Viàz de le Pónte via Forcella Toanella-Porta de la Serra-Casera Pian Grant

Premise

This route was traveled on October 30, 2024, and all subsequent observations and considerations may fully apply only to that day.

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The "source of inspiration" guide for all others is "PELMO E DOLOMITI DI ZOLDO" by Giovanni Angelini and Pietro Sommavilla.

On page 247 it defines the limits of the Viàz de le Pónte from Forcella Toanella to Forcella del Viàz de le Pónte passing through the Spionèra del Viàz de le Pónte.

Up to here it is all Alta Via no. 3 on which one then continues to the entrance of the beautiful basin of Vant de la Serra, where you must choose the closing variant.

The book "Dolomiti di Zoldo 61 walks between Pelmo and Civetta" (by Paolo Bonetti and Paolo Lazzarin) proposes to leave Alta Via no. 3 and cross lower the Vant de la Serra to head towards Casera Pian Grant and then descend into the Canal del Maé.

The book "Monti di Longarone" (edited by Pietro Sommavilla, Giuseppe Nart, and Luca Celi) proposes to continue on Alta Via no. 3 above the Vant de la Serra to the Porta de la Serra pass, then descend to the Osvaldo Tovanella bivouac from which several final variants can be arranged, which may also include the Cengia dell’Osvaldo.

For this hike aimed only at the Viàz de le Pónte I chose to reach Porta de la Serra, take a look from the other side, and then reconnect by direct descent on scree (also indicated in the Angelini-Sommavilla guide) to the other variant passing through Casera Pian Grant.

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From Pontesei Parking Lot to Forcella Toanella passing through Rifugio Bosconero

From the parking lot at Lago di Pontesei, you ascend to Rifugio Bosconero for one of the possible and obvious variants, then continue behind the refuge following the initial indications of CAI 490.

Outside the woods, continue following the cairns on the hard scree keeping a generally fairly straight line: do not be misled by a large cairn that would divert to the right towards Rocchetta Alta, nor by smaller ones above that direct left towards Forcella del Matt.

Anyway, the entrance of the gully leading to Forcella Toanella is very obvious and is reached walking above the edge of a large landslide trench, after crossing it at the start from right to left in the ascent direction (here the markings and cairns lead on a couple of different but equally valid lines).

At this point (even though there are no painted numbers beyond the red dots) you are on CAI 482 and ascend the long gully staying on the left side going up with some turns that also bring you close to the rock band: very beautiful is the view of the "vertical pyramid" of the northern face of Sasso di Toanella.

Near the end the trail crosses to the right side ascending the gully and you can say you almost always arrive at Forcella Toanella with good shoe grip.

Now to the left you could go either to the summit of Sasso di Bosconero or to the Viàz de l’Órs, but for this hike you go right.

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Viàz de le Pónte from Forcella Toanella to Forcella del Viàz de le Pónte with a detour to Spionèra del Viàz de le Pónte

This section is all Alta Via no. 3 except for the not trivial few meters detour to Spionèra del Viàz de le Pónte.

From Forcella Toanella you go right-south starting to descend without being fooled by a couple of cairns and tracks leading to the start of the Normal Route to Sasso di Toanella.

You lose a little more than 100 meters of elevation in total, then the Alta Via no. 3 markings climb steeply on the right rock band to rise above a ledge where the path continues well marked and without difficulty.

On the right of the path there is a rock band either vertical or with alpine-level steps, and you must pay attention at the point where the rock band gives way to a wide pass beyond a pine scrub band.

Here begins a short path (without markings) that "pierces the pines" and leads to the Spionèra del Viàz de le Pónte, a viewpoint above a very exposed rocky spike overlooking a very deep and steep ravine-gully.

To "sit on the spike" requires some non-trivial steps after passing a small rock covered by pines that interrupts the path at the end.

Approaching the spike there is a narrow notch where you must descend with a couple of moves of grade I+, do a half split, and climb up from the other side with another couple of moves of grade I+.

