Monte Pizzocco from Lago del Mis via Riva Ièrta and the Crodèr Bassi

Premise

This route was completed on May 25, 2020, and all subsequent observations and considerations fully apply only to that day.

In the description, I tried to compare the two guides I consulted without having other information from someone who had already been there:

• "Agneléze Erèra Pizzòcco" edited by Pietro Sommavilla and Paolo Bonetti
• "Sentieri e Viaz riscoperti delle Alpi Feltrine e Val del Mis" by Aldo De Zordi, Paolo Lovat, Ivan De Zordi, Renato Sperandio

Generally, the first is more useful, but it would be better to have both because De Zordi’s guide also reveals some unique and clarifying details.

In the description, I refer to one or the other simply as “Sommavilla” and “De Zordi”.

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From Pian Falcina to Riva Ièrta or Riva Erta at the start of the section called Crodèr Bassi

Take the Val Falcina Nature Trail from the south side of the bridge and continue for less than 10 minutes until just before a flat area more or less corresponding to the end of the "fjord" of the lake entering Val Falcina.

At about 450 meters (with a pressure altimeter calibrated at 435 at the start), a narrower path than the nature trail branches off to the left, but well marked on the ground, and it is the first turn to follow.

The track quickly becomes a mule track, then varies again between path and mule track, always easy to identify and walk even with the well-grown grass typical of this season.

About an hour from the start, you reach the area of the Casera di Riva Ièrta: here there is a stretch of almost 100 meters of old fallen forest covering the path.

Climbing a few meters upslope, a faint track allows for an easy bypass.

(Here I did not look for the minimal ruins of Casera di Riva Ièrta to avoid unnecessary effort in the confused area outside the bypass track.)

From the point where you return to the good path, continue for about 5 minutes until a fork marked by a cairn (which today was small and almost flat-shaped): take the right branch initially slightly downhill, narrower but always visible even with tall grass.

Advancing, you cross Val Spessina under a scenic rock ledge, then another channel, arriving at the first real orientation point.

Here De Zordi’s guide gives a better reference: you reach a rock bastion, not large but “distinct” compared to what has always been seen on the upslope side of the path (a cairn is also reported: I think I glimpsed one, but it is certainly not very visible).

From the base of this bastion, the path steeply climbs through grass, then turns left and becomes even steeper in the form of very faint tracks through dwarf pines and shrubs with some cuts (not very comfortable but passable).

According to my GPS, from the base of the bastion to the end of the second steep segment are just over 100 meters of elevation gain.

Then a tiny pure white cairn appears in the (today tall) green grass indicating the end of the climb and the start of a traverse to the right.

Now the track is always identifiable but more like a viaz than a path.

You reach another point – a small forest clearing with a good view ahead – to carefully understand so as not to waste much time in this first not yet difficult part.

Sommavilla’s guide says “cut through beeches” and De Zordi’s guide says “pruned beech” – “pruned beech” is the perfect term, because there is a large beech tree with all the obvious stumps of the big branches cut on one side.

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ATTENTION: from here until the entrance to the big ravine / "boràl" descending from Monte Fornel, the two guides give very different directions.

De Zordi indicates ascending a bit, continuing to traverse following branch cuts, and descending into the ravine with challenging drops.

I followed Sommavilla’s guide, which instead indicates initially descending: I crossed the easy small valley just after the reference beech, found a very faded construction tape where I began a descent of about 30 meters of elevation loss, and then freely traversed the wooded slope which is not too steep.

Somewhat by chance, I ended up in front of the entrance (after a short dwarf pine cut) to the short (and marked in Sommavilla’s guide) ledge that gives access to the center of the ravine, somewhat exposed but without having to face drops.

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In the ravine / boràl (spectacular!) you descend easily about 35 meters of elevation loss, then exit left into a small wood where a cairn is placed a couple of meters above the bottom of the channel.

In the wood, some small cairns guide the climb on the track to the saddle between the dwarf pines that gives access to the Crodèr Bassi: here the vegetation ends.

A series of saddles unfolds before your eyes, one after another and sometimes even at the same distance level.

It is not easy to immediately understand which is the next to reach, and you also have to be clear on what is meant by saddle.

Some are clearly saddles, others are small depressions circumventing ridges: technically they are also saddles, but not everyone defines these shapes in the same way, nor do the two guides.

To follow the guides well, you refer to the altitudes, and the altitude of this first saddle is 1,210 for both guides: I recalibrated my pressure altimeter accordingly (GPS altitudes are unreliable in these narrow spaces).

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From the start of the section called Crodèr Bassi to the junction with trail CAI 851 north of Forcella Intrigos

From this saddle at 1,210 meters, you must descend decisively keeping to the right at first, even though there is a clear track continuing on the left at altitude.

Altogether, you descend about 50 meters of elevation.

Before the end of the descent, there is a cairn placed far left indicating that you should head toward the valley-channel rising on the left with an easy and flat start (another large cairn is present on the flat initial part).

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ATTENTION: now the two guides differ in the definition of the saddle.

Sommavilla’s guide indicates a steep ascent from 1,160 to 1,300 to the next saddle just before a comfortable cave-shelter.

De Zordi’s guide indicates an intermediate saddle at altitude 1,230 (with a rocky tower on the right): it seems a better reference to define a clear climbing line, given the ravine is quite wide with more depressions/ridges running longitudinally.

