Bivacco Valdo – Forzèla dei Pón – Forcella Zana

FROM THE PARKING TO THE UMBERTO AND MATILDE VALDO BIVOUAC

After the usual “half an hour warm-up on asphalt” to climb up to Gena Alta, take the path next to the fountain in the direction indicated by the Bivacco Valdo arrow.

The path is long marked well on the ground, first with an easy climb and then a false flat.

Just before reaching a rock jump with a ladder and safety cable, the path narrows and some slightly exposed and slippery passages begin.

After the ladder there is a flat stretch followed by a short steep descent into the bed of a small stream, excellent for water supply on the way back.

Then continue always carefully until the route drops into the bottom of Val Soffia and crosses to the other side (there are one or two more sections with safety cables in this whole area).

Always staying a little higher than the valley bottom, you arrive at the junction for Bivacco Valdo marked by two red arrows on the rock.

From the junction to Bivacco Valdo, the path is always visible and marked with some red dots and cairns (a few white-red signs in the CAI style).

At times it's exposed and has some short fairly steep changes in slope.

In the second part it is constantly in the woods on laterally inclined diagonals but manageable with dry ground.

Finally, there are two variants marked with cairns to reach Bivacco Valdo: from the initially lower one you can go directly towards Forzèla dei Pón without passing through the bivouac which is a few meters above.

FROM BIVACCO VALDO TO FORZÈLA DEI PÓN

To go to Forzèla dei Pón, from the bivouac descend slightly immediately meeting a big white-blue sign of the Alta Via dei Monti del Sole and various red dots.

Just outside the woods the initial ledge to walk is evident, located on the other side of the rocky cirque of “La Borala”.

The ledge is exposed but not difficult, except for a single passage in a small landslide: here you have to be careful.

After bypassing a shoulder, the ledge descends and ends in a comfortable stretch crossing a small wood.

You arrive at a very exposed rock projection that forces a contortion if you don’t want to use the external holds (on the return it is easier to see these holds and use them confidently).

Then you see how it will be till the end: a whole series of diagonals of various slopes, on alternating stretches of rock and grass, connected by short gullies that raise the level.

In succession, between one diagonal and another, you find: a first rocky gully, a steep cut of well-made dwarf pines always on rocky base, a longer and more technical rock slab where there is also a characteristic hole that can avoid (for slimmer people and with small backpacks) a passage where good use of the hands is needed.

Then a long traverse to the right and a steeper final with “intelligent markings” that help to reduce effort.

The markings (always a mix of red, white-blue and cairns) are very visible going up but not all very visible going down.

Today the weather was perfect and the ground very dry: there were no problems, but I believe that with poor visibility and/or humidity-wet conditions the stretch from Bivacco Valdo to Forzèla dei Pón could become very difficult and dangerous.

To see well the large cave of Bus del Diàol and the amazing ledge that crosses it, you have to climb a few meters from Forzèla dei Pón towards Forcella delle Coraie (arrow and writing on rock).

FROM BIVACCO VALDO TO FORCELLA ZANA

Medium difficulty: I would say it is perfect as a start of the second stage of the Alta Via dei Monti del Sole tackled in south-north direction.

It starts with a slight climb in the woods, then a grassy bench up to a very steep stretch on grass-earth ground that forces you to hold on a little with your hands: however this steep part is well contained between a sharp cut of dwarf pines that protects well.

You reach a small saddle where “the route exposure changes” and you immediately have a nice view of the Piz de Mezodì group.

From here you proceed almost always up and down on well-made cuts of dwarf pines until the final descent to Forcella Zana: there is a chain in a short exposed passage.

Shortly before arriving at Forcella Zana, you can also see the Bus de le Neole in the upper Val Pegolèra and there is a perfect view of the entire ascent from Forcella Zana that leads towards the peaks of Piz de Mezodì.

DESCENT FROM FORCELLA ZANA

It is well marked in red but, as for Forzèla dei Pón, the signs are very visible going up and less so descending.

It can be divided into two parts: the upper part is in the Val Soffia catchment among various rock steps, and the middle part on a path on the left orographic side outside the catchment that leads back to the junction for Bivacco Valdo.

In the upper part you often have to help yourself with your hands: it’s not very difficult but you can’t just walk; the most complicated jump is equipped with a ladder of metal rungs.

The rocks of the upper part towards Forcella Zana have very smooth stretches: with dry and “warm” conditions like today you can go safely, with some humidity and/or cold ... triple caution.

If I have to make a comparison with Forzèla dei Pón, there are no differences in pure technical terms on the single passage of ascent/descent: but towards Forzèla dei Pón you have to deal with much greater exposure, much longer stretches of difficult terrain, less stable ground, and clear points where you can’t stop if you slip.