Rifugio Dibona - Rifugio Ra Valles

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: From Rateče or Predel we cross the border to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then we continue 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.
In Cortina d'Ampezzo then we follow the signs for Alpine mountain pass Passo di Falzarego. This ascending road we then follow to the spot, where the road in the direction of the mountain hut rifugio Dibona branches off to the right (turn off is at an altitude approx 1700 meters). At first asphalt road higher brings us on a crossroad, where we continue on the left bottom road (right mountain hut Duca d'Aosta) and we follow it to the parking lot behind the mountain hut Dibona.
From Primorska: We drive on the highway towards Venice / Benetke / 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 the settlement 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 at the mountain hut Dibona we continue right on the path 421. The path at first crosses scree and starts slightly ascending. The path here runs towards the east and soon brings us to a little wider torrent gully. At the gully, the path turns left and starts ascending steeper by the gully. Because of the slippery sand on this part also some caution is needed. After that, the path crosses the gully and continues to ascend quite steeply.
Later quite unnoticeably a direct path towards the mountain hut Rifugio Duca d'Aosta branches off to the right, and only a little after that from the left joins secured path Via ferrata Astaldi. From the crossing, the path is for some time ascending through dwarf pines and soon brings us to the hut Rifugio Pomedes.
At the mountain hut, we continue towards the north following the signs »Sentiero Attrezzato Giuseppe Olivieri« and at first, we slightly descend, and then we cross the scree above the ski slope. The path then brings us below the mountain walls on the eastern side of the peak Punta Anna and few times ascends by the steel cable. Further, the path is ascending diagonally above little steeper slopes and then also crosses some exposed gullies.
Later, the path becomes even a little more demanding and ascends over a vertical ladder and then few times steeply ascends by the steel cable. After that, the path turns a little to the left and then it ascends on a less steep slope. From the path, we have otherwise all the time a very nice view mainly on peaks above Cortina d'Ampezzo, and on the south views start to open towards Monte Pelmo and Civetta. Further follows again a little steeper part of the path, where we again get help from a ladder and some steel cables. After that, the path becomes less demanding and brings us on a ski slope from which a view towards Tofana di Mezzo opens up.
At the marked crossing we continue right downwards towards the mountain hut Rifugio Ra Valles, left leads the path towards the peaks Punta Anna and Tofana di Mezzo. The path further is most of the time slightly descending and it brings us to the mountain hut Ra Valles where there is also a station of the cable car.

On the way: Rifugio Pomedes (2203m)

Trip can be extended to: Cima Formenton (1 h 35 min) , Bivacco Baracca degli Alpini (1 h 45 min) , Tofana di Dentro (2 h 35 min) , Tofana di Mezzo (3 h 35 min)