on a glacier, it is otherwise mandatory to use crampons and ice axe. Because on a glacier there are also some dangerous cracks, it is highly recommended to ascend in a roped party.
When we leave the glacier follows a steep ascent on a well-secured rocky slope. Steep path by the steel cable then soon brings us on a ridge on the northern side of the mountain. From here ahead we will again need an ice axe and crampons. We are ascending by the right side of the ridge on a snow field upwards. A little before the cottage snow ends and to the highest peak of Dolomites we have only few steps of easy walking.

On the way: Col de Bous (2438m), Rifugio Pian dei Fiacconi (2626m)