A walk from Pale di San Martino to the glacier Fradusta

An easy hike through the Pale di San Martino mountain ridge until the glacier Fradusta.

Our destination today is the glacier Fradusta and the little glacial lake with the same name. It is only what remains of the glacier and in few years it will be completely thawed. We take the cableway Colverde and we reach San Martino di Castrozza, here we go on with the ropeway Rosetta to reach the summit Rosetta (2.650 m). A comfortable path takes us near the refuge Rosetta and from here we walk through the stones of this plateau in the hearth of the Pale di San Martino mountain ridge. We follow the signpost 707 and the white and red marks on the stones, without them the path is not very visible.

This is an easy Alpine hike from an altitude of 2.650 metres to 2.700 metres a.s.l. but we have to climb up for 780 metres (along the entire trail), walking up and down thorough the stones. After nearly two hours walking we come to the glacial lake. Some hikers are climbing up to the summit Fradusta (2.900 m), but they won´t enjoy that usual great panorama due to the today´s fog. We decide to retrace our steps back and then we take the ropeway to return at our starting point. We are aware we visited one of the most charming and wonderful places in the Dolomites: the Pale ridge.

Author: AT

Please note: when you plan to do this hike, please inform yourself about the condition of the trail!

Starting point: Upper station of the ropeway Rosetta (San Martino di Castrozza)
Trail numbers: SAT nr. 707 toward “Fradusta”
Experienced in: September 2011
Trail length: about 4 km each way
Walking time: 1,5 or 2 hours each way
Altitude difference: about 480 m ascent, 300 m descent (one way)
Altitude: from 2.530 to 2700 m a.s.l.
Further information: Tourism Board San Martino di Castrozza, Phone: +39 0439 768 867