Ciampedie - Gardeccia - Vajolet and Preuss Refuges - Re Alberto I Refuge - Gardeccia - Ciampedie

<p>It is the only hiking access route to the Re Alberto Refuge and the fairy-tale-like Gartl basin, one of the most suggestive and well-known places of the Fassa Dolomites, facing the mythical Vaiolet Towers.</p>

<p>Reach the Gardeccia basin from Ciampedie via the comfortable and wide trail no. 540 or ascending from Pera with the two chairlifts (add 0.25 hours to the total time). Continue on the dirt road marked no. 546; overcome the steep initial ledge and enter the extraordinary environment of the Vaiolét Valley, along a rather flat mule track, overlooked by the rocky spur of the Porte Neigre. Always keeping left, climb the scree slope along the well-drawn hairpin turns. You come across trail no. 541 coming from Passo Cigolade (Pas da le Zigolade) and shortly after reach the grassy plateau on which the Preuss and Vajolet refuges stand. You start along trail no. 584 of Passo Principe, leaving it after a few dozen meters and entering, on the left, the steep gorge of the towers (trail marked no. 542), proceeding carefully on smooth, polished rocks, helped in the more challenging sections by a metal cord. You arrive at the Re Alberto I Refuge (Gartlhütte), nestled in the Gartl basin, among the famous Vaiolet Towers, the north face of the Catinaccio, and the jagged Crode di Re Laurino. On an easy trail that diagonally cuts across the screes, you reach in little time the Passo Santner Refuge.</p>