Forcella Bus de le Néole - Piz de Mezodì North and West Summit

Premise

This route was done on October 7, 2017, and all subsequent observations and considerations may fully apply only to that day.

In this detailed report, the term "guide" refers to → "Monti del Sole and Piz de Mezodì", an anthology curated by Pietro Sommavilla and Luca Celi.

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Ascent from Forcella Franche to the upper exit of the Bus de le Neole

This is easier to do than to describe.

In the guide, there is a very detailed and well-made description (route 12.a on page 243).

Anyway, from Forcella Franche you descend along a small road heading northeast until a fork with signs left for "BUS DE LE NEOLE – VAL FRESCA – CAI 874" and right for "BUS DE LE NEOLE – VAL FRESCA – EXPERTS' VARIANT".

Today I went left on the normal route given the cold day and the high humidity on the walkways.

Then you simply follow the route, paying attention at forks with tracks of "equal importance" for Le Mandre and the Forzèla de l’Om.

There are various steep and tiring stretches, and some traverses (especially uphill) not exactly easy on loose terrain, but always with a visible path.

In the end, I did it for the first time without mistakes, and probably never made any because … you don’t rush and there’s time to think even while moving.

The arrival at the upper exit of the Bus de le Neole requires a deviation of a few meters to the left from the track you are following on the last steep part.

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Connection from the upper exit of the Bus de le Neole to the normal ascent path to Piz de Mezodì or Piz de Mezzodì

This whole section is very well described on page 226 of the guidebook.

Below is my version.

From the upper exit of the Bus de le Neole you climb a few meters to the Forcella Bus de le Neole … even just to take a look from the other side.

Then you traverse right until you meet a clear 8-meter wall rated grade II according to the guide.

It’s not difficult because there are very solid holds though not "generous", but it really is at least 8 meters and the depth might cause some anxiety.

Alternatively (this is not written), just to the left there is a less steep and more stepped gully, but mixed with grass and more slippery: climbing this, a little later you have to turn sharply right to aim at the next saddle to pass.

Your choice.

If done in the opposite direction I recommend a rope and anything needed for quick belaying; even ascending requires rope depending on the experience and abilities of the person at the back of the group.

In my opinion, however, the route is more beautiful and “balanced” this way: everyone has their own tastes.

After passing the grade II wall or the less steep but more slippery gully, you need to head right to a clear saddle delimited by a large detached tower from the face in front of you.

The ascent of the related gully is blocked halfway by a large boulder: still it can be easily overcome by climbing a little on the easy rocks on the right (around grade I I think) and sliding past the boulder using a couple of clear final footholds.

Once in the saddle you can easily climb for some photos on the top of the tower that delimits it.

The next section down-flat-up is not problematic: however, you must pay attention to “entering the right ledge” marked in the guide and avoid useless ascents and effort.

Descending from the saddle there is a slope with rocky terraces on the left where you must spot the turn for the “ledge”.

I didn’t see the red marks mentioned in the guide at the turning point, only some cairns descending from the saddle.

The reference altitude indicated for this turn is 1,980 meters.

In the end I found it by climbing a few meters higher on one of the terraces of the rocky band and proceeding along fairly walkable edges: from there I saw it and went to intercept it.

After the short ledge you start the climb that completes the exit from the basin you are in, and you arrive through cuts in dwarf pines to the junction saddle with the normal CAI trail for Piz de Mezodì.

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Ascent to the two peaks of Piz de Mezodì or Piz de Mezzodì

From the arrival point at Forcella Bus de le Neole you remain on a well-marked CAI path, which is not exactly for beginners but shouldn’t cause problems on this kind of hike.

At the end of the Mussaia Ridge ascent you arrive on the ridge that divides the two summits, and shortly left you go to the large and characteristic Cross of the North Summit.

If instead you go right (or continue straight coming from the North Summit) you go toward the West Summit starting to meet the white-blue signs of the Alta Via dei Monti del Sole.

You arrive at a saddle where on the left there is a steep grassy gully and a white-blue triangular sign of the Alta Via dei Monti del Sole plus a red arrow and a red “875” CAI number.

In front there is a small rock face and it is by that you must go to reach the West Summit.

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Detour to the West Summit of Piz de Mezodì

This detour is not part of the Alta Via dei Monti del Sole or any other CAI trail, so there are no red dots or other white-blue signs along the section.

The first meters may not be very intuitive, but you have to follow a grassy strip that bypasses, climbing exposed to the right, the first rock step with a couple of turns – the first short diagonal in this kind of “Z” shape goes left (I published a photo with an overlaid line that should clarify this first passage).

Then follow the cairns along a beautiful ridge (sometimes narrow, with a more exposed passage due to a protruding rock) to the easy final rocks open to interpretation (and you can see from the two different lines of ascent and descent in my GPS track) → cairn on the summit.

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Return to Forcella Franche

Ignoring all the “adventurous variants” listed in the guide, today’s descent is entirely on the normal CAI route starting along the beautiful Mussaia Ridge.

The only stretch I find “a bit annoying” – always considering the average of this hike – is just below the arrival point from Forcella Bus de le Neole.

Descending to Forcella Franche you turn left, and there is a steep, very dirty and slippery slope; there are clear white-red CAI signs guiding the best line, but caution is needed: even a simple “little slip” while standing still could cause harm.

Immediately after a short and gentle ascent and then the final section on very varied terrain: stretches almost Dolomite-like, hard path, with gravel, roots, some small steep parts and final in the woods.