Val Caprile and Val di San Lorenzo – former CAI 32 and 31 discontinued

Premise

This route was hiked on November 28, 2020, and all subsequent observations and considerations may fully apply only to that day.

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Ascent from San Marino to the Strada delle Peníse for the first part of Val Caprile along the former CAI trail 32

The parking lot is at Trattoria Impero, which can be considered the endpoint of the recommended south-north direction of the CAI Castelfranco Veneto del Grappa Occidentale Trail.

From the trattoria, go south towards Via Col Moschin (the one by the Cemetery) and climb a few meters up to the first hairpin turn to the left: here there is already a white-yellow marker of the CAI Castelfranco Veneto del Grappa Occidentale Trail inviting to turn right, cross the artificial canal of the Val Caprile basin, and continue along the right edge heading uphill.

Then cross the cemetery road again and continue inside the artificial canal for about a hundred meters, climb up steps on the right edge and immediately reach a concrete structure with very evident arrow and “439” written indicating the direction of the related pylon.

Now you have to go to pylon 439 following the numerous red ENEL marks.

Along this stretch, there are very few and very faded markers of the former CAI 32 and it is not worth trying to find them: the many ENEL signs are more than enough – at some point, the white-yellow signs also reappear.

Pylon 439 is at the top of the ridge dividing Val Caprile from Val dell’Asta, and the ridge is followed upwards.

From here, the ENEL marks continue towards pylon 440 as well as the white-yellow signs.

You reach a forest saddle several meters long, at the end of which there is a fork indicating ENEL pylon 440 to the left: go straight ahead abandoning the ENEL route and also the CAI Castelfranco Veneto del Grappa Occidentale Trail – in the correct direction, a few meters later there is still an evident CAI marker with number 32.

Now the path crosses for a long stretch encountering a couple of small red marks and another couple of yellow marks.

At the second yellow mark I saw (with very faded CAI mark nearby), the trail reaches under a kind of short small valley that enters a steep grassy slope.

After a few meters on the right, a narrow but marked track appears turning left into a steep ascent, then returning higher up with a right tendency always on a steep and exposed slope: in total the climb is about 100 meters elevation, and sometimes hands must be used to help on exposed grassy steps.

After the "slightly difficult" steep grassy part, you continue on the line of maximum slope of a comfortable ridge.

This ridge leads under a ridge spur which is circumvented to the left on a degraded trail indicated by some cut twigs.

Then you have to climb to a small saddle between this first spur and a higher one: there are uncertain traces, with cut twigs, at the beginning of the short steep climb near a red mark before a small transverse valley.

Above the saddle begins a short key passage: the trail, which becomes clearer here, is partly collapsed on a VERY EXPOSED traverse.

There is a helping steel cable but it is fixed somewhat high relative to where feet can be placed (and looking closely there is no alternative fixing): thus, if you want to use the cable with your hands, you cannot properly rest your feet and you must hang on strongly (in 2017 there was an additional red cable which is no longer there).

Since I remembered the cable too far from the base for the feet, I had a long tape in my pocket, to which I made a couple of loops and then hooked it to the cable with a "bocca di lupo" creating an "extension from the cable": at that point I "traversed" on what remained of the collapsed and exposed trail sliding, as security, the tape forward on the cable – this can be a solution, then everyone uses their own systems.

Immediately after, the clear path resumes uphill on a steep but not too steep ridge, exiting to the right for a few meters then climbing it again from a large cut branch signal.

A few more meters and you reach a distinctive passage: there is an old but very solid metal ladder at the start of a rocky step which leads into a rock notch walkway with a brand-new helping chain.

Above the rocky step is a pole with a torn flag of the Serenissima Republic: this must be a fairly windy spot, because over the years I have found several flags always in tatters.

A few meters further there is a well-preserved CAI marker with number 32, and you traverse to a sharp left turn to climb some rocks using your hands.

Above this step is a small iron statuette representing an Angel.

After the Angel there is a few more meters of steep climb where, upon exit, starts a brand-new chain that accompanies along a beautiful and exposed ledge going right.

At the end of the ledge, you enter, with a left hairpin, into a long diagonal notch that ascends a nice steep rocky step: it is STEEP, and here too there is a new chain that has replaced (or complements) the old iron cables.

Above the rocky step you are in the final wood: here there are some cut branches guiding on uncertain tracks to the right, then you climb briefly the easy forest slope until you reach the Strada delle Peníse.

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Connection between the end of the ascent of the former CAI 32 and the start of the descent of the former CAI 31 in Val di San Lorenzo

Simply follow the Strada delle Peníse initially northeast for about twenty minutes at an easy pace.

At the start of the descent trail to the left, there is a small wooden arrow with "Bastianazzi" written, stuck on a tree with a yellow ribbon.

It is just a bit below the forest road and not very noticeable: here a previous GPS track helps to identify the turning point.

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Descent through Val di San Lorenzo along the former CAI 31 trail

The path begins very wide and gently sloping to the left, after a couple of sharp turns it reaches a small step with a chain, and then a stretch with three hairpins where the track gets a bit confused with others: however, some cut branches, a couple of typical orange ribbons of this valley and also a couple of old CAI markers appear.

Now the path makes a long curve to the right until encountering a "nice cable at human height" of a forest cableway.

Less than 50 meters after the cable, the key orientation section of the descent begins.

The path reaches the edge of a gully with white rocks emerging from the forest floor, and starts flanking it at various distances downhill (without ever crossing it) with some bends – thus the gully remains on the right side going down, and it is good to remember this.

Soon after an obvious group of cut branches used as signals, the path turns with a traverse to the left and enters a stretch of forest with almost all trees knocked down.

Do not follow the path and "fight with the fallen trees," because anyway the path later returns to the right lower down to enter right into the bottom of the right gully where it becomes easy.

Therefore, it is better to cut directly down the steep but not too steep forest slope, keeping an eye on the fallen trees on the left and the gully on the right: little by little you get closer to the gully and find the trail again.

Finally, you enter the right gully at a large orange ribbon fixed on a big tree (before this you could/should see another couple of ribbons and some cut branches).

Then follow about forty meters downhill along the gully until it joins another main gully arriving from the left.

Another 40/50 meters along the main gully and you must cross left a marked erosion ditch – there is a small track ending with a cairn at the start of a wide mule track in the left forest: walking down slowly these 40/50 linear meters the start of the mule track becomes visible.

The bottom of the mule track descends gradually (sometimes rutted but always visible) then almost disappears before crossing a small side creek arriving from the left: it resumes just below as a narrow path that shortly again becomes a good mule track with supporting walls.

You reach a "new degradation" that leads for a few meters into the basin of the main gully just above a drop.

You immediately exit again to the left to descend below the drop, then re-enter the basin on a very white and long almost flat slab that leads above another drop: here you exit right on a good track descending below this second drop.

After a short descent, the main gully basin is crossed for the last time from right to left, and you enter the final stretch of mule track which, instead of descending as before, continually improves until reaching the arrival point at Bastianazzi.

From here about 700 meters on asphalt leads back to the initial parking of Trattoria Impero.