Hike to the Conturines lake in the Parco Naturale Fanes Sennes Braies nature park

This varied hike in the Fanes Sennes Braies nature park leads to the wild and romantic lake Conturine at the foot of the peak of the same name.

Directions to kake Conturines

The starting point is the bus stop or the car park at Punt de Sciaré shortly before the ascent to the passo Valparola.

Here you follow the hiking trail no. 11, which is initially easy and surrounded by conifers, and leads in an easterly direction past the Capanna Alpina mountain hut restaurant.

Keeping to trail no. 11, you soon reach a wooden bridge, behind which the trail gradually becomes narrower and steeper. Finally, it winds in a rather steep ascent through the stone-covered terrain, secured with wooden planks.

Finally, on the panoramic Col de Locia, a picturesque backward view of the Sella group and the snow-covered Marmolada opens up.

Behind it, the now wider path winds partly level, partly in a leisurely up and down through an enchanting high valley surrounded by massive summits, whose meadows are littered with white boulders.

Finally, on the left side of the path, the narrow, winding path branches off in the direction of Conturines peak or La Varella peak. At the foot of mighty rock giants, it leads in an initially quite gentle, later somewhat steeper ascent through the karstic, stone-covered terrain.

Finally, you reach the wild and romantic lake Conturines at 2,515 meters above sea level. At the foot of its northeastern namesake, the Conturines peak, it invites you to linger peacefully.

Details lake Conturines

The Conturines peak, at 3,064 m, is not only the highest peak in the Fanes Group, but also contains the world's highest bear cave: on 23. On September 23, 1987, Willy Costamoling discovered the so-called Conturines cave, where paleontologists came across the bones and skulls of more than 60 adult cave bears and countless bear cubs.

This previously unknown cave bear species, named "Ursus Ladinicus" after the place where it was found, lived in the Dolomites about 50,000 years ago.

Despite their stately weight of up to 1,200 kg and their size of 3 m, they were smaller than their conspecifics living in lower altitudes. Interestingly, they were not dangerous predators, but fed mainly on juicy mountain herbs. In late autumn they retreated to hibernate in the Conturines cave, located at 2,750 m above sea level.

Notes lake Conturines

In midsummer, lake Conturines is sometimes silted up.

Infos Hike to the Conturines lake in the Parco Naturale Fanes Sennes Braies nature park

• Duration:06:30 h
• Length:16 km
• Height gain:875 m

• Min. elevation:1655 m
• Max. elevation:2527 m