Overview
Map
Introduction
The hike to the mountain saddle called "Forcella Posporcora" from Fiames, passing through the Crêpe de Cianderou, is a really scenic walk in the territories of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
This hike can be found on the 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.
This hike is very pleasant, but we suggest you to be fairly trained, due to the length of the walk, which however is never too demanding in terms of height differences.
Path of the hike
Our hike starts at the free parking lot near the 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".
Start by walking up the road towards Lake Ghedina. It is a pretty steep asphalt road, closed to vehicular traffic, as you can see in the picture below.
After about 30 minutes of walking uphill, you will come to an intersection delimited by two metal gates and the wooden sign "Paruéto m. 1445".
If you've never seen Lake Ghedina, you may take the opportunity for a quick detour; it is a small and very suggestive mountain lake that can be reached in about ten minutes. Otherwise, continue along path 409 towards "Cianderou".
After about 45 minutes of walking uphill, with constant gradient on a dirt road, you will reach the scenic point called "Crêpe de Cianderou".
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 Druscié and, far on your right, the town of San Vito di Cadore.
Now you have to continue along path 409, towards Posporcora Pass, on a slightly uphill road. This stretch will take you about forty minutes.
Along the way you will have the opportunity to see some very scenic views of the northern area of Cortina, Fiames and the Boite river. You will also come across a small and rustic fountain. Here you can drink crystal clear water that flows directly from the source, under the mountain.
Along this path it's common to cross some cyclists. On the way down it's possible that some rider may be a little too fast, carried by the euphoria, it might be a good idea to walk on the edge of the path, to reduce risks.
Once you reach the wooden sign "Forc. Posporcora q. 1720" take path 408 towards "Pian de Ra Spines, Fiames".
Now you will have to face a steep descent that, in two kilometers, one mile, goes down by four hundred meters, thirteen hundreds feets, in height. Take your time and don't rush, steep mountain descents are a real challenge for your knees.
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, taking the right direction, towards "Camping Olympia, Cadin".
This last piece of road consists of two very pleasant kilometres, almost one mile and a half flat, 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.
The hike ends where it started, in the parking lot of the 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 metres, 2,600 feets.
Curiosities
The artistic installations in the woods, of which we talked about 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 Cianderou, 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 "Crêpe de Cianderou", but you prefer to do a less demanding hike, you can take the "Montanelli" path, to reach "Cianderou" from "Piè Tofana". We talked about it on the page linked below:
How to get there
This walk to "Posporcora" starts in the locality of "Fiames". It can easily be reached both by car and with the bus.
If you have the car the best place to park is this free parking lot, near the 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.
Another solution might be to take Bus n°1 from Cortina's bus Station and get off at the stop of Camping Olympia. For more information or to purchase tickets, you can contact the ticket office of the bus station. It may be closed during lunch hours.
Finally you could take a taxi. From Cortina to Camping Olympia the cost should be approximately €25. Considering that prices could vary by 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.
If you need any information there is a Tourist information Office. It is located in the town center, near the church.
Useful information
The walk from "Fiames" to "Posporcora" is not ideal in winter, because the snow is not groomed. Usually, the most suitable months for this hike are those that go 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 nor 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:
We want to emphasize that, in the Dolomites, there are rules to be followed. The main ones are:
- It is strictly forbidden to light fires.
- It is strictly forbidden to pick plants and flowers.
- Free camping is prohibited.
- It is prohibited to abandon garbage.
- It is mandatory to keep pets on a leash.
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.
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