From the Val di Ambiez to the Val dei Massodi
our excursions
| Uphill height difference | m.800 |
| Downhill height difference | m.1300, (m.1800 nel caso di discesa diretta a Molveno senza utilizzare la cabinovia di Pradel) |
maximum altitude | m.2552, Bocca di Brenta |
| Walking time excluding pauses | 8 - 9 hours |
| difficulty | Quite exacting due to height diff. Short easy equipped passage on the Palmieri alto path. |
| notes | Da Molveno a San Lorenzo con auto propria. Da San Lorenzo al Rifugio Al Cacciatore, m.1821, salita con taxi-jeep |
Route and description: A long but rewarding excursion across the Val di Ambiez to the Valle dei Massodi, passing through the Pozza Tramontana at the foot of Cima Tosa and Cima Margherita. The landscape here is rough and harsh. A jeep ride to the Cacciatore Refuge and then the excursion passes in front of the following refuges: Agostini, Pedrotti, Selvata and Croz dell’ Altissimo.
From Molveno to San Lorenzo. Here a jeep service brings to the Cacciatore Refuge ( alt. 1821 m.) in Val d’Ambiez. Paths 305 and 305b lead to the Agostini Refuge, 2410 m., at the foot of the natural amphitheatre composed by the southern walls of Cima Tosa and Cima Ambiez, which are respectively the highest and the fourth highest in the whole of the Brenta Group. The route then crosses over to the Pedrotti Refuge via the least exacting path ie. The Palmieri Path which begins at the Forcolota di Noghera. The Palmieri paths, high and low, run parallel west of the majestic Pozza Tramontana, a vast glacial depression where there once was a corrie lake which disappeared due to the karst ground.
Just above the Palmieri path, almost parallel, is the Brentari equipped trail which passes the Sella della Tosa and crosses the hanging glaciers of Tosa and Cima Margherita. The horizon in the south is closed by the precipitous walls of Mount Daino which circumscribe the Pozza Tramontana. In the north the Cime Margherita and the Brenta Bassa are silhouetted against the sky and in the east, close by, is the Pedrotti refuge. Walking time, up to here, is 4 ½ hrs. and this is the highest point of the crossing, ( it’s possible to go to the Bocca del Brenta from here via the rocky 318 path which is even higher, but worth the effort). Lunch and then the long stretch downhill via the Val Massodi. Path 319 then passes along a rocky spur and caresses the western wall of the Brenta Alta. Soon after it reaches the fork with path 303 della Sega Alta, also known as Sentiero Orsi. A 30 min eastward digression leads to the Busa di Castellaz from where a unique panorama over the cime degli Sfulmini and Campanil Bass can be admired.After this fork the path leads south across the meadows of the Alta Val Massodi as far as the Baito Massodi, 2000 m. A 40 min. descent leads to the Selvata Refuge, 1630 m. and from here the shortest route, but not the easiest, to Molveno is path 319. Alternatively, path 340 is longer, but, after an initially steep but panoramic descent as far as the Croz Altissimo Refuge, 1430 m., it leads softly and refreshingly to the Pradel plateau. The 10 min. bucket lift from Pradel to Molveno offers a breathtaking view over Molveno and its homonymous lake.
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The only costs not included in the package are: jeep from Molveno to Cacciatore Refuge ( c 10.00 Euro per person) and the mountain lifts from Pradel to Molveno. Food and drinks in the refuges are also not included