At the feet of Mt Marmolada the hike leads through the Contrin Valley to the San Nicolò Pass and along the “Lino Pederiva” panoramic path to the alpine pastures of Ciampac
Image gallery: Circular walk from Contrin to Ciampac
Starting at the parking space of the Ciampac Cable Car in Alba di Canazei, we follow the marker no. 602 towards “Contrin”. The path proceeds uphill through the forest and shortly after the “Locia de Contrin” hut we comfortably hike through the beautiful Val Contrin valley, past the Cianci Hut to the popular Malga Contrin mountain hut (2,020 m a.s.l., 90 minutes walking time from the starting point).
Now we follow the path no. 608 uphill towards the Passo San Nicolò mountain pass. The higher we come the more impressive becomes the view on the surrounding Dolomites, especially on the summits of the Marmolada: Piccolo Vernel, Gran Vernel, Penia and Ombretta. In our direction we have the pyramid-shaped Col Ombert mountain and beneath the Rif. Passo San Nicolò mountain hut (2,348 m a.s.l.). After our deserved lunch break we enjoy the panoramic view across the Val San Nicolò valley, from the Catinaccio and Latemar to the Val Contrin valley with the Sella and Marmolada mountain groups.
The following section is a bit more demanding but offers further fascinating views. The “Sentiero attrezzato Lino Pederiva” path (no. 613) is a paved panoramic trail above the Val San Nicolò valley which first leads to the rocks of the Varos and then proceeds past the southern side of the Sass Bianch, Sass de Roces and Roseal cliffs. Before we reach the "Sella di Brunech" ridge, the Valle di Ciampac valley opens through which our descend takes place. But before we can start our descend we have to manage the last section of the Pederiva track, which proceeds along the narrow crest and is quite slippery and brittle. Arrived at Ciampac we take the cable car back to Alba.
Author: AT
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- Starting point:
- Alba di Canazei
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- Time required:
- 05:00 h
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- Track length:
- 12,8 km
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- Altitude:
- from 1.491 m to 2.464 m
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- Altitude difference:
- +1023 m | -369 m
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- Route:
- Alba di Canazei - Rifugio Contrin - Rifugio Passo di San Nicolò - Sas Bianch de Roseal - Rifugio Tobià del Giagher
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- Signposts:
- 602, 608, 613, 613B
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- Destination:
- Ciampac cable car mountain station
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- Resting points:
- Rifugio Contrin mountain hut, Rifugio Passo di San Nicolò mountain hut, Rifugio Tobià del Giagher mountain hut
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- Circular walk from Contrin to Ciampac
If you want to do this hike, we suggest you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.
