The Val Longia (Langental) is a 6km trough that runs straight into the heart of the Puez-Odle group. On this hike we first walk along the valley floor, then climb over to the left to gain its balcony.
From the car park (m1600, 5€) of the Val Longia / Wolkenstein (the ruins of an old castle stand nearby), we set off along the floor of the long Val Longia between bright green meadows cropped short by ravenous grazers. All around, vertical rock towers crowned with fir trees. Near Pra da Ri we take path 16, which starts climbing on the left. Little by little the Sassopiatto peeks out at the end of the valley. A final steep pull zigzags at the foot of a spectacular vertical wall; touching wood, we hope no stones come down.
Having reached the top of the Val Longia's geological “step”, we have left most of the ascent behind us. Now we stroll along a gently rising grassy balcony to Rifugio Puez (Puezhütte, m2475, 2:45 hours).
Still on gently rising ground, we continue to the Forcella de Ciampei (m2366) and then cross over to the Pares de Crespeina (m2528, 1:30 hours), passing the lovely Lech de Crespeina. This is where the Boulder Guessing Game begins: there is a pinnacle shaped like a chess knight, and an enormous boulder shaped like a whale.
With the boulder hunt over, we descend into the lovely Val de Chedul, parallel to the Val Longia. But instead of heading straight down into the valley, we stay high on the left-hand path to reach the Jeuf de Cir (m2462, 20 minutes). From here we can admire a bizarre rocky incisor 20 or 30 metres tall (Danter la Pizes on the maps), and behind it the great rock rampart of the Sella Group, perhaps one of the finest views of the Sella Group, with the green Passo Gardena just below.
We do not descend on this side, however, but through the Val de Chedul behind us, which we follow all the way to the car park (m1600, 1:45 hours).
