Pala d'Altei Hike

I parked at Montereale's Osservatorio Astronomico (682 meters), let Honey and Teddi out of the hatch and started hiking.  A gravel and concrete road winds around the hillside to about 1000 meters, where you turn left on a trail through a wooded section  Later you exit the woods and follow a grassy/rocky path up to Casera Rupeit (1275 meters).  The pups and I continued ascending, as the trail skirts around the cliffs of Pala d'Altei's western end and finally crests a small pass (1411 meters) dividing Zuccul Forador from the forest descending steeply down to Valcellina and Lago di Barcis.  You can climb up to the top of Pala d'Altei (1528 meters) if you wish but the girls and I were beat so we headed down.  Honey did a great job retracing our path, even finding some smooth bypasses around places where I had gone directly over rock piles. Nothing like being outsmarted by a 12 pound pooch.  

Great hike with glorious clear, calm weather and wonderful hiking companions.

Lago di Ravedis from trail around 900 meters.

Beautiful Zuccul Forador about 1400 meters

Pala dAltei (on left) from the southwest 

Monte di Mezzo (1425 meters)

Close up of Pala d'Altei's cliff face from the west

Monte Fortel (1436 meters)

Monte I Cameroni (1470 meters)

From the pass looking northeast across Valcellina gorge at
Monte Ressetum in the distance

The trail junction by the little pass

Pala d'Altei from the north: no cliffs on this side

Teddi resting from her ascent

Honey rearing to go, as always

Pala d'Altei from Casera Rupeit to the south (cliffs in the distance)

View from Casera Rupeit of Monte Raut, Jouf, Fara,
with Julian Alps on the horizon