Zéngia Bruta (or Zéngia Burta or Zengión Nord) of Róa Bianca

ACCESS TO THE ZÉNGIA BRUTA

The path begins right where the km 13-III sign is, which in this case is hung on the support pole of a road sign warning of falling rocks, located between the Mioranza Galleries to the south and Cogolani to the north.

The trail climbs onto the retaining wall of the embankment and after a few meters becomes a wide path.

Everything is easy and clear (also beautiful) up to Carpenada Alta where the ground imprint disappears among the ruins: just continue straight and it immediately reappears clearly marked.

Continue along the same diagonal with few sharp curves until a hairpin bend that precedes an opposite diagonal ending a few meters before Casera del Colàz.

It is not necessary to reach the ruins of Casera del Colàz, and at this point (without a trail here as it ends) turn back and ascend with a slight slope towards Val Brentón until the point where the ridge drops into the valley; then a few meters of ascent on the ridge and descend gently on the right to the start of the Zengia Bruta.

When you reach the "fall edge" for Val Brentón DO NOT reach the obvious rock band a few dozen meters above, but descend earlier to the right.

From below the higher rock band starts another ledge very difficult and acrobatic from the beginning and which ends shortly after.

FIRST PART OF ZÉNGIA BRUTA

It starts on a clear ledge with grassy bottom alternating with rocky sections: immediately high exposure, some passages a bit narrow but nothing worrying for those familiar with ledges.

Reach a cairn at the base of a small gully to climb up and then continue on an upper ledge.

Further ahead the upper ledge is interrupted by crossing a very steep, very exposed rock channel with a bottom almost certainly moist if not wet: this is the key point of the entire first part and can be defined as ROUGH.

In the pure traverse section I counted 5 bolts (4 with slings) to set up any safety maneuvers: the 2 outer ones with rings are those marked in the "Agneléze-Erèra-Pizzòcco" guide and the other 3 are at different heights making it impossible to use them all at once.

There is a sixth bolt with sling a few meters after the end of the traverse.

Then, as reference points in succession, you find:

• A hole in the rock that, although small, is advisable to cross to avoid a risky outer passage
• A well-stepped mixed grass-rock ramp where you need to use your hands a bit and which raises the ledge level a few meters
• A small rock arch which, in this case, is better bypassed on a good outer track

After the small rock arch continue until you must take a faint trail on the right that descends from the ledge a few meters before reaching the crossing of another channel.

If you go straight, you will arrive at an impassable break point just before the channel: no problem … turn back and look carefully.

This descent bypasses on a well-tilted grassy bottom a rounded ridge, and crosses the channel lower down where there is a very obvious cairn at the junction with the trail exiting Zengia Bruta to cross Val Brentón.

Here ends the first part.

SECOND PART OF ZÉNGIA BRUTA

The trail that crosses Val Brentón continues on the right on flat ground, while Zengia Bruta continues just after the cairn on a steeply ascending trail that returns to the ledge level preceding the descent.

Regaining the ledge (which becomes less distinct) continue to the right and, with some additional “trail twists”, arrive where to the left there is a view revealing the large split in the mountain dividing the secondary summit of Roa Bianca from the main summit.

At the level where Zengia Bruta runs, this large split presents two gullies divided by a rock ridge: these must be crossed to enter a well-visible steep grassy slope.

Here is the key orientation point of the second part of Zengia Bruta.

The grassy slope is bounded above by a rock band which shows a good ledge trace at the base: it should not be followed because it leads … into the void.

A little below there are other traces (likely animal) in the grass among sparse dwarf pines/shrubs that also lead into the void or nearly so.

Even continuing at the base of the slope you end nowhere.

The solution is to look around mid-slope or slightly above, maybe about twenty meters from the base of the rock band.

In that area there is the correct trail that leads first slightly down (beside a low rock band not visible before) and then in a very steep (but manageable) descent to a point where you can cross the next channel and enter a (almost) comfortable grassy slope (called “pala erbosa” in the "Agneléze-Erèra-Pizzòcco" guide).

From here orientation problems are over, and now it’s just a matter of working legs and arms.

Climb the grassy slope almost under the base of the overhanging rocks and follow the very long ledge that takes many shapes and changes appearance every few meters: you can stay close to the rocks on a trail, a bit lower on grass, maybe bypass some detached rock bodies from the main band, maybe pass between them, avoid dwarf pines and shrubs (never needing to walk on them), climb some small rocks, etc. etc.

There are some nice changes in slope that take your breath away, especially the one leading to the base of the large cave (the ledge line passes a few meters below, but it’s worth making the detour to enter it).

After the cave, you will reach a ledge coming from a higher level on the left which is the track line of another very difficult route.

Finally, enter the last semicircular section in “Dolomite trail style” that leads to the bottom of Val Brentón.

Here ends the Zengia Bruta.

ASCENT TO THE FORZELÌN DE LA VAL DE L’ÈGUA 

From the end of Zengia Bruta, there is a steep gully with a height difference of some tens of meters.

The greatest difficulty is to avoid-bypass-overcome some small rock slabs invariably wet.

Carefully do it, using your hands little and it’s better to go slowly so as not to drop stones on whoever is below.

RETURN FROM THE FORZELÌN DE LA VAL DE L’ÈGUA 

First part on a nice grassy gully common to the route uphill from Pian Falcina.

At the base of the grassy section, when the trail already bends right, you enter the bottom (rocky at that point) of Val de l’Ègua and find a conspicuous cairn: going right to pass a ridge in the woods you continue on the normal way towards Pian Falcina, while on the left descends a grassy “ledge” to follow back to the starting parking.

After the first meters a trail emerges which, with few exceptions, will accompany with “decent evidence” until the end.

When the ground imprint disappears, it always reappears shortly after: it requires attention but you follow it.

I won’t describe all the turns: here following the GPS is useful.

The path, although enclosed in the woods, is at times very beautiful and scenic.

Long initial stretch always crossing with low altitude loss, then a steep descent from Col del Cuch (cutting dwarf pines shortly before) to the ruins of Cesurai, finally another crossing with descending tendency to the junction leading to the section shared with the approach to Zengia Bruta.

Soon after Cesurai you can make a short detour to Caserola Belaval: it is a small mountain hut-bivouac in a beautiful clearing with a table, a bed, a masonry stove kitchen.