Gruppo: Marmarole

The Sentiero Attrezzato degli Alpini in Forcella Jau Tana, in the Marmarole Group, is a challenging itinerary: high altitude difference, wild and unspoilt environment. The equipped strokes are of medium-low difficulty, but the long stretches are not protected and must be avoided absolutely with bad weather.

It starts from the resort Stua, near Calalzo di Cadore (BL). In Calalzo follow the signs for Pian dei Buoi, on a narrow but asphalted road, entering the wood towards Val d’Oten up to a crossroads 2,5 km from the center, where you take to the right and continue for another 2,5 km in the wood until the parking lot (open up Google Maps). From Stua (1555 m) follow the path 261, which climbs steeply in the forest to the bends towards the Chiggiato Refuge: you pass the resort Costapiana (1337 m, 30′ from the parking lot) and the locality La Serra, recognizable for a trip that recalls the passage of Pope John Paul II, up to the Chiggiato Refuge (1911 m, 2h from the parking lot). From the refuge you go north along the high street 5, signpost 260/262, to the Forcella Sacu, where you will meet a first easy passage equipped (1914 m, 15′ from the shelter, 2h15 total). From here the path changes character and begins to climb north-east, cutting diagonally the south walls of the Cimon della Froppa with a succession of narrow cenges exposed; at the top, straight at the front, you can see the fork Jau Tana, the destination. Crossing a detritic valley meet the first metal equipment (1h by Forcella Sacu, 3h15 total).

There are about twenty meters of rocks without particular difficulty and you reach a first metal staircase resting; the ropes then help to climb up the canal, entering the throat that leads to the fork. After a second ladder, a corner is around and climbs towards the fork, with typically easy stretches alternating with stretches of unprotected and rather exposed path, to be faced with caution. In the upper part of the valley you climb on the right side without crossing it, with few equipment, until you reach the fork after a long and constant climb (1h from the attack, 4h15 total). The environment is wild and imposing, with the Cimon della Froppa that stands out right. The route now bends right towards the Forcella delle Marmarole, where the descent begins: it cuts in half-coast the summits, with attention to the bottom not always stable, until the Forcella delle Foppe (2790 m), then a stretch of descent at times equipped leads to the Forcella Marmarole (2661 m, 1h15 from Forcella Jau Tana), with in front of the Cresta degli Invalidi. The difficulties, however, are not finished: the descent continues along the Vallon del Froppa, a steep canyon with an unstable bottom, equipped in the first meters and followed by about 20 minutes on a steep and exposed background to be covered with great attention. At the end of the wreath we start on path 262, where the difficulties — and with them the equipped path — end (1h from Forcella Marmarole, 6h30 total).

The equipped sections do not have any technical difficulties: the real difficulties are the long stretches not protected on unstable background, in particular the connection section at altitude and the descent in the Vallon del Froppa. It is a physically demanding itinerary, in a wild and unpopular environment.

High mountain summer itinerary (max. 2790 m), reserved for trained and experienced hikers, autonomous on unstable and unprotected terrain. The detritic background and exposure impose constant prudence.

Follow the path 262 downhill towards the south (right) to the Forcella Sacu and then back, along the approach path, to the Chiggiato Refuge and finally to the parking lot (1h45 from the graft on 262, 8h15 overall).