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authorSebastiano Tronto <sebastiano@tronto.net>2025-10-14 21:22:41 +0200
committerSebastiano Tronto <sebastiano@tronto.net>2025-10-14 21:22:41 +0200
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1m4_navtable(← Day 1,../day1,Alta Via 2,../,Day 3 →,../day3)
2
3# Day 2 - Trail 666
4
5m4_caption({{{{{August 21, 2025}}}}})
6
7## Route of the day
8
9<details>
10<summary><strong>Click to see map</strong></summary>
11<img src="../img/21-0000-map.png">
12</details>
13
14*Download the [gpx file](../gpx/av2-day2.gpx) or see the route on
15[outdooractive.com](https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-trail/alta-badia/-2025-alta-via-2-day-2/325541331/?share=%7E3zdmlslt%244ossqbcn)*
16
17## The beginning of a long day
18
19According to our plan, this second day is going to be the toughest.
20Our planned route consists of more than 1700m of altitude gain, which
21would already be quite a long hike for a single day, leave alone for one
22out of 9 consecutive days of walking. Moreover, the weather forecasts
23for the day are not good - there is a chance of thunderstorms in the
24afternoon.
25
26Luckily we find someone willing to give us a car ride from our B&B to
27the edge of the village, saving us about one hour of walk. We start
28walking at around 8:30.
29
30The first part of the trail is not very steep, and the weather is
31not too bad either. We even manage to see some mountains!
32
33![Some mountains](../img/21-0900-up.jpg)
34
35m4_caption(The Puez-Odle group.)
36
37In about an hour we reach *malga Antersasc* (2084m on sea
38level). Around this small abandoned building we see a few
39[chamois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois) and some very fat
40[marmots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmot) - seriously, those
41things were huge! Unfortunately all the pictures I took were terrible,
42you need some pretty good camera to catch them from a distance.
43
44![Me looking a tree](../img/21-0923-tree.jpg)
45
46m4_caption({{{{{
47Sorry for the lack of marmot pictures. Here
48is a shot of myself staring at a tree growing on top of a rock instead.
49}}}}})
50
51After a short break, we get back on the trail and start walking towards
52the [Puez hut](https://www.rifugiopuez.it/en/). We could already tell
53from the map that the trail up to *forcella Puez* (2500m), before the
54hut, was going to be very steep. However, we found it to be very well
55maintained, which made it easier than we expected.
56
57![The trail to forcella Puez](../img/21-1103-forcella-puez.jpg)
58
59m4_caption({{{{{
60The trail up to forcella Puez is reinforced with some trunks that
61turn it almost into a staircase.}}}}})
62
63Unfortunately, as we walked up, the weather got much worse.
64We were forced to wear all our rain clothes again, including gloves.
65
66We reach the Puez hut (2447m) at 11:20, earlier than planned. We take
67some time to rest and try to dry up from the rain; I change my socks
68and t-shirt, which definitely helps.
69
70## The forgotten Forcellas
71
72(*Forcella* is an Italian term that denotes a tight mountain pass, usually
73only reachable via a steep trail. I will sometimes use the Italian word
74because I don't know an exact equivalent in English. For proper nouns I
75may also use the equivalent word in the local language: *Furcella* or
76*Jeuf* in [Ladin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladin_language),
77*Joch* in German, *Foržela* in
78[Venetian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_language).)
79
80We start walking again around 12:00, and it is immediately clear that we
81have made a small miscalculation in planning the route. We thought
82that the trail to [Gardena Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardena_Pass)
83would be straight downhill, but actually we'll have to climb up and then
84down a couple of tight passes: *Furcella de Ciampei* (2366m) and *Jeuf de
85Crespëina* (2528m). This is easily going to cancel out the time we gained
86in the morning. Fortunately, this part of the trail is quite pleasant to
87walk, if at times steep; the weather is also not too bad, as we only have
88to bear some light rain.
89
90![Part of the road to Gardena Pass](../img/21-1347-puez-to-gardena.jpg)
91
92As we are about to reach Gardena Pass (2136m), a strong storm begins.
