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authorSebastiano Tronto <sebastiano@tronto.net>2025-10-06 22:09:12 +0200
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1# Day 2 - Trail 666
2
3|[← Day 1](../day1)|[Alta Via 2](../)|[Day 3 →](../day3)|
4|:-|:-:|-:|
5
6## Route of the day
7
8<details>
9<summary><strong>Click to see map</strong></summary>
10<img src="../img/21-0000-map.png">
11</details>
12
13*Download the [gpx file](../gpx/av2-day2.gpx) or see the route on
14[outdooractive.com](https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-trail/alta-badia/-2025-alta-via-2-day-2/325541331/?share=%7E3zdmlslt%244ossqbcn)*
15
16## The beginning of a long day
17
18According to our plan, this second day is going to be the toughest.
19Our planned route consists of more than 1700m of altitude gain, which
20would already be quite a long hike for a single day, leave alone for
21one out of 9 days of walking. Moreover, the weather forecasts for the
22day are not good - there is chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
23
24Luckily we find someone willing to give us a car ride from our B&B to
25the edge of the village, saving us about one hour of walk. We start
26walking at around 8:30.
27
28The first part of the trail is not very steep, and the weather is
29not awful either. We even manage to see some mountains!
30
31![Some mountains](../img/21-0900-up.jpg)
32
33In about an hour we reach *malga Antersasc* (2084m on sea
34level). Around this small abandoned building we see a few
35[chamois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois) and some very fat
36[marmots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmot) - seriously, these
37things were huge! Unfortunately all the pictures I took were terrible,
38you need some pretty good cameras to catch them from a distance. Here
39is a shot of myself looking at a tree that grew on a rock instead.
40
41![Me looking a tree](../img/21-0923-tree.jpg)
42
43After a short break, we get back on the trail and start walking towards
44the [Puez hut](https://www.rifugiopuez.it/en/). We could already tell
45from the map that the trail up to *forcella Puez* (2500m), before the
46hut, was going to be very steep. However, we found out that it was very
47well kept, which made it easier than we expected.
48
49![The trail to forcella Puez](../img/21-1103-forcella-puez.jpg)
50<p align="center">
51*The trail up to forcella Puez is reinforced with some trunks that
52turn it almost into a staircase.*
53</p>
54
55Unfortunately, as we walked up the weather got much worse, and we were
56forced to wear all our rain clothes again, including gloves.
57
58We reach the Puez hut (2447m) at 11:20, earlier than planned. We take
59some time to rest and try to dry up from the rain; I change my socks
60and t-shirt, which definitely helps.
61
62## The forgotten Forcellas
63
64(*Forcella* is an Italian term that denotes a tight mountain pass, usually
65only reachable by a steep trail. I will sometimes use the Italian word
66because I don't know an exact equivalent in English. For proper names I
67may also use the equivalent word in the local language: *Furcella* or
68*Jeuf* in [Ladin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladin_language),
69*Joch* in German, *Foržela* in
70[Venetian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_language).)
71
72We start walking again around 12:00, and it is immediately clear that we
73have made a small miscalculation in planning the route. We thought
74that the trail to [Gardena Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardena_Pass)
75would be straight downhill, but actually we'll have to climb up and then
76down a couple of tight passes: *Furcella de Ciampei* (2366m) and *Jeuf de
77Crespëina* (2528m). This is easily going to cancel out the time we gained
78in the morning. Fortunately, this part of the trail is quite pleasant to
79walk, if at times steep; the weather is also not too bad, as we only have
80to bear some light rain.
81
82![Part of the road to Gardena Pass](../img/21-1347-puez-to-gardena.jpg)
83
84As we are about to reach Gardena Pass (2136m), a strong storm begins.
85I speed up to take shelter in a hut down at the pass, leaving my dad
86a few minutes behind. I reach the pass at 14:35.
87
88## One hell of a trail
89
90The outlook for the last part of the day is bleak, to say the least.
91Thunderstorms are forecast until late in the evening. There is likely
92going to be a gap between 16:00 and 17:00, but it is not going to last
93long enough to reach the Pisciadù hut, were we are going to sleep. We
94have to choose between leaving immediately under the heavy rain hoping
95it stops while we are on the way, and waiting for the first wave of
96the storm to pass but risking it starts raining again before we reach
97our destination.
98
99We choose the former, because it was our best chance to arrive at the
100hut before it gets dark. Moreover, despite the forecast of thunder and
101lightning, so far it is just raining heavily, which although unpleasant
102is not dangerous.
103
104We leave from the pass at around 15:00, under the storm. The ascent
105is not steep at first. Luckily, as predicted, after about one our the
106rain stops.
107
108![A view of the Odles from the Gardena Pass side](../img/21-1559-gardena.jpg)
109<p align="center">
110*Our last view of Gardena Pass and the Odles group, on the way up
111to the Pisciadù hut.*
112<p>
113
114But then we reach the infamous trail 666. This is not a nickname, it
115is the actual number that the [Italian Alpine Club](https://www.cai.it/)
116gave to this trail.
117
118Actually, this is the easiest of two
119possible ways to the Pisciadù, the other being the
120[Ferrata Tridentina](https://www.alta-badia.org/en/leisure-activities/climbing-and-mountaineering/brigata-tridentina-route/).
121The booklet I am following describes it as "[...] reserved for
122well-equipped experts. Don't do it with heavy backpacks; don't do it if
123the weather is not good." We get at 0 out 3, the thought of taking the
124[via ferrata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_ferrata) does not not
125even cross our minds.
126
127So trail 666 it is. This trail is also known as *Setus trail*, or somewhat
128improperly *Setus via ferrata*. It is extremely steep and it is more a
129climb than a walk, but it is not a via ferrata. Most maps describe it
130as *sentiero attrezzato* (equipped trail), as it does have some fixed
131steel rope and handles where the climber can hang a safety rope.
132
133We have some simple ropes equipped with a
134[Carabiner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabiner), and we decide to
135use them. In the following days we would talk with other people who
136took the same route, and some of them would claim that a rope is not
137necessary on that trail. I don't care, I was relieved to have my trusty
138rope, especially considering the bad weather and how tired I was after
139more than 8 hours of hiking (plus the 9 hours of the previous day). And
140a safety rope is certainly of no use if kept in the backpack.
141
142![Trail 666](../img/21-1654-trail666.jpg)
143<p align="center">*Trail 666 is really steep.*</p>
144
145Overall, the steel rope and the handles are of great help, and although
146a couple of times I was unsure where to put my feet and risked slipping,
147I would not consider this trail dangerous, if one is properly equipped.
148
149The reason I found this trail hard was its *length*. I seriously had
150some difficulties caused by how tired and sore my muscles were, after
151two full days of hike. Sometimes I could not complete a step or a arm
152movement on the first try because I just did not have the enough strength
153to push or pull up. And it just kept going!
154
155But at 17:30, exhausted but satisfied, we finally reach the top of
156this climb. The Pisciadù hut (2587m) is just around the corner.
157
158![My dad at the end of trail 666](../img/21-1734-pisciadu.jpg)
159<p align="center">*My dad at the end of trail 666.*</p>
160
161We, our clothes and our boots are still wet from all the rain we caught
162throught the day. Let's hope everything dries up during the night.
163
164|[← Day 1](../day1)|[Alta Via 2](../)|[Day 3 →](../day3)|
165|:-|:-:|-:|

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