Description

This long and fascinating route draws a loop in the western part of the Dolomite group of the Pale di San Martino – or Pala Group -, around the range extending from the plateau of Rosetta up to the peak of Monte Mulaz and the pass named Passo Valles, between the valleys of Val Venegia and Valón de le Comèlle. Certainly, the most interesting part of the itinerary is when the itinerary crosses the so called Faràngole (along the track of Alta Via delle Dolomiti No. 2), which from Rifugio Pedrotti runs along the western side of Valón de le Comèlle, at high altitude, until it reaches the gap of Passo delle Faràngole , surrounded by remarkable and intact Dolomite landscape, usually visited only by mountaineers. The itinerary passes through two Dolomite huts, Rifugio Rosetta – or Rifugio Pedrotti – and Rifugio Mulaz – or Rifugio Giuseppe Volpi -, thus allowing the itinerary to be easily tackled even in two days.

The hike starts from the hut of Malga Fosse di Sopra (1,936 m asl), located near Passo Rolle, at the bottom of the southern walls of the grassy Punta Rolle. The first part of the route, which will lead to Rifugio Pedrotti, in the middle of the Pale di San Martino plateau, follows the beautiful path of the Signpost No. 712 “Sentiero dei Finanzieri” towards Rifugio Pedrotti / Rosetta. After climbing the Crode Rosse slope, next to the imposing southern wall of Cimon della Pala, the path joins the Signpost No. 701 which leads directly to Rifugio Pedrotti while going up the western slope of Cima Rosetta.

Once on the Pale di San Martino plateau, from Rifugio Pedrotti (2,358 m asl), the track proceeds along the Signpost No. 703 towards Passo delle Faràngole / Rifugio Mulaz, in a first downhill stretch that leads to the basin called Pian dei Cantóni, where Valón de le Comèlle begins. From Pian dei Cantóni, the trail of the Signpost No. 703 rises slightly in altitude, in order to proceed along the fascinating contour stretch of the “Sentiero delle Faràngole”. At times exposed but never technically demanding, the trail of Sentiero delle Farangole is normally rich with water springs, with small streams flowing from the basins that overlook the wide valley of Vallón de le Comèlle. When you reach the crossroads for Bivacco Brunner / Cima Vezzana, by Val Strut, keep the Signpost No. 703 towards Passo delle Faràngole / Rifugio Mulaz. You go up progressively on the bottom of the gully of Val Granda, arriving at the basin called Banca delle Fede, where the last equipped section of the path leading to the gap of Passo delle Faràngole begins. The amphitheater offered by Banca delle Fede is simply stunning, with a close-up view of a series of majestic peaks, including Cima dei Bureloni (3,120 m asl) to the southwest – reachable from the plateau on path marked with “B” -, Campanile (tr. isolated peak) and Cima di Val Grande (3.038 m asl) to the east and Campanile and Cima di Focobòn (3.054 m asl) to the north.

The last ascent leading to Passo delle Faràngole (2,808 m asl) alternates an initial stretch on a slippery gully with a final equipped section. Once on the gap, the sight opens wide to the west over the entire Val Venegia and Passo Rolle. The descent from the gap to the hut of Rifugio Mulaz is not particularly demanding; however, developing on the north-west side of the peak of Cima di Focobòn, it is often a bit humid and it is not uncommon to come across some sections with snow.

After an almost mandatory break at Rifugio Mulaz (2,571 m asl), the itinerary proceeds towards the gap of Passo Mulaz (2,619 m asl) following the Signpost No. 710. Once the gap is crossed, the path kindly descends to Val Venegia. Shortly before reaching the hut of Malga Venegiota, the track proceeds towards Baita Segantini / Passo Rolle, along the variant offered by Signpost No. 710A which allows you not to drop too low in altitude.

The last uphill stretch of this challenging itinerary tackles the climb that from the foot of the (former) Travignolo Glacier leads to the hut of Baita Segantini; if faced when rested, the climb would not be particularly hard; however, after a long day, it can be incredibly tiring. Once arrived at Baita Segantini with its iconic and super tourist basin overlooking the peak of Cimon della Pala, the route proceeds slightly uphill along the gravel road that leads to the pylons of Punta Rolle, located close to the top of the mount of Punta Rolle. From Punta Rolle, from which Malga Fosse is visible at the bottom, it will be sufficient to carefully descend along the steep grassy southern slope of the mountain, concluding a last stretch that is both fascinating and technical and offers, at the same time, a breathtaking view of the western Primiero and the Pale di San Martino from high up.

Sentieri

• From the hut of Malga Fosse di Sopra (1,936 m asl), follow the path of the Signpost No. 712 “Sentiero dei Finanzieri”, then the Signpost No. 701, towards Rifugio Pedrotti / Rosetta,
• From the hut of Rifugio Pedrotti (2,358 m asl), proceed along the Signpost No. 703 “Sentiero delle Farangole” towards Passo delle Faràngole / Rifugio Mulaz,
• From the hut of Rifugio Mulaz (2,571 m asl), follow the Signpost No. 710, then Signpost 710A towards Passo Rolle / Baita Segantini,
• From the hut of Baita Segantini (2,170 m asl), follow the gravel road that leads to the pylons of the mount of Punta Rolle,
• From Punta Rolle, descend the southern slopes until you get by Malga Fosse di Sopra. ✓

