Banche de le Caze Alte with traverse from Gena Bassa to La Muda

PREMISE

This route was traveled on August 9, 2019, and all subsequent observations and considerations fully apply only to that day.

FROM GENA BASSA TO FORCELLA ZANA (OR FORZÈLA DE IÉNA OR FORZÈLA DE L'ÒN)

Just before the Bar alla Soffia, take the closed asphalt road that leads up to Gena Alta: this can be done in the dark for those who want to start very early.

At the entrance of Gena Alta, the path indicated for Bivacco Valdo branches off.

The path starts calmly through the forest, passes the detour for Cógol de la Loreza and Zimón de Gena, and reaches a rock step equipped with a ladder and metal cable.

After the rock step, the path becomes more “nervous” and attention is needed for some exposed steps; there is also another rocky step of about two meters with good handholds.

You reach the bottom of Val Soffia, crossing it from left to right upwards, then at the fork leading right to Bivacco Valdo.

A little more ascent on a small path then you descend into the valley bed of Val Soffia, which you will follow up to Forcella Zana well guided by red marks among rock steps where sometimes you need to use your hands.

There is a difficult inclined slab (often wet) climbed with the help of some metal stirrups that form a ladder.

The last tens of meters before Forcella Zana pass through a fairly comfortable stretch of dwarf pines.

FROM FORCELLA ZANA (OR FORZÈLA DE IÉNA OR FORZÈLA DE L'ÒN) TO THE BANCHE DE LE CAZE ALTE

This is the difficult part of the excursion, one of the most challenging hiking trails of the Monti del Sole.

From Forcella Zana, you descend northwards the Val de la Costa del Casón for about 200 meters of elevation loss to the base of a small rock wall to climb (right of the gully) up to a grassy and dwarf pine plateau.

The exit wall is already visible from Forcella Zana, but despite being clearly seen, it is not easy to immediately identify the right line to minimize the risks of descending the large gully.

Initially, from Forcella Zana, you descend a few meters on loose gravel beside the right rocks until finding a piton with a cord for the first double rope rappel.

The first meters of the rappel are on not very steep but unstable ground, then it turns onto a very slippery and almost vertical rock slab.

You finish on a narrow ledge (almost a notch) and descend a few meters on loose gravel and stones to another piton with a cord (on the right) that allows the next rappel on smooth and wet rock steps.

From the base of the second rappel, looking down, there appear to be “manageable” small steps, but all terrain is still unstable or, if solid, smooth and wet.

A couple of guidebooks consulted indicate shifting definitely left here and re-entering (near the right rocky band of the gully) only at the end just before the rock wall exit: that is what I did.

From the “landing point” of the second rappel, on the left, there is a trace (apparently animal) passing under a low short rocky band, descending along some ridges delimiting minor gullies.

Across the various passages the trace may disappear in loose terrain but can always be seen shortly after.

I reached the last minor gully delimited by a ridge topped by dwarf pines; I climbed the ridge and began descending beside the dwarf pines; then found a drop of about one and a half meters that let me descend on a ridge bringing me under the right rocks of the main channel; a few more meters of descent and you reach the base of the exit rock wall at another large gully coming from the right.

(One guide writes to descend directly into the minor gully before the final ridge with dwarf pines, but I saw it too wet on the smooth rocks below and changed line.)

From the base of the “target wall,” fortunately, it is clear that the climb is not as vertical as it seems from Forcella Zana.

Approaching, you notice a ledge halfway up cutting the ascending wall from right to left, leading almost above the reference grassy and dwarf pine plateau: you must reach it by climbing a grade I a little to the right, then there is a cairn indicating the correct line to enter the ledge that, although very exposed, is wide enough to not have to move sideways with your body.

Reaching the left corner, you climb a few meters on rocks (with some dwarf pines and shrubs) up to a grassy widened space beneath a rock, starting another ledge leading flat to an obvious further corner with a small gendarme.

After this corner with a small gendarme is the final ascent section towards the Banche de le Caze Alte, for which three different solutions/possibilities are given in the guides I consulted: I followed the one I noticed most clearly.

The ledge arriving at the corner with the gendarme continues almost flat and soon passes near a small cave, then crosses a first channel; further on it reaches a second channel indicated by a guide about 100 meters from the previous gendarme corner: this is a correct datum as the GPS showed just over 70 meters "as the crow flies" not considering the various turns following the winding slope.

From the second channel, the ledge continues flat to the next corner but, WARNING, there is also a cairn a few meters higher on the ridgeline originating from the corner.