It is very exposed but holds and footholds are very solid.

After carefully returning to the comfortable trail of Alta Via no. 3, one can say the path continues smoothly until Forcella del Viàz de le Pónte where the viàz officially ends, but from here on there are various technical passages still within the usual limits found on the Alta Vias.

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From Forcella del Viàz de le Pónte to Forcella Porta della Serra

From Forcella del Viàz de le Pónte you descend the west gully losing about 100 meters of elevation.

In the middle there is an equipped section which is not a simple hand cable but can be defined as a real (short) via ferrata section.

To reach the "little ferrata" you must descend on steep terrain with support, while below it is less steep but with some "erratic stones".

Then you continue for a long time on a well-marked path with beautiful Dolomite views towards west-northwest.

You find a couple of equipped sections with aid cables and finally arrive at the entrance of the beautiful cirque of Vant de la Serra.

After a few dozen meters from the first view of the cirque, you reach the fork – marked with red dots on both branches – where you must choose whether to go towards Porta de la Serra or Casera Pian Grant.

As noted above, I decided to visit Porta de la Serra and then return on the other variant.

The continuation of Alta Via no. 3 up to Porta de la Serra is an almost relaxing diagonal by Dolomite standards, with only a couple of small landslide trenches to cross by just slightly changing walking elevation to find solid footholds.

From Forcella Porta della Serra (as per the official plaque name) a beautiful view from the other side towards south and on possible continuations of this variant.

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From Forcella Porta della Serra to Casera Pian Grant

According to the guide "PELMO E DOLOMITI DI ZOLDO" by Giovanni Angelini and Pietro Sommavilla (and some maps), from Porta de la Serra you can descend directly the north slope to reconnect with the direct variant to Casera Pian Grant along CAI 477.

For a possible ascent there is an indicated diagonal line, but I descended straight because it was possible and seemed simpler and less stressful for the legs.

The first meters of descent are the steepest but, for comparison, are not worse than the steepest part of Forcella Toanella already tackled.

It is clear there is no real continuous track but I always found terrain not too hard where shoes had good grip: halfway I also found a nice stretch of fine scree very fun.

From Porta de la Serra I lost in total about 170/180 meters of elevation and found again the nice marked path direct to Casera Pian Grant: a "pit-stop" to remove the scree from the low shoes and then restart. 😉

The path after an initial stretch in flat forest enters a diagonal on the mountainside and reaches a passage where attention is needed.

There is an exposed landslide overcome by walking over "two logs chained together" and with an aid cable to balance.

Today the logs were very slippery and you had to advance by wedging your shoes in the middle gap.

Then you enter a continuous descent starting in a corridor of pines, continuing in various forest undergrowth with a finish in tall forest: red dots of CAI 477 always well present.

Shortly before Casera Pian Grant the CAI 477 joins the CAI 487.

Casera Pian Grant, unfortunately, to date can be defined as an "ex always open bivouac": it is open but the inside rooms are in a complete state of abandonment and basically unusable: they can be suitable only for a temporary shelter ... between a spider web and a layer of dust.

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Closing the hike from Casera Pian Grant to Ospitale di Zoldo

From Casera Pian Grant, following a red arrow painted at the edge of the wood, you take the descent path towards Ospitale di Zoldo.

To date the path is perfectly passable thanks to a superb clearing work of numerous and large fallen tree trunks found in the upper part.

I don't think it is an official CAI path, but there are well placed red dots along the entire descent.

The walking track is either normal or ... very wide. 👍

There are no real steep slopes and you come out on SP 251 at km 115-IV where you find the sign for Ospitale di Zoldo, the Dolomiti Bus stop and above all … a nice drinking fountain❗😊

From here I returned to the starting parking lot walking on SP 251.

This asphalt stretch is included in the summary data numbers: if organizing differently you must subtract about 3 km of linear distance and 150 meters of positive elevation gain.

There is eventually a parking lot a little more than 50 meters north of the return point on SP 251.