Seceda - hiking to the Odle

Last adventure in Alta Badia departing from the Gran Paradiso hotel in San Cassiano. To conclude our summer holiday excursions, Giorgia and I want to treat ourselves to a day of pure relaxation, immersed in the fantastic Dolomites that surround us. Today's objective therefore becomes one of the most characteristic places of the entire North-East Dolomite group: Seceda!
After a drive of just over 45 minutes we reach Val Gardena and more precisely the town of Santa Cristina, just after the center of Selva di Val Gardena. The starting point is the parking lot of the Col Raiser ski lifts. The area is easily identifiable with clear signs. The car park is divided into 3 macro areas with hundreds of spaces available (also possible to pay by credit card). We buy the cable car tickets and leave.
The cable car is comfortable, it can accommodate up to six people and allows a 360 degree view during the climb. From here we can see the various routes that can be taken to reach the destination even on an excursion. As I said at the beginning, today however we are treating ourselves to an adventure of pure relaxation.
We soon arrive at Col Raiser at an altitude of approximately 2100 metres. An escalator takes you to a large bazaar and after a couple of steps we are on the summit plateau with an adjoining refuge. An idyllic panorama, the Dolomites in all cardinal points, a panoramic view as far as the eye can see in a waltz that leaves you speechless. From the Odle, the Puez group, passing through the Sella group, the Marmolada, the Sassolungo, the Sasso Piatto up to the Catinaccio wall. The gaze truly embraces all the mountains imaginarily supported by the grassy meadow in which we find ourselves, cheered up by the yellow golden buttons.
We take the trail that starts next to the refuge and we find ourselves in front of a noticeboard where there is a detailed map of the area and a list indicating the openings of all the ski lifts and refuges that cover the Seceda area. I have never seen a concentration of refuges in such a limited area! Then looking around us, we see a myriad of more or less occasional tourists (the latter in very large concentrations) and we understand why all these refreshment places are needed.
We take path 4A and on level ground we soon reach the crossroads from which we take the downhill path 2C. This stretch of path is very short but also contains wonderful views of the Sella and Sassolungo with fir trees and wooden farmhouses.

• Mountain

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  Seceda – Odle

• Address

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  Val Gardena, Trentino Alto Adige, Italy

• Altitude

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  2511.00 m

• Refuges

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  Ristorante Seceda 2500

• Information

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  Ristorante Seceda 2500

In total descent we arrive at an altitude of 2040 meters at the departure of the Fermeda chairlift (also called Seceda). We also purchase tickets here and begin the climb caressed by the wind in these almost 500 meters of altitude difference. Below us the various refuges, all the ramifications of the tracks that tourists follow to reach the point we are about to reach. And behold, after a few minutes, we are at the top at an altitude of 2500 metres.
The chairlift exit is to the left, we go up further to reach the last meters, at the top of the mountain crest. From here we can first admire the cross with Christ, behind him the anonymous Austrian peaks that pale before the harmonious expanse of the Dolomites. A new point of view to re-admire the sequence of peaks seen at Col Raiser. They almost seem to have been placed by a skilled hand with unmistakable shapes, in distinct areas to be able to admire them all precisely. Once this overview is over we head towards the last unexplored point, towards the East, from where we can already see the Odle peaks emerging. The closer we get, the more we realize the beauty and iconicity of this magical place: Seceda! Rocky fractures, sharp peaks and meadows that create unlikely ridges, the Odle that emerge and stand out towards the blue sky. The clouds recur in a combination that creates the postcard famous throughout the world. Unmistakable, the Seceda deserves to remain still for some time to discover ever new details and immortalize the sinuosities of these incredible Dolomites. The photos are wasted and we continue to shoot repeatedly even when the sun, together with the clouds, regulates different shades.
After having had a real feast of beauty, we head towards the Seceda refuge a few meters downhill from the cross at the top. A suitable place for a short stop and then off, returning slightly uphill to reach the chairlift again. We treated ourselves really well and bought a return ticket for both ski lifts!
Downhill you can admire the Seceda meadows kissed by the sun, the mountains that become imposing again and get closer. We leave the arrival area of ​​the chairlift and through path 2C, this time uphill, we cover the approximately 100 meters of difference in altitude that take us back to Col Raiser. From here we take the cable car back to the morning car park.
This concludes an excursion that is truly accessible to everyone thanks to the ski lifts. The cost we incurred, including both return and return cable cars, was around €50. We are in Val Gardena, in the most iconic place in the area and this combination from Santa Cristina allows you to choose any alternative climbs compared to the standard Ortisei-Seceda route. An adventure that I recommend to everyone to enjoy these wonderful views, for once, without effort.