Zéngia Bruta del Covolèra (or Cogolèra) and Viàz del Bus del Diàol

INTRODUCTION

This route was travelled on July 5, 2019, and all observations and considerations that follow are fully valid only for that day.

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APPROACH TO THE FORZÈLA DEI CÓVOI BRUSADI WHERE THE ZÉNGIA BRUTA DEL COVOLÈRA BEGINS

After the usual paved stretch towards Gena Alta, you take the forest road that, without changing altitude, crosses the bottom of Val Soffia just above a beautiful small waterfall.

From there the path towards Val dei Forti begins, which must be followed until you bypass a ridge just before the 1,200 meters altitude mark.

The trail on the ground is always quite evident (evident “according to Monti del Sole standards”), with cairns where needed and some very faded red marks; there are also some short but steep sections.

At the ridge bypass, where a flat traversing section starts, on the left you can notice a cutting through dwarf pines that climbs quite steeply (a very faint red mark on a pine on the right shortly after the start of the cut).

Long story short, just follow that track and you arrive at the Forzèla dei Cóvoi Brusadi through various slope changes with some points where you need to use your hands for support.

Shortly before Forzèla dei Cóvoi Brusadi, you bypass a rocky spur of Cima del Valarìn and follow a short ledge. 

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PASSAGE OF THE ZÉNGIA BRUTA DEL COVOLÈRA AND THE FOLLOWING LEDGES OF COVOLÈRA UP TO THE MEETING WITH THE ZENGIA DEL PA’ FURLAN

The Zéngia Bruta del Covolèra is beautiful, mostly along ledges and with various sections of low overhanging rocks that force you to “duck your head” or even do a few “cat steps.”

A helmet is necessary here; it’s very easy to bump your head on the rocks if not paying maximum attention.

The small cirques crossing the gullies are also very pretty.

There are many short exposed sections, but it is not an extreme ledge that spoils the pleasure of enjoying it.

The end is defined by a saddle with a visible gendarme, where you continue briefly on a ledge and then for a long stretch on terraces along a route named “Ledges of the western and northern slopes of Cima Covolèra.”

In the first part of these ledges there is a last passage of several meters, very exposed under a roof of low overhanging rocks.

The following terraces start with cuts through dwarf pines, sometimes narrow, but always present.

Then it becomes wider and more comfortable, with an interruption of a diagonal climb over small rocks, followed by a few more meters climbing a gully to get back to an easy terrace below a rock band.

Before the final interruption of the terrace, you reach a rock band where above you can guess there is a nice “green” area and at least one large larch on the upper right: you have to climb it using good handholds, starting with difficulties of about grade I climbing: there are many possible lines.

After the big “live” larch, you should find a large fallen trunk, also of larch, and emerge onto a gentle grassy slope where, from the right, you meet the Zéngia del Pa’ Furlan.

From here, aiming to the left of the rock band in front, you arrive at a cairn that precedes the entrance to the left channel which climbs to the Forzèla dei Arnèr.

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CLIMB TO FORZÈLA DEI ARNÈR AND THEN TO THE START OF VIÀZ DEL BUS DEL DIÀOL

From the meeting with the beautiful Zéngia del Pa’ Furlan coming from the right, turn left and immediately enter the trace (above an impassable drop) in the channel rising to Forzèla dei Arnèr.

The channel is climbed calmly, almost never using hands.

The narrow initial part has some risk of snow accumulations; even at the beginning of July there was a little, fortunately.

Mason’s guide says you can sometimes go up on the right; this seems possible.

After the narrow section, the valley widens and leads without problems to a second narrowing at Forzèla dei Arnèr: on the left is a large mountain flank that leads to the base of the western summit rock band of Cima Bus del Diàol, which you have to climb to follow the legendary viàz of the cave.

I didn’t want to go all the way to Forzèla dei Arnèr, but from below I didn’t clearly see when to turn left to find the best climbing route; however, as I gained height, everything became clearer and I finally reached the saddle.

A brief descent retracing steps, still focusing on the final goal of the small saddle on the west edge of Cima Bus del Diàol: from afar, a boulder is visible right in the center of the saddle.

Here Mason’s guide recommends ascending a wide gully among dwarf pines, then taking a couple of turns left with another rocky climb in between to reach the saddle directly.

I climbed the gully and then, except for an S-shaped bend to soften a small rocky step, I proceeded straight up another not difficult gully up to the “uncertain” ledges of the western slope of Cima Bus del Diàol.

