Rifugio Pian de Fontana(edit)

This may be the best day of hiking on our trek. In a wilder environment, now, the National Park Dolomiti Bellunesi, we cross over a mountain alpine upland (path 514) to a saddle at 2097 meters then go up a narrow ridge with good footing but with drops on all sides (take care in windy conditions) to the Forcella de Zita Sud at 2395m. From here, we will walk up to the top of the Cima de Zita Sud at 2450 meters. This will be our only official summit for the trip, not counting Lagazuoi. Here you will have a last majestic view of Pelmo! On this descent, I would like to make it in silence and include a long pause of 30 mins at the top of the valley in order to see if we can spot chamois on the cliffs. This is also a rare valley that was until recent years covered in glacier and which now fosters growth of ice-age plants not found anywhere else – for example, dwarf broom and a type of milk vetch. We must stay on the path. After our pause, we will descend into what seems an impossibly steep mountain valley down to the Rifugio Pian di Fontana at 1632 meters. Go slowly, choose your footing, and take your time. Once we get to the perch at Fontana, we will be rewarded with good food and rest for our weary knees.

The final notable ascent of the trek is to the summit of the Cime de Zita, via a ridge walk to Forcella de Zita Sud. Then it's all downhill through a dramatic glacial valley to Rifugio Pian de Fontana, a small hut on a grassy shelf. It will be a short day, but because of the severity of the slope, we will rest our knees at Fontana overnight. Restful and pastoral are the words here, despite its position on the edge of high mountains. Besides, their mushroom pasta is not to be missed!