The chamois track

Difficulty
Medium-easy
Time
1 h
Start
Rifugio Duca d'Aosta
Arrival
Località Piè Tofana

From Piè Tofana, take the chair lift up to the mountain lodge Rifugio Duca d'Aosta. The lodge, built in 1938, is at a height of 2,098 metres at the foot of the Tofane mountains, in a wonderfully panoramic location. With a wealth of history and tradition, it is named after Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, a member of the House of Savoy, son of Emanuele Filiberto, the second Duke of Aosta. The Duke visited Cortina frequently, and, as often happened in those days, it was considered a mark of prestige to be able to dedicate the lodge to such an illustrious guest.

From here, take track n° 405, Sentiero dei Camosci – the Chamois Track – which starts below the lodge. The track zig-zags along the upper part of the “Canalone di Tofana” and also crosses the face of mount Tofana, following it until it reaches the “Forcella Rossa” piste and intersects track n° 407. In this part of the walk, if you are lucky, you may be able to see some of the chamois that live in this area. Take track n° 407 and follow it until you reach the starting point near Baita Piè Tofana. The baita, mountain hut, at the foot of the Tofane mountains, hosted the timekeepers for the 1956 Winter Olympics, and today it has become a traditional baita at the end of one of Cortina’s most famous ski pistes. 


By car: From the centre of Cortina, take the state road 48 towards Passo Falzarego, and, about 2 km from the town centre, just before the Socrepes car park, take the road on the right that goes uphill towards Piè Tofana. Follow it for a few minutes until you reach the Baita Piè Tofana restaurant at the start of the like-named chair lift.

From the town centre: From the centre of Cortina, walk towards the Ice Stadium, Stadio del Ghiaccio, and carry on until you reach the Freccia nel Cielo cable car. Ride the cable car up to Col Drusciè and then take the rough track downhill: it starts below the tunnel between the Col Drusciè restaurant and the cable car. Follow the track for half an hour until you reach Baita Piè Tofana, at the start of the eponymous chair lift. 


On the way back, when you reach Baita Piè Tofana you can return to Col Drusciè and take the cable car, or (in 2 hours) walk down on track n° 410. Follow the route which brings you to the attractive hamlet Cadin, where the forest opens and offers a fine view over Cortina. Continue on the road, that is usually very quiet, until you reach the hamlet Ronco. Here, don’t miss a visit to the Bob Bar, sited on the historic bobsleigh track and famous for its formidable filled rolls and sandwiches. From here you can take the track leading to the new climbing wall, and then over a footbridge back to the station of the Freccia nel Cielo cable car.

Notes

This route, all downhill, may be slippery in the case of rain or snow.

Rest points

Baita Piè Tofana, Rifugio Duca d'Aosta

Info

Length
2,6 km
Altitude
2098 mt.
Positive elevation gain
132 m
Negative elevation gain
556 m