93I speed up to take shelter in a hut down at the pass, leaving my dad
94a few minutes behind. I reach the pass at 14:35.
95
96## One hell of a trail
97
98The outlook for the last part of the day is bleak, to say the least.
99Thunderstorms are forecast until late in the evening. There is likely
100going to be a small windows of good weatehr between 16:00 and 17:00, but
101it is not going to last long enough to reach the Pisciadù hut, where we
102are going to sleep. We have to choose between leaving immediately under
103the heavy rain hoping it stops while we are on the way, or waiting for
104the first wave of the storm to pass but risking it starting again
105before we reach our destination.
106
107We choose the former, because it was our best chance to arrive at the
108hut before it gets dark. Moreover, despite the forecast of thunder and
109lightning, so far it is just raining heavily, which although unpleasant
110is not dangerous.
111
112We leave the pass at around 15:00, under the storm. The ascent is not
113steep at first. Luckily, as predicted, after about one hour the rain
114stops.
115
116![A view of the Odles from the Gardena Pass
117side](../img/21-1559-gardena.jpg)
118
119m4_caption({{{{{Our last view of Gardena Pass and the Odle group,
120on the way up to the Pisciadù hut.}}}}})
121
122But then we reach the infamous trail 666.
123
124![The beginning of trail 666](../img/21-1600-666.jpg)
125
126m4_caption({{{{{
127The beginning of trail 666. This is not a nickname, it is
128the actual number that the <a href="https://www.cai.it">
129Italian Alpine Club</a> gave to this trail.
130}}}}})
131
132Actually, this is the easiest of two
133possible ways to the Pisciadù, the other being the [Ferrata
134Tridentina](https://www.alta-badia.org/en/leisure-activities/climbing-and-mountaineering/brigata-tridentina-route/).
135The booklet I am following describes it as "[...] reserved for
136well-equipped experts. Don't do it with heavy backpacks; don't do it if
137the weather is not good." We get at 0 out 3, the thought of taking the
138[via ferrata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_ferrata) does not not
139even cross our minds.
140
141So trail 666 it is. This trail is also known as *Setus trail*, or somewhat
142improperly *Setus via ferrata*. It is extremely steep and it is more a
143climb than a walk, but it is not a via ferrata. Most maps describe it
144as *sentiero attrezzato* (equipped trail), as it does have some fixed
145steel rope and handles where climbers can hang a safety rope.
146
147We have some simple ropes equipped with a
148[Carabiner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabiner), and we decide to
149use them. In the following days we would talk with other people who
150took the same route, and some of them would claim that a rope is not
151necessary on this trail. I don't care, I was relieved to have my trusty
152rope, especially considering the bad weather and how tired I was after
153more than 8 hours of hiking (plus the 9 hours of the previous day). And
154a safety rope is certainly of no use if kept in the backpack.
155
156![Trail 666](../img/21-1654-trail666.jpg)
157
158m4_caption({{{{{Trail 666 is really steep.}}}}})
159
160Overall, the steel rope and the handles are of great help, and although
161a couple of times I was unsure where to put my feet and I almost slept,
162I would not consider this trail dangerous, if one is properly equipped.
163
164The reason I found this trail hard was its *length*. I seriously had some
165difficulties caused by how tired I was and how sore my muscles were,
166after two full days of hike. Sometimes I could not complete a step or
167an arm movement on the first try because I just did not have the enough
168strength to push or pull up. And the trail just kept going!
169
170But at 17:30, exhausted but satisfied, we finally reach the top of this
171climb. The Pisciadù hut (2587m) is just around the corner.
172
173![My dad at the end of trail 666](../img/21-1734-pisciadu.jpg)
174
175m4_caption({{{{{My dad at the end of trail 666.}}}}})
176
177We, our clothes and our boots are still wet from all the rain we caught
178earlier in the day. Let's hope everything dries up during the night.
179
180m4_navtable(← Day 1,../day1,Alta Via 2,../,Day 3 →,../day3)

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