From the intermediate saddle, De Zordi indicates to descend (there is a clear track continuing further) and then climb a steep scree slope where a niche at 1,230 meters is passed to reach the 1,300-meter saddle.

I tried this line up to beyond the niche, but it is all very slippery and unstable, with some climbing moves on smooth rocks: I turned back and erased this section from the GPS recording.

Maybe De Zordi passed a long time ago, because straight above this intermediate saddle continues a earthy ridge with well-pruned dwarf pines and comfortable to climb: starting to the right of the ridge crest, then passing left-right-left until entering a simple corridor that leads under the large cave marked by Sommavilla – from the cave (at 1,275/1,280 meters) you briefly turn left and reach the saddle at 1,300 meters on an easy track below a rock band.

Here I took some time to understand everything.

(In summary: there are two “cavities” in this wide and varied steep ravine-valley, and the two authors each mention one – using the terms cave and niche – which, in the progression of descriptions, might seem the same but are not.)

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Now, from the 1,300-meter saddle, there is a scenic ledge with a couple of short ups and downs.

The last short descent before climbing to the next saddle is DELICATE!

It starts on grass and ends with a twisted (under a rock band) small jump-traverse with small, wet footholds (obviously exposed).

Staying more to the right (but descending on unstable gravel), I found a descent jump about one and a half to two meters high with a couple of comfortable footholds (comfortable for a grade I or a little more).

Opposite is the climbing gully, with a first part on a comfortable notch to the left, then with a central rocky ridge on grade I, all solid, clean rock with good holds.

Again on a comfortable notch, this time to the right on a grassy base, two or three final dwarf pines, and you reach the saddle: 1,325 by Sommavilla and 1,340 by De Zordi (1,328 according to my GPS).

Here begins a characteristic section, sadly too narrow to photograph as it deserves, but it is truly beautiful!

The track continuing downhill past the saddle is irrelevant … if you want to return home.

Arriving at the saddle, notice on the left a ravine continuing with an initial drop.

From the saddle, climb easily to the left above the right side (climbing direction) of the ravine, then descend easily into the hollow above the drop.

The ravine continues with easy little jumps, but it should not be taken after some rainy days given some passages are smoothed too much.

After the first jumps, it is nicely regular, and before the end – at a cairn – a spectacular other channel-notch-fissure branches right (almost like a hairpin) with Monte Pizzocco’s peak in view.

This channel is about as wide as outstretched arms and can be climbed comfortably.

The end of this channel-notch-fissure is called a saddle by De Zordi, but not by Sommavilla who calls it the “summit”.

From this “saddle-summit” you can admire (literally) in the distance on the left a beautiful tower with a prominent hump on the main slope side: you have to pass at its base.

Now continue with a short climb to the base of a smaller, stocky intermediate tower, with a cairn on the rib where you cross the ridge, then trend downhill traversing around the base of the large tower with the prominent hump.

After going around the base, before a ravine there is a dwarf pine cut descending steeply that leads to the proper crossing point of the ravine, then you cross another smaller ravine with an easy rocky jump at the entrance to the hollow.

Here you climb through woodland on very faint tracks for about 50 meters of elevation gain (from 1,400 to 1,450 according to De Zordi and from 1,410 to 1,460 according to my GPS) to find a passage to the other side of the ridge: for De Zordi, this passage is the sixth saddle, which is not mentioned by Sommavilla.

In fact, there is something similar to a saddle, but with these parameters, you can count so many.

Then follow tracks and cairns to the junction with trail CAI 851, at a right-hand hairpin going uphill towards Forcella Intrigos.

In the final part of this last section, I did NOT stay close to the rock band of the “Covoli delle Ortighe”.

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Notes on the consulted guides and the Crodèr Bassi

Each person – even VERY PREPARED AS THE AUTHORS OF THESE GUIDES – has a different view with different references of the territory and ground.

On such COMPLICATED routes, it is always good to carry several photocopies, study them well at home, then take all the time needed to read them at each section, verifying all references – mentally noting on the copies where you have arrived.

It is not guaranteed to find all references, nor is it necessary, but continuous verification is required trying to go beyond your own perception and adapt to that of the author.

In the end, these two guides are WELL COMPLEMENTARY to fully understand this itinerary.

At the “saddle chapter”, De Zordi “beats” Sommavilla 6 to 3, and I would have calculated a different number from both.

And on these routes, this almost always happens, with all guides and most references.

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Closing the excursion with the climb to Monte Pizzocco

Today there were many beautiful high clouds without rain risk (daytime evolution as meteorologists say), and I wanted to reach Pizzocco’s summit to admire everything.

I chose the simplest solution considering preserving my legs for the pedal ride back to the Pian Falcina parking in Valle del Mis.

Thus:

• Mandatory ascent to Pizzocco summit, all CAI via Forcella Intrigos and Pian del Lach
• Return via Pian del Lach to the Bivacco Palia – Monte Piz – Casera Ere Refuge junction
• Final descent to Casera Ere Refuge: not the shortest but seemed best to relax leg muscles before the ride

For a more detailed report on the closing trails of this excursion see the itinerary → Monte Pizzocco.

Those interested in climbing Monte Pizzocchétto or Pizochèt within this excursion can refer to the itinerary → Monte Pizzocchétto or Pizochèt, Monte Pizzòcco and Monte Piz: congratulations in advance to those who also do this!