So you bypass the corner and after a few meters, when the ledge trace drops steeply and dies out shortly after, you go back a little uphill on another thinner but recognizable trace, reaching the cairn on the ridgeline: now you just have to climb.

From here, in succession:

• Follow the ridgeline on a "viaz style" trace, among dwarf pines and steep grassy rocks of difficulty about grade I
• Exit the dwarf pine section below a freer and steeper ridgeline where, on the right, you notice the channel crossed below continuing at an "alpinistic level"
• On the left (still upwards) you see a long narrow, dark, and wet notch that climbs at an acceptable slope: after a few meters there is a cairn on the right (visible only advancing)
• The narrowness of the notch and good footholds allow passage without too many problems even if wet
• When the exit on the upper dwarf pine terraces that would indicate the end of difficulties seems near... the notch falls steeply into the bottom of an impassable next gully; however, here we are at the narrowest point and, climbing on the outer left edge of the notch, with a slight split step you can climb a few meters to the right onto another “dwarf pine slope” that is the correct one; however, this notch crossing step requires 2/3 good grade II successive moves to pull yourself up
• Reaching the dwarf pines, continue for a short distance on some natural narrow corridors, then you must “scramble” a few meters trying to shift right to find where the usual channel crossed below becomes at the origin of the upper section a simple superficial channel creating a very comfortable passage among the dwarf pines
• Following this superficial channel, I reached under the rock the western start of the Banche de le Caze Alte, with an ascent of about 70/75 meters in elevation and hiking poles in hand that can now be taken out of the backpack and used comfortably

CROSSING THE BANCHE DE LE CAZE ALTE UP TO THE ENTRY TO THE CAI 871 TRAIL ABOVE BUSA DE LE CAZE ALTE

The Banche de le Caze Alte are described in every guide as one of the “excellent solitary places” of the Monti del Sole, suspended above Val Pegolèra (also rarely frequented) leaning against the northern walls of the Ferùch.

They can be divided into three distinct parts: two large cirques on free ledges for a wide band under rock, and a third sector to the east among dwarf pine cuts and various vegetation that can be crossed without much “scrambling” if you follow the obvious traces near the rocky base of the various Ferùch summits.

Throughout the Banche de le Caze Alte, ground traces may temporarily disappear crossing some scree or snow tongues, but over medium distances they are always visible, and I would say there is no orientation problem.

Any non-occasional hiker could cross the Banche de le Caze Alte if they had less difficult access.

Ending eastward, you reach the channel rising from Busa de le Caze Alte: crossing it you take the CAI 871 trail towards Forcella delle Coraie; descending a few meters you take CAI 871 towards the descent to La Muda that closes the traverse.

Those who want – from this point – directions to climb to Forcella delle Coraie and complete the “Giro dei Ferùch,” can refer to the → Forzèla de le Coraie e Forzèla dei Pón from La Muda to Gena Bassa itinerary.

DESCENT TO LA MUDA FROM BUSA DE LE CAZE ALTE ALONG THE CAI 871 TRAIL

From the eastern end of the Banche de le Caze Alte, descend the channel for about 45 meters of elevation following CAI markings and various cairns.

Then exit right into the small wood called “Al Boscon” and cross it following numerous markings and cairns (the ground trace is not always very visible but many indicators are present).

From Boscon you exit on a steep descent, then a short section in a “rocky gully”, up to a ledge trail that, after a right bend, leads to the bottom head of Val Chegadór or Val del Cargadór (here, apart from poor GPS signal and an already imprecise recorded line, I abandoned the CAI marks to refresh myself in the water pools beneath the valley waterfall).

Crossing the rugged valley floor toward the right orographic side, you take a ledge with a very exposed segment where a steel cable aid is present (and here, besides one of the various bivouac shelters useful as emergency refuge, there is a large white “CAI FELTRE” writing on dark rock).

Continuing shortly after you reach the wooded ridge of Costa dei Faghèr which you descend over 300 meters elevation to meet the right Val Pegolèra trail: turn right for La Muda.

At the start, there is a large fallen tree to bypass and continue through a long clear stretch until some other fallen trees near closely spaced switchbacks: here the GPS trace does not follow the trail because I crossed the slope (which is not too steep at this point) to completely avoid annoying crossings/bypasses – this shortcut saved about 40 meters of elevation and skipped 5 switchbacks, 3 right and 2 left.

Then continue without further problems to the entrance of the valley lane Via degli Ospizi and along it to the left towards the pedestrian bridge over Torrente Cordevole and the La Muda parking.