Cor di San Lucano-Pale dei Balconi-Cima della Fradusta-Cima della Rosetta

Premise

This route was traveled on September 18, 2025, and all subsequent observations and considerations may fully apply only to that day.

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From Capanna Cima Comelle in Valle di Garés to Cor di San Lucano

I had already been to Cor di San Lucano in October 2016 after buying the book (printed in December 2015) «Le Pale di San Martino - Photographic Guide to the Routes» by Tommaso Forin.

Compared to then, I found the route much more marked with cairns.

From Capanna Cima Comelle you ascend to Malga Campigat via the very comfortable CAI 761, then continue to the last hairpin to the right (just above 1900 m) which would turn into the steep slope that goes directly to Campo Boaro.

There is a cairn there and you must take the initially faint path that, to the left, crosses the grassy Piana delle Saline.

Shortly, the trail passes below the beautiful Vallon dei Camosci, which is used in winter to avoid the steep avalanche-prone slopes below Campo Boaro (see route → Malga Campigàt, Vallón dei Camosci and Sasso Negro from Capanna Cima Comelle).

Immediately after, you descend briefly to the most critical section of the entire excursion.

It is a small gully that allows descending and crossing the wide channel that separates from the ascent slope toward Cor di San Lucano.

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The wide channel to cross is the one that borders to the east the Coston della Vena on IGM and derived maps (such as Tabacco, Kompass, 4Land, etc.), while according to the CTR Veneto maps, the Coston della Vena is the one descending northeast beyond Cor di San Lucano.

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The gully to descend is more or less all "low grip" and could be quite slippery at times, with sections of ground that seem to crumble underfoot.

Along the first steps, I saw three or four artificial notches made by someone to better place feet, and after a few meters you reach the overcoming of a large boulder.

There are a couple of excellent holds to bypass it on the left and descend under it to the right (facing downhill), or (if dry) you can descend more directly always on the left – I would say a short almost grade II.

Then you continue with other handholds on lower ledges but always tricky due to small rocks or hard-compact earth with moisture if not actual wetness.

After the descent, you traverse to the other side where there might be a small snowfield quite laterally inclined in early summer: to avoid the "annoying snow" I went the first time in October and this time at the end of September (I suppose a bit earlier wouldn't cause problems either).

Nevertheless, even without snow, the inclined walking base is on a kind of "hardened sand" not easy.

Crossing the next wide bottom channel (east of the Coston della Vena), you ascend with handholds on the other side until you meet the first cairns that will mark the rest of the ascent.

You continue ascending diagonally below the rock band without reaching the small snowfield at its base (here the cairns have been retraced compared to 2016, when following them led to the snowfield).

Then you go around the base of the rock band to the left through mugo pine cuts until changing direction ascending on a wide grassy slab.

The many cairns guide through the various initial steep steps from the change of direction, and at the end of the slab you reach the edge of a vertical fissure-channel that cuts the wall.

Here begins the "more vertical" part ascending without entering the fissure-channel: if you follow the cairns well, you never exceed difficulty grade I and for only a few consecutive holds – however, it is a continuous ascent and the exposure increases behind your back.

There are many small larches scattered on the wall, and you reach the two upper "paired" cairns where the cairns indicate a brief traverse left on a ledge.

Followed by a pull and you enter the final inclined diagonal to the right that leads to the crest defining the top of the wall.

The arrival point on the ridge is already the best observation point at Cor di San Lucano – the one in all the photos, so to speak.

With very exposed steps (full shoe placement but delicate), you can also descend to this characteristic natural window in the rock.

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From Cor di San Lucano to the Pale dei Balconi

You tackle directly the steep northeast ridge descending from a summit indicated as Cima dei Balconi on some maps (thus heading southwest) – in other maps, the Cima dei Balconi is just northeast of Cor di San Lucano.

The steep start is fun on very solid rocks with some grade I passages.

Then the ridge line becomes unsuitable for hiking and the cairns guide below to the right (northwest) on a ledge line.

The ledge descends a steep section then traverses flat for a while and finally ascends.

There is some well-narrow and exposed meters on great depth, but with care you always place your whole foot – the cairns always resolve doubts about the line to keep, and it is better to focus on finding them.

Arriving below Cima dei Balconi, the trail passes under on the right but you can go straight to the summit with a cairn and a "heart drawn on the ground with stones".

Then you descend gently to a wide saddle and face the last diagonal on traces, always assisted by cairns, to reach the squared summit of Pale dei Balconi.

Just below the summit you can cut towards CAI 776 and then 761 for those who want to close the classic Cor di San Lucano loop.

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From Pale dei Balconi to Cima della Fradusta

From here, I started the "experimental off-piste" more or less on the tracks of my previous snowshoe trip mentioned in the "Summary" sheet.

From the summit, you connect briefly to CAI 776 and then go by eye.

Of course, you can go to Fradusta always on CAI routes with a bit more distance and probably similar times, if not a few minutes less.

The walking surface is always hard covered with stones, but never true scree that would cause slipping: you walk quite well for being a Dolomite off-piste.

The slopes are very easy, and with the right snow the small steps would be nicely smoothed.

In the various brief ups and downs – in summer version – you must easily bypass some of these small steps.

I saw 3 or 4 isolated cairns of passage (without trail traces anyway), and I crossed CAI 707 coming from Forcella del Mièl until finding, always proceeding off-piste, CAI 708 before the final ascent to Cima della Fradusta.

All freely by eye: a sweet wandering on this part of the plateau.

The final ascent is again all well marked and very frequented, and you reach the summit marker on the easy and flat final ridge.

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Closing the traverse from Cima della Fradusta to Cima della Rosetta

Here I was always on CAI trails 708, 709, and 707.

It is a very well-known section, and I preferred it to other possible variants to view from below the summer version of the slopes of Cima delle Scarpe and Cima di Roda, which can also be climbed with snow (see route → Cima della Fradusta - Cima delle Scarpe - Cima di Roda - Cima della Rosetta).

To finish, a visit to the super-touristy and panoramic Cima della Rosetta with arrival at the cable car in time for the penultimate trip of the day.

I stopped here for 20 minutes in the sun 🌞 on the terrace to catch the last trip at 16:40.