Reaching the ledges near the cliff, I finally turned left and with a last short stretch arrived at the cairn on the saddle above the boulder visible from afar: a breathtaking view of the Viàz del Bus del Diàol which must be covered.

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PASSAGE OF THE VIÀZ DEL BUS DEL DIÀOL

There isn’t much to describe here: everything is mandatory!

Dividing the viàz into three parts:

1. From the west saddle to the large cave of Bus del Diàol – there are strips on the ledge to walk on, but it is very dirty with small stones and gravel; generally unstable and laterally sloped, so MAXIMUM attention is required; before the cave, you have to lower yourself a few meters down a steep section that (ignoring the exposure) would be “normal” with stable ground, but here too it is not clean or stable.
2. Crossing the large cave of Bus del Diàol and exiting on the ledge on the other side – if you don’t want to climb to the bottom of the cave, you cross almost flat with great caution on the slippery ground; you aim for the small rocky edge on the other side where a “walkable small strip” a few meters long is visible that also passes the edge: this is the key point; all guides indicate a 3-4 meter climb of grade II difficulty on super-exposed rocks to reach the slightly higher ledge line that leads out to Forzèla dei Pón; I climbed just before the edge where I saw good handholds, with only the last move having a limited hold; I looked a bit beyond the edge and it seems there are other options, but I don’t want to give advice, it is ALL TOO DELICATE and everyone must do what they feel; after grade II, I climbed a little more on a steep diagonal and found a “mini cairn” that indicated I was on the right ledge line to exit (but it is also obvious to see).
3. From the exit of the large cave of Bus del Diàol on the new ledge line to Forzèla dei Pón or Forcella dei Pom – in my opinion, this stretch is better than the first: always super exposed but with a slightly wider, flat and definitely less dirty ground; only shortly before the exit there is a delicate narrowing but still with (almost) reassuring ground.

It’s all very adrenaline-inducing, we are on a category of its own.

I believe it is difficult going the opposite direction to understand what to do on the grade II section that in this direction is uphill if you haven’t already climbed it.

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DEVIATION TO THE PANORAMIC POINT AT THE BASE OF CIMA EST DEL FERÙCH

From Forzèla dei Pón you climb north following the red arrow on rock with the indication “CORAIE.”

Then there are some red marks guiding you to the base of a rock band where there is a big CAI numbering “871.”

The first meters from the saddle departure are narrow and exposed.

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DESCENT FROM FORZÈLA DEI PÓN OR FORCELLA DEI POM

I already wrote “my view of the ascent” of this whole stretch in the route Bivacco Valdo – Forzèla dei Pón – Forcella Zana.

I do not think it is prudent to face this descent in the stretch down to Bivacco Valdo without someone in the group who has already done it uphill.

Compared to the ascent, you must take into account that in this descent the red or white-blue markings are a little less visible: still enough not to get lost, but it requires more attention, and as always look forward and check behind frequently.

The general sense of the route is very simple: you are on the “large elevated terrace” on the right bank above Val Feruch.

In particular, however, the good trail is quite twisted in some sections, and since it runs at the edges of very steep slopes, concentration is necessary.

The descent from Forzèla dei Pón begins with a nice steep section among small rocks and grassy strips until exiting the high narrow section of Val Feruch.

Then you turn right and with a long diagonal near a rock band you descend above the head of a wide, long and steep slab.

Down the slab with some final steps where hands are useful: a technical passage can be avoided by abseiling through a characteristic hole in the rock.

From here it is a series of diagonals, more or less steep and with more or less small steps: evidently for everyone there will be a steep and wide cut through dwarf pines on rock base and another gully always with rock floor (initially rocky and then compact).

With another diagonal, you reach a group of descending compact rocks where you need to climb a very short but very exposed passage with good holds: downhill is easy, while uphill it would be more difficult to interpret for those unfamiliar with it.

From here you continue until you enter a small wood and exit on the other side with an easy little climb that leads to the ledge connecting to the Circo della Borala and then to Bivacco Valdo.

The ledge is definitely exposed but not worrying except for a brief unstable section at a small landslip.

From Bivacco Valdo, follow traces and markings (a not very clear stretch with a variant shortly after the start) along an also exposed path until joining the trail that descends from Forcella Zana.

Soon after, you cross the floor of Val Soffia passing from the left to the right side, and along progressively easier trails you return to Gena Alta at the fork at the end of the outbound paved road.

Among the progressively easier trails there are still some exposed steps, a couple of “handrail cables” for safety and a real small rocky step equipped with a ladder and cable.