RIFUGIO PEDROTTI ALLA ROSETTA

• Located on the plateau of the Pala Group (Pale di San Martino), at 2,358 meters of altitude, the hut of Rifugio Giovanni Pedrotti alla Rosetta, also called Rifugio Pedrotti or Rifugio Rosetta, was built in 1889, based on a design by the engineer Annibale. The hut is one of the oldest Rifugio owned by SAT (club of alpinists from the area of Trento).
• As early as 1896, given the growing interest around the Dolomites of the Pala Group, the hut was enlarged. Together with the expansion project, the SAT also decided to build a second building, used as a hotel, at the gap of Passo della Rosetta, overlooking the basin where the village of San Martino di Castrozza stands. However, the initiative was trashed away due to the outbreak of the First World War.
• After the Great War, which left only a few walls standing, Rifugio Rosetta was restored and subsequently enlarged in 1931. The Second World War, however, reserved a similar fate to the hut, which was set on fire by the Nazis.
• With the construction, in 1957, of the cable car that leads from Colverde to a few hundred meters from the hut, Rifugio Rosetta opened finally up to mass tourism of the Dolomites.

RIFUGIO VOLPI AL MULAZ

• Inaugurated in October 1907, the hut of Rifugio Volpi al Mulaz, known also as Rifugio Mulaz (as it was initially named), is a hut owned by CAI (Italian alpine club) located on the head of the basin of Val Focobòn, just below the gap of Passo Mulaz, at 2,571 meters of altitude.
• Between 1959 and 1960 the hut was renovated and enlarged, thanks to donations from the Volpi family of Venice. The project was completed in July 1960, meanwhile the hut was being dedicated to Giuseppe Volpi, or Volpi of Misurata (1877-1947), Venetian investor, industrialist and politician, founder of SADE (electricity society of the Adriatic), creator of the industrial pole of Porto Marghera (Venice), as well as governor of Tripolitania from 1921 to 1925 and Count of Misurata.

VAL VENÌA

• The Valley of Venìa (Venegia), which extends from Pian dei Casoni up to the Travignolo Glacier and is characterized by the large grassy basin that acts as a natural amphitheater on the northern block of the Pala Group, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful valleys of the Dolomites.
• In addition to the watercourse of Travignolo, the valley has two historical huts: Venìa (Venegia) and Veniòta (Venegiòta), historically managed – respectively – by the breeders of the villages of Transacqua and Tonadico.
• Apart from the west entrance at Pian dei Casoni, Venìa is a valley closed on all sides and it is possible to reach it only through high altitude gaps, in the past without trails and practically uncrossable. From the wise words of Samuele “Pape” Scalet: “this helps to understand the origin of the correct name Val Venìa which means Valley beyond which there is no nìa (nothing), and so it has always been called until a few years ago, until the invasion of the Venigie, which have no meaning at all. And it is a real shame to lose the original toponyms because these arose from precise meanings captured on the spot by the people who lived and worked in that place”.
• A second hypothesis that has been circulating in recent times, for which the name Venìa / Venegia derives from Venice because of the timber that was transported from Venìa to Venice, is geographically very unlikely.
• Until the 1960s, Venìa was also a place of military exercises and the erratic boulder, which now lies at the foot of the (former) Travignolo Glacier, was used as a target for light artillery.

BAITA SEGANTINI AND CAPANNA CERVINO

• Additionally to the morphological one, there is a logical line which connects the huts of Baita Segantini and Capanna Cervino; in fact, both of them were born thanks to the artist, guide and polyglot Alfredo Paluselli (1900-1969), also known as “Custode del Cimone” (tr. the guardian of Cimon della Pala).
• Born in Ziano di Fiemme, Paluselli is certainly one of the pioneers of “modern” sports and tourism culture in the region; thanks to work experiences that allowed him to observe different cultures in Switzerland and the United States of America. Once he returned back to Italy, after founding an athletics team in Val di Fassa and obtaining the title of Ski Instructor, he decided to found the first skiing school in the Dolomites, together with his wife Lina.
• Prefabricated by Paluselli with modular blocks in his laboratory in Ziano, the hut of Capanna Cervino was built in the 1930s. The building takes its name from the Cimon della Pala (called “Cervino delle Dolomiti” for its shape, similar to the Matterhorn / Cervino / Cervin). The school was the first one of its kind in Italy to offer accommodation and ski lessons together in one package.
• In 1936, while searching for new inspirations, after having restored a path from the Great War connecting Passo Rolle with Passo Costazza, Paluselli devoted himself completely to the Dolomites pass, building what will be his home for the coming 35 years (including the famous winter of 1950-1951 when Passo Rolle was submerged by more than 25 meters of snow): Baita Segantini.
• Paluselli, known for his frankness, was known to dislike being surrounded by people and to swear at anyone who posed or flaunted harshly. It is also known that Paluselli opened his home to visitors only occasionally, when he left to go back to the valley or to climb, leaving its guests with a simple ticket with the words: “Entrate, bevete, pagate” (tr. come in, drink, pay”).
• The hut, originally built in Bellamonte for then being dismantled and reassembled where is located today by Paluselli, is entitled to the painter from Arco. Baita Segantini remains today one of the most visited destinations in the Dolomites. Among its most illustrious visitors, Alcide De Gasperi, Aldo Moro, Leopold III of Belgium and Pope John XIII.