Colón de Costa Bramosa with South Viàz, Colón del Forzelón and Fratta del Moro

Premise

This itinerary was done on March 28, 2023, and all subsequent observations and considerations fully apply only to that day.

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From La Stanga to Colón de Costa Bramosa

Take the CAI 502 next to the Ristorante Bar alla Stanga and easily reach, under a phone antenna, the junction between the trails to Val de Piero and Val Ru da Molin.

Turn left towards Val Ru da Molin and comfortably ascend northwards with increasing exposure towards the bottom of Val Cordevole.

There is a short stretch that can be defined as a “real ledge” on a solid “narrow” path and then turn right to enter Val Ru da Molin.

Pass the slope with the “Cógoi de le Procuratíe” (quote from Piero Rossi) and arrive, under a small cave, at a small valley with a basin of dark rocks and a grassy slope on the left side in the direction of arrival.

This is the first possibility to start the ascent towards Colón de Costa Bramosa.

Alternatively, continue for about 60 linear meters and, after a right turn, a grassy path with a scarcely visible cairn branches off already quite deep inside the fork.

I followed the first option: after the initial sparse traces to climb the grassy side of the little valley, a true path emerges that runs along the ridge of a secondary crest and soon reconnects with the path coming from the left from the other variant.

Continue on the traces accompanied by cairns and cut branches and reach below a nice band of overhanging rocks where the “bypass towards the right of the 1099-meter pass on the maps” should start, as cited in the guides.

Here, however, I saw other cairns towards the wooded valley that “cuts to the left of the 1099-meter pass” and I followed those with a more direct climb.

Then in the valley I no longer saw marks but intuitively climbed up to the ridge overlooking Val de Piero where I found some cut branches again.

It is advisable here to pay attention to identify the start of the next viàz to be followed after reaching the summit of Colón de Costa Bramosa.

Piero Rossi indicates this start at about 1200 meters between “a small larch grove” and writes “... be careful with the elevation, so as not to confuse it with other similar groves”.

Actually, now there is no true isolated larch grove, but a small group of larches amidst a dense forest with many other plant varieties.

With an altimeter calibrated at 430 at La Stanga, the height of the “correct grove-group” I measured is about 1180 (and there is a very similar one at about 1220).

From here continue with some stretches but without real problems up to the wooded and elongated summit area.

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From Colón de Costa Bramosa to Colón del Forzelón via the South Viàz of Colón de Costa Bramosa

All guides indicate the possibility of connecting the two peaks of Colón de Costa Bramosa and Colón del Forzelón via the saddle (the “Forzeléta”) that divides the two summit points.

However, this connection is defined by all as rough and absolutely not recommended.

In this version of the excursion, descend back to the group of larches at about 1180 meters.

Here, above Val de Piero, a fairly wide and almost flat path begins on a small bench.

Then continue on a slight descent to bypass a small ridge where the path narrows and continue, always observing the cut branches (also recent cuts), until a more marked continuous descent.

Resume with a gentler descending tendency until entering the wooded slope that reconnects with the trail coming up from Val de Piero to Forzelón (see itinerary → Anello del Forzelón (Val de Piero → Val Ru da Molín) and Colón del Forzelón).

Here you should lose a little more altitude to cross a “real path” ditch just before finding the trail.

However, since I already knew the area, I continued traversing at the same altitude in the last part knowing that I would still find the continuation.

Finding the trail coming up from Val de Piero again, you reach the crossing of a channel after a short and steep stretch where you use your hands for support.

Now the ground trace continues well marked (cairns and cut branches) with a gentle uphill tendency interrupted by some ups and downs, and with some narrow passages where it is good to watch where you put your feet.

You reach below the last wide climb to Forzelón, which you ascend without problems.

At Forzelón, next to the saddle sign, there are remains of a mountain hut.

To climb to Colón del Forzelón simply follow the ridge of the wide crest: I saw some scattered red marks, but everything is intuitive and it is useless to fixate on searching for signs.

The summit point is among the trees that do not allow an “open unique panorama”.

However, you can get a view of all the higher peaks around, except the very nearby Monte Coro, which can be well seen from a single point about fifty meters before the summit.

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From Colón de Costa Bramosa to Fratta del Moro under the west ridge of Burèl

Return easily to Forzelón and take the wide and comfortable path towards Val Ru da Molin.

Cross a couple of channels and just after the second one, reach the junction with the path going up to Fratta del Moro.

