Rifugio Dibona - Tofana di Mezzo (Via Ferrata Formenton)

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 branches off to the right in the direction of the mountain hut Rifugio Dibona (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.
From the mountain hut, we continue towards the north and slightly descend, and then we continue left below the mountain 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.
From the top, we continue towards the south and start quite steeply descending with the help of steel cables. By the path, we will here also notice some military ruins and tunnels from the time of the first world war. The path further runs by the left side of the ridge and is still descending. Later, the path brings us on a ridge from which again a view opens up towards Tofana di Rozes and Marmolada. A short descent follows on exposed but well-secured ridge to the notch Forcella Tofana, which is situated between Tofana di Dentro and Tofana di Mezzo.
From the saddle, the path again starts ascending and runs on the right (western) side of the ridge. The path is here quite steep and most of the time there's a steel cable for help. And because of a gravel on the path also a little more caution is needed. Later we join wide path from a cable car and to the top follows only shorter undemanding ascent.
The descent is relatively long, but we can shorten it quite a lot with the help of the cable car. First option is that we go with a cable to the mountain hut Ra Valles (August 2012 – 6€) and then on the ascent route past the mountain hut Pomedes back to the starting point. The second option is that we go with a cable car to the mountain hut Col Druscie, then on foot we descend to restaurant Pietofana and then with a chairlift to the hut Pomedes from which we descend back to the starting point. In case if we are not dependent on starting point we can go with a cable car all the way to Cortina d'Ampezzo.

On the way: Rifugio Pomedes (2203m), Rifugio Ra Valles (2470m), Bivacco Baracca degli Alpini (2922m), Tofana di Dentro (3238m), Forcella Tofana (3084m)