With our friends Jen and Colin and their kiddo arriving in Cortina to overlap with us for a week and a babysitter arranged for the day for only us, we hatched a plan to rendezvous with them at Rifugio Nuvolau. They rode the Cinque Torre lift and hiked up while we drove to Passo Giau and climbed up the Ra Gusela via ferrata. It turned out this route was very simple and easy with very little need to clip in, so we were a bit ahead of schedule and were able to snag a table for lunch. What an improbable location for a hut with views in all directions. Thankfully the weather cooperated and it was reasonably warm to eat outside.

After lunch, Erica and I descended to the saddle and then went up the Averau via ferrata. The skies were increasingly threatening at this point and we were prepared to turn around at any moment if it started pouring, but we pressed on and thankfully were able to complete the route quickly up and down. There are just a handful of steeper moves on this route and a short amount of cable during this section. Just as we got back to the saddle, the skies opened up. Thankfully, the hike back to Passo Giau was straightforward and the only problem was that we got wet. Worth it!