Former Sentiero CAI Castelfranco del Grappa Occidentale→part 1 south

Introduction

This route was completed on March 24, 2022, and all subsequent observations and considerations fully apply only to that day.

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From the Creste di San Giorgio parking lot to the junction with the CAI 938 path called “Sannazzara”

From the Creste di San Giorgio parking lot, start heading west along Via Generale Giardino, and continue for about 350 meters until the last house before the left hairpin bend.

Just before the left hairpin bend – next to the house fence – a small path branches off to the right, which is the beginning of the Sentiero CAI Castelfranco del Grappa Occidentale.

There are no trail marks at the beginning of the path, but shortly after the start – on the left on a tree – there is the first paint trail mark in the characteristic white-yellow colors.

Shortly, you enter the Sentiero Cavallini and cross the CAI 943 in the Cavallini Valley basin.

You continue easily until the ridge junction with CAI 942, where you ascend about thirty meters in elevation to the ENEL pylon 421.

Between 10 and 15 linear meters after the pylon, leave CAI 942 for a track to the left initially marked with “red ENEL”.

Still on easy terrain, you reach ENEL pylon 422 where the descent towards Val Granda begins.

After a few “almost steep” meters on the ridge, turn right and with a long gentle traverse you reach a few steep meters that lead to the wide path of Val Granda: on the traverse, there are some slightly exposed steps and I found two “containment straps” in poor condition, not necessary if careful.

In Val Granda, descend just over 150 linear meters or 30/35 meters in elevation, and exit right at a dry stone wall with a well-marked white-yellow trail sign.

Here you traverse and bypass the edge of the ridge dividing Val Granda and Val Lanari to descend and intercept the obvious main path of the latter: Val Granda and Val Lanari are part of the route → Val Granda former CAI 39 decommissioned – Madonna del Pertùso – Val Lanàri.

Now you ascend the bottom of Val Lanari among a “patchwork” of white-yellow, red, and blue trail marks, plus a few cairns.

After a long stretch, the trail marks lead left in the direction of a steep ascent up the valley side, and with various turns reach a saddle that introduces – with a short easy ledge – a secondary valley.

Here you traverse briefly to the edge of a scree of dark stones, and resume a fairly steep ascent.

Then with a left curve you reach another saddle.

On the left (but outside the route of the Sentiero CAI Castelfranco del Grappa Occidentale) you can quickly climb to a panoramic spot: it's worth going because the scenic viewpoints on this hike are rare.

On the right, there is a short aerial ridge but not difficult that leads to the junction exiting the Val Lanari path.

At the junction, go left towards Val Sarzè, which is divided into two branches at the top.

In about 100 linear meters you enter the bottom of the first branch and need to descend straight down staying on the left side of arrival.

For about 50 linear meters (a bit confused and unstable), the white-yellow trail marks disappear, but reappear on stones on the ground near some small cairns that cross the valley bottom towards the right.

Now the ground trail becomes faint and mixes with secondary tracks: the red or white-yellow trail marks continue, but more than average attention is needed to follow them in the sparser woods where, obviously, the grass grows a bit more.

You rise and reach a beautiful niche that precedes a section of true ledge.

The exposed steps are “intermittent,” then the path normalizes, passing the second branch of Val Sarzè, the bottom of Val Fontanón, to reach a panoramic pulpit where – on the remains of a dry stone wall – there is a white-yellow triangle trail mark in “high route style.”

From the pulpit, in just over 50 linear meters, descend to the junction with CAI 938 called “Sannazzara,” at a point where (on the right side going towards the finish) there is a small permanent nativity scene inside a niche in the base rocks of the slope.

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From the junction with the CAI 938 path called “Sannazzara” to the junction with the CAI 935 path ascending from the locality Londa

From the junction with the CAI 938 path called “Sannazzara,” descend comfortably for over 250 meters in elevation to the prominent ENEL pylon 424 on the right.

You exit, passing the pylon on the right with a clear white-yellow trail mark.

Now descend further (some steep steps) heading west following the slope and keeping towards the ridge crest on the right: here there are many bright “red ENEL” marks and some faded white-yellow ones.

After losing about 90/95 meters in elevation, you reach a forked small tree with a large bright red mark on the left wood (arrival direction) of the fork, covering an older and very faded white-yellow mark.

Here with a sharp turn right, you take a fairly distinct path with a trail mark on the right and a red arrow on a stone on the ground.

Descend towards the bottom of Valle Valduga and pass a small tree trunk covered with a black plastic tube and then a steep grassy slope.

You ascend the bottom of Valle Valduga for a few meters and – still guided mostly by red trail marks – climb steeply on the opposite valley side and resume traversing.

You reach a small “jump” to the right with a couple of moves of “almost grade I,” then a slightly deceptive junction: the flat track on the left is “certified” by cut branches, but the right ascending track (less noticeable) has the usual red and white-yellow marks just after the junction, and is the correct one.

You reach ENEL pylon 425 and then descend to the junction with the mule track of Col Ronco with a well-marked descent but partly hard and slippery terrain.

You briefly enter and exit the mule track of Col Ronco: 10 or 15 linear meters descending, passing a right hairpin bend, then exit right on a good path.

After pylon 425 there is… 426: the path to reach it is always comfortable and intuitive up to the right hairpin bend just below the pylon.

Here the “ENEL marked” path makes a very wide turn, and the official route of Sentiero CAI Castelfranco del Grappa Occidentale continues straight on a faint track: the new track is very faint but shortly after white-yellow marks are found.

In this way, in a few meters you reach the pylon under which there is another “tree trunk covered with a black tube” like the one previously marked.

From here all is easy again (on a clear path) until the junction with CAI 937, where you start ascending right.

Shortly (about 40/50 linear meters) pass a right hairpin and a left one, and just after the last turn left exit on a good track but certainly not comparable to the mule track type of CAI 937.

The path is always easy to walk and, with some turns, you skirt a panoramic promontory a few meters above ENEL pylon 428.

From here descend – with in clear view on the opposite side of the valley the CAI 936 route – to the bottom of Val del Merlo: ascend the bottom for a few meters, climb the other valley side, and resume easily until the junction with CAI 936.

From the junction a new descent to the well-known junction for Pra’ Ventore (or Praventore) where you turn right ascending to two buildings with a small chapel between them that form the locality.

After Pra’ Ventore, with slight ups and downs you reach the junction with CAI 935.

At this point, the Sentiero CAI Castelfranco del Grappa Occidentale continues ascending right along CAI 935, but because of the closure of this first part, descend very comfortably left to the locality Londa.

Today return to the start by bicycle with just over 6 km.