Via ferrata Strobel – Punta Fiames

Description

The Strobel is a via ferrata that enthusiasts shouldn’t miss: it climbs the west face of Punta Fiames north of Cortina. The view at the top is breathtaking. You can in fact admire the Valle d’Ampezzo in all its uniqueness and see why it’s known as the Queen of the Dolomites. From Cortina, head north to the Fiames area via the SS 51 and leave your car in the car park. The easily visible path 218 starts directly in front of the Hotel Fiames and will take you through the woods to the crossroads with the former railway cycle path. Continue for a few metres in a northerly direction until you reach the start of the path that climbs up through the mountain pine trees. The approach to the start of the route takes about an hour – after the first part in the woods it continues along a gravel channel that is quite steep in some sections. Continue until you reach the base of the west face of Punta Fiames, where you’ll find the famous plaque indicating the start of the via ferrata. The start of the via ferrata is on a wide ledge that crosses the wall and does not present major technical difficulties, as the base is wide and not very exposed. Continue until you reach the slanted ramp where you’ll find the first metal cables. Follow the path that winds in the first part between mountain pines and exposed sections, and savour the beauty of this one-of-a-kind via ferrata. After a chimney crack and a system of ledges you’ll find yourself on the edge, where you can admire the entire wall and, if you’re lucky, you might have the opportunity to admire other visitors climbing it or scaling the nearby Jori edge. From here the last stretch of the via ferrata, between ladders and steps directly embedded in the rock, will take you to the top of Punta Fiames, where in about 15 minutes you’ll arrive at the summit cross. From here you can enjoy the incredible views. From the top you can admire the entire Boite valley Punta Fiames dominates the entire Conca Ampezzana. To descend, follow the path to Forcella Pomagagnon. From here you’ll have to walk down a long scree slope – you’ll need good hiking boots for this. In particular, the last stretch is quite steep and therefore requires good mountain experience. From the end of the scree, follow path 202 to the intersection with path 218, which will take you back to the car.