Of course, take the uphill branch and continue with turns on a secondary ridge to a slope-valley where the ground path disappears.

Climb fairly intuitively directly and I found a couple of cut branches marking the way before resuming a good path to the left.

Now the good path goes on for a long stretch among cairns and cut branches up to the wide wooded final valley leading to Fratta del Moro.

This valley has a fairly regular slope and, given its width, does not retain a very marked ground path.

The higher you climb, the more spaced the cairns become but the right line is not lost.

Going up, I was more to the right compared to some cairns positioned more in the center.

You arrive below the final band of dwarf pines, initially spread with some cut branches.

Then the dwarf pines grow denser and a true structured cutting begins to clear a passage.

In some places, you have to move branches with your hands, but it is not at the level of real scrambling. 😊

Continuing always on a good slope, you meet a first yellow-red sign of the Viàz dei Camòrz and dei Camorziéri, and continue on a wider grassy corridor up to the base of the west ridge of Burèl, that is on the small meadow of the highest point of Fratta del Moro: here there is a yellow-red sign shaped like two concentric circles, very useful for those arriving from the viàz in the opposite direction and must descend.

Below the rocky band, I walked a few easy meters of the Viàz dei Camòrz and dei Camorziéri to admire the wall of the “South-West Median Ledge of Burèl” where runs one of the most characteristic – but not the most difficult as far as I know – sections of this SUPER-VIÀZ.

(Piero Rossi in the “SCHIARA” guide refers to this ledge as “Cengia Mediana del Burèl”, while Vittorino Mason in the “IL LIBRO DELLE CENGE” guide calls it South-West Ledge of Burèl: I combine the two names... so as not to offend anyone. 😉)

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From Fratta del Moro under the west ridge of Burèl to the elevation indicated as Fratta del Moro 1554 on the hiking maps

Descend to the first yellow-red sign encountered on the ascent and continue spotting the cut branches in an almost direct descent ignoring the continuation to the right of the Viàz dei Camòrz and dei Camorziéri (which is also more evident at that point).

After passing the band of dwarf pines, I tried to stay high on the left to reach the Fratta del Moro elevation of 1554, minimizing altitude loss.

A perfect plan... which did not consider the snow accumulations present in that narrow area.

In theory, you should stay between the end of the real forest (where walking is fine) and the start of a band of dwarf pines to “pierce” only at the last moment to climb to the summit spur.

Today, practically, I could not stay on this border line between forest and dwarf pines and I lost quite a lot of time going up and down to avoid sinking on snow that was partly inconsistent and partly crusted: consequently, the GPS track recorded certainly is not the best to follow under normal conditions.

The last short jump in the corridor of dwarf pines was free of snow and I enjoyed the panorama from the flat summit top: a few meters to the southwest, there is another peak almost the same height but covered in dwarf pines.

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Final descent from the Fratta del Moro elevation of 1554 towards Val Ru da Molin

Return to the junction encountered descending from Forzelón and continuing downhill for about 5 minutes find a stretch with several fallen trees on the path.

The various trunks have not been cut “continuously”, but there are some partial cuts that allow passing with bending or non-acrobatic climbing over.

You thus arrive at the bottom of Val Ru da Molin in the area called La Crosera after a series of very close cairns and an arrow placed for those exiting the valley in the opposite direction.

The descent start for the valley is in the basin encountering immediately a huge rock with shelter underneath, then some small caves on the right at the fork of the path that goes up to Borál de l’Ors (for this last trail see itinerary → Boràl de l’Órs - Monte Coro - Zéngia del Re - Cengia Van del Castèl).

Continue in a fun way among the boulders and then exit by a small path on the left hydrographic side.

Briefly re-enter the basin and then exit on the right hydrographic side (several variants marked with cairns and cut branches).

Now stay on the right hydrographic side for a long time with several passages close to the basin.

Easily bypass a slipped section of the small path and pass the marked junction (paint on rock on the ground) with the trace that would climb to La Spirlonga (those interested in La Spirlonga can refer to the itinerary → La Spirlónga per Val Ru da Molín-Fratta del Santo-Forcella de la Spirlónga).

Cross again for the last time to the left hydrographic side at a point with a lot of water, various small waterfalls, and potholes (there is also a equipped stop for canyoning activities).

From here continue towards the exit from Val Ru da Molin reconnecting to the junction of the ascent to Colón de Costa Bramosa already encountered in the morning.