Hike in Cortina: to Posporcora from Fiames

A hike from Fiames to the mountain saddle called Forcella Posporcora, passing through the Crepe de Cianderòu. It's a very scenic walk in Cortina d'Ampezzo which lasts about three hours.

Overview

Starting point: Fiames
Destination: Forcella Posporcora
Total length: 12 km (7.5 mi)
Height gain: 600 m (1,970 ft)
Round trip: About 3 hour and a half

Map

Map of the hike

Introduction

The hike to the mountain saddle called "Forcella Posporcora" from Fiames, passing through the "Crepe de Cianderòu," is a really scenic walk in the territories of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The amazing panorama from the Crepe of Cianderòu

This hike can be found on Tabacco Map 003, "Cortina d'Ampezzo e Dolomiti Ampezzane," and it goes along Paths 409 and 408. Alternatively, you can see our route on Google Maps by clicking here.

Tabacco 1:25.000 Map 003

This hike is very scenic, but we suggest you be fairly trained due to the length of the walk and the height differences, which are mainly concentrated in a rather steep climb and a descent with an even greater degree.

Donate usHelp us stay ad-free with a small offer.Heart iconDonate now!

Path of the hike

Our hike starts at the free parking lot near Camping Olympia. If you are unsure of how to reach it, we will describe it in depth down on the page in the chapter "How to Get There."

Free parking near the campsite

Start by walking up the road towards Lake Ghedina. It is a rather steep asphalt road, closed to vehicular traffic, as you can see in the picture below.

The uphill road towards Lake Ghedina

After about thirty minutes of walking uphill, you will come to an intersection delimited by two metal gates and a wooden sign indicating "Paruéto 1445 m." From here, you may take the asphalt road to the left, which is not signposted, to reach Lake Ghedina.

Paruéto sign. in Cortina d'Ampezzo

Lake Ghedina is a small and very suggestive mountain, here is also located an exclusive restaurant of the same name. Both can be reached with a ten-minutes walk.

Lake Ghedina in Cortina
Lake Ghedina in autumn

If you are not interested, continue along Path 409 towards "Cianderòu."

Hairpins turn on the Cianderòu road

After about forty-five minutes of walking uphill with a constant gradient on a dirt road, you will reach the intersection called "Sote i Crepe de Cianderòu." Take the road to the right towards the "Tonde de Cianderòu."

Intersection of Sote i crepe de Cianderòu

Just a little more effort, about fifteen minutes, and you will see the scenic point of the "Crepe de Cianderòu." From here, you can breathe a sigh of relief; the climb is over, and the hike will become much more relaxing, except for the final descent.

Path uphill in the direction of the Cianderòu bench

Here you will find a bench where you can relax in front of a truly suggestive view. From here, you can see Cortina, Mount "Antelao," Mount "Faloria," Mount "Col Drusciè," and, far on your right, the town of "San Vito di Cadore."

The amazing panorama from the Crepe of Cianderòu

From here, the hike continues, with no particular difference in altitude, along Path 409. A sign reminds cyclists to maintain a moderate speed and to pay attention to hikers walking along the route. From here, if you encounter any side trails, always follow the signposts for "Forcella Posporcora."

The path above Cianderou, with a signpost for cyclists

In about thirty minutes, you will reach a signpost indicating the scenic point of the "Valon de ra Foia." This short deviation will let you admire the most amazing panorama of the entire hike, but you may want to avoid it if you are very afraid of heights.

Scenic point of the Valon de ra Foia

Along the way. you will have the opportunity to see some very scenic views of the northern area of Cortina, including the heliport of Fiames and Mount "Col Rosà," the pyramid-shaped mountain that stands more and more majestically before you.

Panorama from the Posporcora Pass in Cortina d'Ampezzo

Just before entering the forest, you'll come across a small and rustic fountain. Here you can drink crystal-clear water that flows directly from the source, under the mountain.

Small fountain along the path to Posporcora

Once you reach the wooden sign "Forc. Posporcora q. 1720," take Path 408 towards "Pian de Ra Spines, Fiames."

Sign for the Posporcora pass, 1720 meters

Now you will have to face a steep descent that, in two kilometers, or one mile, goes down by four hundred meters, or thirteen hundred feet, in height. Take your time and don't rush; steep mountain descents are a real challenge for your knees.

Descent towards Fiames along path 408

Once you reach the end of the descent, you will come across the wooden sign "Pian de Ra Spines, q. 1301." Proceed along Path 417, keeping right, towards "Camping Olympia, Cadin."

Pian de Ra Spines sign

This last piece of road consists of two very relaxing and flat kilometers, almost one mile and a half, where it's also possible to see some artistic installations made by the students of the Art Institute of Cortina d'Ampezzo. These pieces of art are positioned in the woods with descriptive tables, but we'll talk about them more in depth a little down below, in the "Curiosities" section.

Artistic installations of the art school in Pian de Ra Spines

The hike ends where it started, in the parking lot of Camping Olympia. If you want to stay longer in the locality of Fiames, you could eat or drink something at the dell'Hotel Fiames, where you can relax on the terrace or at the bar.

