Ski mountaineering traverse from Cortina to Braies

Information about the ski mountaineering traverse from Cortina to Braies

The excursion starting point is Passo Falzarego, where we will take the Lagazuoi cable car that leads up to the mountain hut Rifugio Lagazuoi, 2800 metres a.s.l., with its panoramic terrace overlooking the most amazing landscape of the Dolomites.

From there we will ski down the untracked, gentle slopes at the foot of the vertical south-west faces of Mount Lagazuoi and Cima Scotoni to get close to the mountain pass Forcella del Lago. Climbing up its slopes for an overall 300 metre elevation gain, we will reach the top of Forcella del Lago. We will then descend down the opposite face of the col for a hundred metres, circumventing a rocky ledge, and start ascending the rill Val di Campestrin up to the summit of Monte Casale (2832 metres a.s.l.).

From the summit, we will ski down the wide rill Vallon Bianco to reach the mountain hut Malga Fanes and from there, after a 20 minute walk, we will get to the Rifugio Fanes, 2097 metres a.s.l.. From the mountain hut the excursion continues with an off-piste skiing descent along the trail covered with snow that leads to the frozen Lake Piciadel. Then the itinerary goes up again passing through the wide rill Val di Mezzo, that leads to the mountain pass Forcella Ciamin, at an altitude of 2610 metres.

The descent down the north face is very challenging at the beginning, as the first part of the slope is very steep. The itinerary goes down along the rill Gran Valun to reach firstly the mountain hut Fodara Vedla and then the Rifugio Sennes (2116 metres a.s.l.). From the latter mountain hut the path crosses the Sennes plateau, after which the Rifugio is named, and reaches the foot of Mount Croda del Becco.

Descending firstly along a ridge and then on a gentle slope, you will reach the summit of the peak Piccola Croda del Becco (2762 metres a.s.l.), which is an amazing panoramic viewpoint over the main Dolomites summits, from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo to Mount Cristallo, from Tofane to the farthest peaks of the Tauern ridge in Austria.

From there, you will finally descend along the rill Lavina Bianca, skiing down its amazing, 1100 metre long slope that reaches the frozen Lake Braies.

The last part of this excursion will be the backward trip to Cortina: a 45 minute taxi ride.

Technical information:

First day

• Overall elevation gain: 850 metres
• Overall elevation loss: 1400 metres
• Duration time: around 5 hours and a half
• Difficulty level: intermediate

Second day

• Overall elevation gain: 800 metres
• Overall elevation loss: 1100 metres
• Duration time: around 5 hours
• Difficulty level: intermediate

Third day

• Overall elevation gain: 430 metres
• Overall elevation loss: 1100 metres
• Duration time: around 4 hours
• Difficulty level: intermediate

The mountain huts along the path and nearby offering facilities and food are the following:

• Rifugio Lagazuoi
• Rifugio Fanes
• Rifugio Sennes
• Rifugio Lago di Braies