Fixed rope-route "De Luca-Innerkofler"

Paternkofel, 2744 m
Dolomites of Sexten

• Difficulty: medium
• Valuation of the tour: medium complexity
• Details of the via ferrata: 70 % steel rope, 10 % exposed path 20 % war tunnel
• Duration: ca. 5 hours
• Rise and descent: 680m of altitude
• Time of approach: ca. 1 ¾ hours
• Time on the via ferrata: ca. 1 ¼ hours – 160m of altitude
• Time of descent: ca. 2 hours
• Position: North, East

Starting point
Rifugio Auronzo, reachable from Sesto by car. You go to Dobbiaco, turn left on the street in the direction of Cortina and go until Misurina Lake. There you follow the street to the Drei Zinnen and at the end you will reach the parking place next to the Auronzo Hut.

Description
Wonderful summit tour on the tracks of the First World War. An ideal day tour in a spectacular setting. Mountain experience and sure-footedness are essential, especially for the descent. Climbers may encounter ice in the tunnels early in the season, which can make the via ferrata impassable. Go along the wide gravel path to the Paternsattel, then continue to the Drei-Zinnen-Hut. Then go from the hut to the tunnel entrance at "Galleria Paterna.

Technical details
Interesting ascent on an old wartime route. The lower section runs through a steep, dark tunnel (the "Galleria Paterna" – headtorch required). The rest of the climb is mostly secured with steel ropes, although some exposed sections, particularly near the summit, have to be climbed unsecured.

Descent
From the summit, descend the way you climbed until you reach the Gamsscharte. Then descend through the south-east gully (partly marked with faded red triangles) and along the old wartime route back to the Paternsattel. The path is not difficult, but is exposed and partly unsecured, so sure-footedness is essential.