The restaurant is not far from the car park: cross the bridge over the Boite river, turn left, and follow the path, which runs alongside the state road, for about 800 meters, or 2,600 feet.

Donate usHelp us stay ad-free with a small offer.Heart iconDonate now!

Curiosities

The artistic installations in the woods, of which we talked previously, are part of the Paths of Art 2020 project, sponsored by the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo and organized by the "Controcorrente" association and the "Regole d'Ampezzo," with the support of Quiqueg creative agency from Milan. For those who would like more information, it is possible to read the art paths project page on the official website of the association, but it's only in Italian.

If you look at the forest immediately above Cianderòu, you can clearly observe the damage done by the "Vaia" storm. In October 2018, it caused the uprooting of many trees throughout the north-east of Italy, including Cortina. The estimated cost of the damage from the storm in Veneto alone, the most affected region, was estimated at almost two billion euros, and the cleaning of the forest will continue for many more years.

If you wish to visit the panorama of the "Crepe de Cianderòu," but you prefer to do a less demanding hike, you can take the "Montanelli" path to reach "Cianderòu" from "Piè Tofana." We talked about it on the page linked below:

Montanelli's path and Cianderòu
The "Montanelli" path A hike along the Montanelli path to the "Crepe de Cianderòu," a splendid scenic point. 1h 30' - 6 km - Easy

Some people prefer to do the hike in reverse, climbing up from "Forcella Posporcora" and then descending from "Cianderou" towards Fiames. This could be a good solution to strain the knees a little less, but we preferred this direction as it makes the initial part less tiring.

Donate usHelp us stay ad-free with a small offer.Heart iconDonate now!

How to get there

This walk to "Posporcora" starts in the locality of "Fiames." It can easily be reached both by car and by bus.

If you have a car, the best place to park is this free parking lot, near Olympia Camping. It is rather small and well known, so if you can't find free parking, you can proceed along the road and park in one of the many free parking lots nearby the former airfield, from which you will easily reach the starting point. Fiames is about a 15-minute drive from the center.

SS 51 15 minutes

Another solution might be to take bus n°1 from Cortina's bus station and get off at the stop at Camping Olympia. For more information or to purchase tickets, you can contact the ticket office at the bus station. It may be closed during lunch hours.

Bus n°1 15 minuti

This walk is already quite challenging, but you may still decide to walk from the town center to the starting point of the hike. In this case, you'll need to walk two hours more along the walk known as the former railway.

Former Railway 90 minutes

We have described this pleasant walk in a specific page, which you can visit by clicking below:

The walk of the former railway
The former railway The most famous walk in Cortina. It is simple, for everyone, and accessible all year round. 1h 30' - 5 km - Easy

Finally, you could take a taxi. From Cortina to Camping Olympia, the cost should be approximately €25. Considering that prices could vary a lot, both for the type of vehicle and the number of people, you should always ask for a quote. Taxis can be found both in Roma Square and at the bus station, or you can visit the Taxi official website.

Taxi 15 minutes

If you need any information, there is a tourist information office. It is located in the town center, near the church.

Donate usHelp us stay ad-free with a small offer.Heart iconDonate now!

Useful information

The walk from "Fiames" to "Posporcora" is not ideal in winter because the snow is not packed. Usually, the most suitable months for this hike are those that fall between June and October. This is a slightly conservative estimate, as every season is different. It is not possible to know exactly when it will snow or when the snow will melt.

Even though this is a rather easy walk, we suggest choosing appropriate clothing, starting with your shoes, which should be sturdy. Always carry a backpack with at least some water, a snack, and a rain jacket. If you are new to hiking, we recommend you read the page we wrote on how to tackle a mountain outing:

Walking in the mountains safely
Safety tips for hikers Tips for safely going hiking in the mountains and prepare your backpack with all you need. Reading time: 8 min

We want to emphasize that, in the territory of the Dolomites, there are rules to be followed. The main ones are:

Always be responsible and, when in doubt, stop. CiaoCortina cannot be held responsible for any damage to things or people, variations, wrong paths, errors, or inconveniences that may occur along the route. For more information, click here.Internal link

Donate usHelp us stay ad-free with a small offer.Heart iconDonate now!

Conclusion

We hope you liked this page about the hike from "Fiames" to "Posporcora." Before saying goodbye, we would like to mention that you can find other amazing hikes in Cortina and its surroundings by clicking here.Internal link

If you want to thank us you can read the page Support us.Heart icon If you only want to suggest a change, propose something or just say hello, in the section contacts and info,Email icon you'll find all the ways to reach us.

Related articles

Ra Góres de Fedèra
Ra Góres de Fedèra The Gorges of Federa, a new trail that starts from Lake Pianozes, to "Malga Federa". 3h 30' - 10 km - Difficult
Hike in Cortina from Larieto to Zumeles
Hike from Larieto to Mietres A hike from Larieto to Mietres, with the possibility of a detour to "Forcella Zumèles". 1h+30' - 4+2 km - Easy
Montanelli's path and Cianderòu
The "Crepe de Cianderòu" A hike along the Montanelli path to the "Crepe de Cianderòu", an amazing scenic point. 1h 30' - 6 km - Easy