Over the Pale di Misurina

Beautiful view above the Misurina-Lake

• Start: Hotel Alpenblick
• Train/bus: bus Sexten- Innichen-Toblach, Toblach- Misurina- Drei Zinnen;
• Time of walk: total 3 ½h
• Huts: only at Misurina-Lake, on the way are no huts.
• Map: KOMPASS no 625

Sometimes, even in the Dolomites, hustle and bustle and silence lie very close together - for example in the Pale di Misurina. While the excursionists step on each other's toes at Lake Misurina, and the Three Peaks, Cadini and above all the Sorapis have to serve as backdrop mountains for the souvenir photo, you are usually alone at the top of the jagged rocky ridge. No one disturbs the magnificent view, including the deep vistas of the idyllic waters, and on the loop through the upper Val Popena, it gets really quiet: no more engine noise in your ears, but the magnificent backdrop of the Cristallo massif in front of your eyes. From the hotel, you start either by car or by bus in the direction of Dobbiaco, then turn left in the direction of Cortina to Misurina. The path to the Pale di Misurina starts there (1,751 m; junction about 100 m north of the Hotel Lavaredo); it quickly gains height on the partly wooded slope. After a few loops you reach a fork (approx. 2,000 m); here turn right on the old war path uphill into a ridge depression (2,140 m). Behind it, follow the red and white markings downhill for a short while and then almost level to the left into the wide bottom of the Val Popena Auta (approx. 2,050 m). The backdrop is magnificent, with the jagged south-eastern flank of the Cristallo massif, from which some bizarre spikes rise. Above the valley head are the Cianpanis de Popena (2,481 m) and the Corno d' Angolo (2,430 m); a little further to the left is the depression of the Forcella de Popena (2,214 m), the next stage destination. The ruins of the Rifugio Popena stand in the saddle. Beyond, descend through a steep scree gully to a fork, then turn left under the rocks of the Pale di Misurina to the aforementioned junction. Return to Misurina on the ascent path and from there by car or public bus back to Sesto/Moos.

Guglia De Amicis

In the Pale di Misurina there are some particularly bizarre rock towers, first and foremost the De Amicis tower. Since it was considered absolutely unclimbable, G: P. Piaz and B. Trier used a special trick in 1906: they threw a rope around the spire from the neighbouring Campanile di Misurina and then shimmed their way to the summit. An ascent? From the path to the Misurina ridge, climbing tracks lead to the right to the foot of the Guglia De Amicis (junction marked with a cairn).

Elevation profile

Compass map