Boràl del Làip, Pale Magre, Pala Longa, Costa del Castelàz and Monte Coro

Premise

This route was traveled on June 9, 2025, and all subsequent observations and considerations are fully applicable only for that day.

By the term guide I refer indistinctly to both books by Sani, Bristot and Dal Mas mentioned in the "Summary" and "Maps and Guides" sheets.

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Ascent to Pale Magre via the Boràl del Làip from Casa de la Vècia in Val Cordévole

From the parking lot, cross the bridge over Val Vescovà and take the well-known stairway at the start of trail CAI 503 towards Rifugio Bianchet.

The path joins the dirt road of the other CAI 503 variant coming from Costa dei Pinei and with some shortcuts comfortably reaches Rifugio Furio Bianchet at Pian dei Gat.

From the refuge continue on CAI 503 following it until the junction with CAI 537 of Monte Coro.

Now continue on CAI 537 a little above 1500 meters altitude where the trail reaches the dry impluvium of Boral del Laip – here the CAI markers lead up inside the impluvium for a few easy meters before exiting to the right.

For this hike, leave the CAI track and continue along the bottom of Boral del Laip.

At the beginning, you can still stay in the dry impluvium or on a thin path through the grasses on the right heading upward.

Soon you reach below a smooth slab drop that must be bypassed on the left.

Here I used a stretch of slope without vegetation with some discontinuous traces down to a first low rock layer, then continued among dwarf pines-shrubs (with some branch movements) returning to the edges of the impluvium above the first and below a second drop.

After a few meters, the path led me under a beautiful secondary gully-grassy-bottomed valley rising to the left moving definitively away from the valley bottom.

It is a very regular superficial gully which ends above the large high basin of Boral del Laip positioned below the head valley cliffs.

Since these last cliffs are bypassed to the right ascending, I descended into the basin to cross it and continued climbing mostly grassy slopes on the other side.

With a final very steep few meters, I crossed a true section of trail that crosses above the final cliffs and below the wide saddle that on the other side falls steeply towards Boral de la Pala Longa.

I followed the trail to the left, encountering some cut branches as signs, and climbed above the ridge which if followed entirely leads directly to Pale Magre: at the panoramic arrival point above the ridge there was a cut little larch stump.

Now the guide advises not to ascend directly the first clearly visible crest elevation but after a first open-field stretch to bypass it initially inside a good path among the dwarf pines always on the northern side.

I immediately saw this trace among the dwarf pines which is short and simply bypasses the first ridge.

Bypassing the first ridge you enter a basin at the head of a channel where you must decide what to do.

The guide notes two options: now ascend the main ridge (or "summit crest" as written) and continue along it, or continue lower with a complex path among dwarf pines (with intermittent cuts), rocks, and channels.

The guide expresses a preference for the second option.

While thinking what to do, I met a local hiker doing another round who told me that for orientation and technique the "summit crest" is intuitive (even if there are continuous dwarf pines one has to deal with), while the other variant – currently – is not always easy to intuit.

I preferred to go safe for orientation, and ascended the ridge crest along the first channel encountered from the center of the basin where I was: the "real channel" is VERY DELICATE, but on the left ascending direction there is a dwarf pine strip apparently made to climb up.

Now continue along the ridge crest and I recommend placing a couple of construction ribbons at the arrival point; on return it is not easy to find the exact start of descent, although there are a couple of cut branches nearby but well hidden under the dwarf pine regrowth.

The ridge is airy and almost completely covered with low dwarf pines under which old cuts are visible.

In fact, it is a very irregular walk, although not very difficult: in my opinion the first thought MUST BE "do not stumble".

I proceeded very slowly until some marked irregularities of the ridge rocks which could cause problems besides the "almost simple do not stumble".

Shortly before the irregularities easy inclined final grass meadows start below on the left (north side) towards Pale Magre.

I found a grassy slide under the dwarf pines (about 45 degrees according to the clinometer and roughly 20 meters elevation difference) and descended to the final meadows.

