Passo di Sant'Antonio - Monte Aiarnola (via normale)

Access to starting point:
From highway Trbiž/Tarvisio - Videm/Udine we go to the exit Tolmezzo and follow the road ahead past the mentioned settlement in the direction of Villa Santina. There we continue in the direction of Ovaro, through Sappada we descend to the valley Cadore, where in the settlement San Stefano we turn to the right. We again ascend to Padola, where at the crossroad we choose the slightly left (straight runs to mountain pass Kreuzbergpass / Passo di Monte Croce di Comelico and ahead to the settlement Sexten/Sesto). Further, we drive through the settlement, at the end we ascend on the road mountain pass Passo di Sant'Antonio, where we park on one of the nearby parking lots.

Path description:
On the northern side of the mountain pass signposts point us on at first a gentle cart track which soon rises on a wide forested plateau with numerous mountain pastures. We follow the signs for our destination, at the first crossroad to the left (right leads the path towards the mountain pasture and lake Aiarnola, variant for return), also at the second (bench), where our cart track ends. For a short time, we step on a shady forest path, which soon again starts slightly rising, forest more and more passing into mixed lane of dwarf pines and spruce. When the path again flattens soon below the summit Col di Val Pucera (1939 meters) is next crossroad.

Straight leads the path towards the notch Forcella Valdarin (another option of return), and our turns back towards the southeast and steeply ascends among dwarf pines on a grassy slope below the walls of the mountain, before that we have to cross a gravel gully. Easier path continues with a crossing slightly upwards towards southern flanks, after crossing the next gully in short there joins the path from the valley Cadore, with a starting point in Auronzo. Soon after this, we get to the main gully, by which our path again steeply ascends all the way to its end on the top of the notch, where there stands a cross with an inscription book.

The path turns on the northern side and bypasses the first peaks of the mountain on a gravel, slightly exposed ramp. Next we get on the ridge, in short path passes into a gully, from which we exit on a steep crumbly groove (most difficult part, unsecured) on one of the many peaks. Problems are over, and a panoramic path on the ridge quickly, over two more peaks brings us on the main peak.

Besides the ascent route the descent is possible also on the path over notch Forcella Valdarin (1428 meters), and it is appropriate only for skilled mountaineers. Terrain itself below the notch is very difficult and steep, and crumbly gravel path is also partly ruined, wrecked (July 2019).