The beautiful Val Mezdì valley in the Sella Group, famous among freeriders in winter, presents itself in summer as the gateway to the majestic Dolomites
Image gallery: Mountain tour from Val Mezdì to Rif. Boè
Our demanding mountain tour to the Rif. Boè mountain hut at an altitude of 2,871 m starts at the Hotel Luianta on the outskirts of the village of Colfosco. There starts the hiking path no. 651, which leads into the Val Mezdì. The valley climbs directly up to the Boè hut, but our tour only takes us through the first section of the valley and then on to the Rifugio F. Cavazza al Pisciadù mountain hut, because the steep rocky channel of the Mezdì Valley can cause serious difficulties even for experienced hikers in summer. The upper end of the channel is still covered with snow and ice in the summer months. In addition, the steel ropes that were once attached here are missing for safety, so that an ascent is only possible and recommended with alpine equipment.
At the foot of the Dënt de Mezdì, one of the giants of the Sella group at 2,881 m, we leave the Val Mezdì and turn right on path no. 676. It climbs through the rough Val dei Bosli valley. At the most challenging spots there are steel cables, so that after two hours of walking we finally reach the Pisciadù Refuge at 2,585 m a.s.l., tired but safe. From the beautiful valley where Lake Pisciadù shimmers emerald green, we continue on path no. 666 towards south. The path leads us past the western flank of the Pisciadù peak and then winds upwards through the Val de Tita valley. Also here there are steel cables at the most challenging spots. In about one hour we reach the Forcella d'Antersass at 2.839 m and enjoy the spectacular view. The view turns towards the lunar landscape of the Sella plateau and reaches down to the famous Val Mezdì, dominated by the rugged Torre Berger.
On path no. 647, we continue uphill for about 70 metres, so that after half an hour we reach the 2,906 m high but relatively inconspicuous peak of the Antersass. Now the path descends again: after a total hiking time of four hours we return to the Rif. Boè, formerly known as Bamberger Hütte, where we take a well-deserved break. Here the view opens up on the dizzying entrance of the Val Mezdì, whose steep walls are a famous destination for freeriders in winter. This finally leads us away from the idea that the descent through the Val Mezdì could be an alternative, and we return to our starting point along the same route.
Alternative: From the Rifugio Boè you can also start the crossing of the Sella Group. For this tour the path from the Boè hut continues to the Forcella Pordoi Mountain Hut (2,848 m a.s.l.) and the Maria Refuge at the top of the Sass Pordoi (2,950 m a.s.l., about 1 hour). From there you can take the cable car down to the 2,239 m high Passo Pordoi and then take the public bus back to Colfosco (SAD bus line 472). Attention: The mentioned hiking path is very busy, especially in high summer!
Author: FM
-
- Starting point:
- Hotel Luianta, Colfosco
-
- Time required:
- 06:45 h
-
- Track length:
- 15,8 km
-
- Altitude:
- from 1.644 m to 2.960 m
-
- Altitude difference:
- +1515 m | -1515 m
-
- Signposts:
- no. 651, 676, 666, 647
-
- Resting points:
- Alpine hut Franco Cavazza al Pisciadù, Rifugio Boè hut
-
- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
-
- Download GPX track:
- Mountain tour from Val Mezdì to Rif. Boè
If you want to do this tour, we suggest you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.
