EE route (Experienced Hikers). Approx. 1,150 m of elevation gain (D+).
Duration: 7.30 hours
Map: Sheet 22 Tabacco \u2013 Pale di San Martino
From Rifugio Cavallera (1,680 m), follow trail no. 720, which reaches Bivacco Menegazzi after a few minutes. From there, climb alongside the scree slope descending the mountainside, gaining about 200 metres of elevation until reaching a large boulder (old wooden trail signs). Continue to the right beyond the scree bed on a steep ascent. Keeping left, you will eventually reach the first rocky buttresses and follow their base, carefully picking out the continuation of the route, as the trail markers are sometimes quite far apart.
Avoiding the notch above us and an old variant of the trail descending from Forcella delle Mughe, we traverse the scree slopes to the right, following the few cairns and keeping close to the most accessible section of the rock face. This passage is marked on maps as Passo delle Scalette. The route, well stepped and clearly marked, overcomes a rocky barrier of about fifteen metres, where the use of hands and sure-footedness are required, especially in the final narrow gully. The trail then continues to the right of Cima dei Vani Alti across the barren plateau, where it meets the path coming from Forcella dei Vani Alti (2,519 m).
To the south behind us rises Sass da Camp, while we continue along the opposite rocky shoulder beneath the Creste dei Vani Alti until Bivacco Reali comes into view. At last, Croda Granda stands before us, towering on our right beyond a deeply cut valley that we will have to cross\u2014a descent in elevation that should not be underestimated.\u00a0
Proceeding with caution, we skirt the drop above Valle Sprit and descend on a good trail across large boulders deeply carved by erosion, which support Bivacco Reali, a well-equipped and clean shelter with nine bunk spaces.
Beyond the helicopter landing area, descend following the cairns, which guide the way through deep grooves and rocky steps towards Forcella Sprit (2,573 m). Near the pass, a faint track climbs diagonally to the right across a first snowfield (usually present until mid-June) and the scree slopes above. Cross a small stream\u2014 the only water source in the entire area, used by some in emergencies\u2014 and ascend an easy stepped corner to a comfortable ledge (UIAA grade I). From here, enter the scree cone visible from the bivouac.\n\nChoosing the most stable line through the loose rocks, keeping rather to the left, head for the upper notch separating Croda Granda from Cima dei R\u00f3ndoi. Staying just below the ridge, continue parallel to it, gaining height quickly over a few easy, unexposed scrambling sections (UIAA grade I) interspersed with stretches of walking. A few final steep steps, marked with green paint, lead to the summit. At the highest point (2,849 m), a small Madonna statue and the summit register await.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Descent follows the same route (approximately 3 hours 30 minutes back to Rifugio Cavallera). Particular care should be taken on the scree slopes below Forcella Sprit, as they can be slippery when descending.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Percorso EE. circa 1150 mt D+Tempo di percorrenza: ore 7,30Cartografia:\u00a0Tabacco foglio 022 Pale di San Martino Dal Rifugio Cavallera (1680m) si prende il sentiero 720 che arriva dopo pochi minuti al Bivacco Menegazzi, quindi si sale accanto alla colata di sassi che scende lungo il pendio, si guadagnano circa 200 metri di dislivello fino ad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":400,"parent":45,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-362","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t