The Dolomites have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, and that is hardly surprising. They give us towers of rock rising almost vertically from green plateaus dotted with alpine pastures. And if this description sounds excessive or clichéd, it is not in the case of this hike. The Seceda plateau, which this itinerary crosses from end to end, offers picture-postcard views at every step; it is no accident that this is one of the most famous hikes in the world.
The walk starts from Daunei (m1742), above Selva Val Gardena. Alternatively you can start from the car park at the bottom of the Col Raiser gondola (the walk from there is a little more tedious), or take the gondola up to Col Raiser.
Straight away we wander among alpine pastures, huts and tiny lakes along the edge of the forest, with the Sassolungo rising behind us.
At Rifugio Juac (Juac Hütte, m1903, 40 minutes) we drop down slightly to the lovely Lech de Ciaulonch, then continue on a dirt road to Rifugio Firenze in Cisles (Regensburger Hütte, m2040, 40 minutes).
From here, now out of the forest, we take path 13 towards the south faces of the Odle. Behind us are the Sassolungo and the Sassopiatto, and all around us a “hilly” landscape dotted with boulders and fir trees. At the foot of the Odle we turn right, passing through an ancient landslide with boulders more than 10m across (that is, chunks of mountain). We pass the huts of Pieralongia and Troier (refreshment stops with picture-postcard views) to reach the Forcella Pana (m2447) and Seceda (m2518, 1.45 hours). Here the grassy plain on the south side of the Odle plunges almost 200 metres into the Val di Funes, offering one of the most famous views in all the Dolomites.
We descend among huts and alpine pastures to Rifugio Fermeda and the Ristoro Sangon (m1823), then climb briefly back up to Rifugio Juac, rejoining the outward route (2 hours).
