CANAZEI - VAL DE MORTIC - PIAN DE FRATACES - PIAN DE SCHIAVANEIS

Excursions in the side valleys

Find the church of Saint Florian and the square of the same name in the old centre of Canazei (Cianacei). Take Strèda dò ruf de Antermont, and go past the old sawmill. Then cross the stream Ruf de Antermont (called also Ruf de Cianacei) by way of a bridge to the left.The path is no. 655 and it follows the stream. You will join the forest road Pian Pozates and after this the gradient lessens. There is a clearing with a view of the entire Sella mountain group: the Piz Ciavazes (or Sas de Salei) on the left, and the Sass Pordoi on the right. You keep following the dirt road until you get to the edge of the forest where there is a bench and a cross. Next walk across the basin of Mortic where an old chapel (dedicated to Saint Mary Ausiliatrice) is the only remainder of one of the oldest settlements in the Val di Fassa. Now you cross a bridge, and when you meet up with a ski-run go round to the left and keep going not far from the main road. The path then joins the main road at the eighth bend (1,640 m). Keep going uphill until you reach Pian de Frataces (1,710 m; 1 hour) where you find the Lupo Bianco hotel on the left and other refreshment points. Then carry on, and at the end of the straight section (bend no. 10) go up to the left where there is a picnic area. Go through the picnic area, and after a short, sharp climb you will get back to the road, and you will see a turning off to the left for Roa.At Roa there are the remains of a WW1 cable way which connected Canazei with the Gardena valley via the Sella pass. Over the bridge are the wooden huts and barns of Roa. Keep going straight on along the left bank of the Ruf de Antermont, which here forms a fairly deep gully. There is a clearing and then you reach the main road and the refuges at Pian de Schiavaneis (1,850 m) (30 mins; 1 hour 30). The return back to Canazei is by following the same route in the opposite direction.