At the end of the meadows, with various chamois paths, you reach a grassy knoll that anticipates the short and beautiful final ridge to the summit.

Immediately descend into a small saddle to climb up the other side with some very exposed moves of almost second grade: exposed but rock more than solid.

Finally, with some holds intermittently exposed and definitely less difficult, you arrive at the small summit cairn of Pale Magre with privileged views over Schiara, Gusela del Vescovà and Nasón.

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From Pale Magre to Pala Longa

From Pale Magre I followed exactly the outward path until the large saddle east of Pala Longa.

The guide states that (starting from the saddle) "... it would not be out of place to decide to reach the summit cairn, managing for a few meters among dwarf pines or on short higher-grade I rock slabs while staying on the northern side ...".

Translation: it is quite a scramble, but doable since it is not long – I took nearly half an hour (at a calm pace) for about 40 meters of elevation difference.

Considering only the northern side the rock slabs present are completely covered with dwarf pines.

I ascended by eye trying to spot some small clearings among the very dense dwarf pines and taking advantage of a short easy stretch on the east ridge.

I could not avoid some "almost vertical" sections but always found "fresh and good" dwarf pines to hold on.

I reached the summit cairn without tears on the clothing❗😉

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From Pala Longa to Forcella de la Pala Longa

This descent is described in the guide in the ascent direction with "... you insist among the dense dwarf pines on the ridge up to the summit of Pala Longa ...".

Piero Rossi, on the other hand, in his older book writes "... from the saddle, shortly, by grassy ridge you reach the summit ...".

It is clear that the situation has changed over the years and now the dwarf pines have colonized everything.

Here I decided not to do another scramble especially because, not knowing the ascent, advancing in the dwarf pine labyrinth I could have ended above some cliff of the slope with tiring and annoying backtracking and changes of direction.

Thus, after the free summit corridor, I descended a first stretch southwest towards Val Ru da Molin: open slope with an average inclination of about 50 degrees for about 40 meters of elevation difference.

Then I started to turn right west or northwest on diagonals and some slides mostly always grassy and quite steep, until reaching the flank of the channel ascending from southwest to Forcella de la Pala Longa.

Finally, about forty meters of steep (but not too much) ascent on grass to reach a conspicuous cairn next to Forcella de la Pala Longa.

From here I realized that a direct descent from Pala Longa would have been entirely among very dense dwarf pines.

In the end, I did everything in open terrain, with about 40 meters more elevation difference and wearing grass crampons in a couple of sections.

Probably it takes the same time: one must choose.

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From Forcella de la Pala Longa via Costa del Castelàz to the junction with CAI 537

It is a beautiful trail that almost always stays on the ridge crest and would deserve maintenance to make it more "usable".

It certainly deserves to be more popular and a "refresh" would greatly help its appeal.

From Forcella de la Pala Longa the first two cairns descend a little on the northern side and then the path today was lost in a solitary patch of tall undergrowth grasses.

I briefly climbed by eye on the ridge crest and found the path again.

Then not much else to explain.

Long sections above the crest are almost always wooded and the path drops briefly a couple of times to the right-north and for a stretch at the end lies just below to the south.

Currently there is some loss of visibility but old cuts can still be seen that surely help.

However, even if you make a mistake the environment is not difficult and you can recover: always keep the ridge crest as a reference.

The junction with CAI 537 occurs a few meters before the northern start-end plaque of Viàz dei Camòrz and Camorziéri.

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Excursion closure for Monte Coro

Upon arrival at CAI 537 ... clouds also arrived 😡 but I continued anyway to Monte Coro because I wanted to complete the high-level crossing of the subgroup detaching from Forcella del Balcon west of Schiara.

Arrived at the summit in fog but I already knew the panoramas: if needed see the route → Boràl de l’Órs - Monte Coro - Zéngia del Re - Cengia Van del Castèl.

From the summit in good weather there is an excellent view towards the whole day’s crossing, and in the above itinerary I also published a photo (number 27 of 81) in that direction.

Final descent all along the normal CAI path.