Ski Mountaineering Weekend from Cortina to Braies

This three-day excursion will take you to high mountain passes, crests and not too steep nor weather-beaten slopes. The average elevation gain of the ascents is 850 metres and the elevation loss of the off-piste skiing descents is more than 1000 metres.

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 Falzarego Pass: a 50 minute taxi ride.

Technical information:

First day

• Overall elevation gain: 850 metres
• Overall elevation loss: 1400 metres
• Duration time: around 6 hours
• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Overnight breakfast and dinner: Rifugio Fanes

Second day

• Overall elevation gain: 800 metres
• Overall elevation loss: 1100 metres
• Duration time: around 6 hours
• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Overnight breakfast and dinner: Rifugio Sennes

Third day

• Overall elevation gain: 430 metres
• Overall elevation loss: 1100 metres
• Duration time: around 5 hours
• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Transfer to Falzarego Pass: taxi

You will spend the two overnight stays in the mountain huts Rifugio Fanes and Rifugio Sennes respectively, two very nice and cosy typical huts that offer to the hikers rooms and facilities, as well as a wide choice of excellent traditional mountain dishes.

To book the ski mountaineering weekend in the Dolomites with a shared mountain guide, you must choose the date in which you wish to take the group excursion and you must send a request that provides and specifies your contact information, the number of participants.
We will respond immediately to confirm the availability of the date, the deadline, if any, to confirm the option for the reservation, methods of payment, characteristics and organization of the activity.
Once the reservation is confirmed, we will send you the receipt and the presentation voucher with the details of the service, the name of the mountain guide and all the contact information.