Ferrata Punta Anna & Giuseppe Oliviera,Tofana di Pomedes
Ferrata Punta Anna (Up) and Giuseppe Oliviera (Down), Punta Anna
Duration - 7 Hours
CHALLENGING
Drive west from Cortina on the Falzarego Pass. 5 minutes after Pocol, at a spot height of 1698 meters take the narrow metalled road on the right north for 1,500 meters. As the tarmac finishes you reach a junction at which you turn right onto a graveled track. Take the track for 1,000 meters until you reach a grassy expanse, just under the Duca D’Aosta chair lift station, and park here. The track is not too steep and 2-wheel drive vehicles will not struggle.
From where you have parked walk up to the chair lift station and then take route 420, which is clearly marked by some trees on a bank to the left. Take route 420 for about 45 minutes up Refuge Hut Pomedes, just below the upper chair lift station. Alternatively, take the chair lift from Duca D’Aosta to the Pomedes.
Continue climbing, going to the right of the chair lift station, and passing a recently built wooden hut up to the start of the path leading to the start of the Punta Anna Ferrata. The path winds quite steeply over rock and scree until, after about 30 minutes from the Pomedes hut you reach the start of the metal wires at the beginning of the Via Ferrata.
The Ferrata climbs steeply, but not with difficulty until you reach the ridge. Then remain on the ridge until you reach the top of Punta Anna. Allow 90 – 120 minutes for this part of the via ferrata. It is quite tiring with a lot of vertical sections and exposure requiring upper body strength and a good head for heights.
Once you have come out onto the Punta Anna summit ridge (with views down to Refuge Giussani to the west) continue along the ridge in a northerly direction. After 300m you reach a junction. Ignoring the path on the left which takes you down to Refugio Giussani continue to take the path up and to the east as you climb and then traverse a mixture of protected and non-protected sections alongside the east face of Tofanna Di Mezzo. After about 45 minutes (from reaching the Punta Anna summit) the route flattens out above a spur in the slope and you reach a junction at which you will go straight on, ignoring the path on the left which takes you up onto the Tofana ridge (and then becomes the Ferrata Gianni Aglio, Tofana di Mezzo, which I describe in the next chapter). The route then continues northeast descending gently into the large bowl under the Toffana Di Mezzo summit.
Once you reach the centre of the bowl take the path on the right heading directly east as it descends rapidly on scree to the chairlift system heading up from Refuge Ra Vales. Here, by the second to last lift pylon from the top, you will pick up the lower part of the Giuseppe Oliviera Via Ferrata which you follow roughly due south, incorporating some protection and 2 ladders until you see the Refuge Pomedes. It is then possible, about 500 meters from the hut, to head due east down the scree slope to quickly arrive back at the car under the Duca D’Aosta Refuge hut. The descent from the centre of the bowl takes between 60 – 90 minutes.
Would you like a guided tour?
Please get in touch if you would like to arrange a private guided via ferrata tour of the Dolomites.