Gusèla (or Gusella) di Cismón and Rocchetta di Cismón from Cismón del Grappa

Premise

This route was taken on November 17, 2023, and all subsequent observations and considerations apply fully only to that day.

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Ascent from Cismon del Grappa to Gusèla or Gusella di Cismon

From the Piazza I° Maggio parking lot, take the well-known CAI 920 under a porch and ascend the characteristic and comfortable paved mule track.

At the first right hairpin turn (with a bench) there is the large information board mentioned in the "MAPPE E GUIDE" section.

Continue completely relaxed, and in this autumn season you can glimpse the very slender profile of the Gusèla between the branches of the trees with few leaves.

Arriving at the base of the very vertical north face of the Gusèla, you encounter a Sacred Shrine carved into the rock (with a Cross beside it) dedicated to Saint Stephen.

From here, turn left around the base of the Gusèla ascending a winding stretch of mule track narrow between the high walls, until you reach a small pass with a bench on the southeast side relative to the summit.

The CAI 920 continues to the left while for the summit you must follow the more slender path performing a right hairpin turn initially flat.

The path comfortably climbs for a few dozen linear meters through the undergrowth until the start of the first rocks where there is a large piton with a ring and a large red mark.

The first small jump is Grade I and you reach a micro-notch (really micro and very exposed on both sides) below the longer final ridge leap, which is still only a few meters.

Here there are a few individual Grade II or lower II moves that must be faced to reach the summit Cross.

Shortly after the start of this leap there is a piton with a ring very useful for descent, and I also saw a faded red mark.

A double sling is placed around the base rock at the summit Cross.

The entire climb is very-very airy, and there are two good news: 1) it is very-very beautiful; 2) the rock and holds are solid.

To enjoy it, you must be accustomed to these situations.

If you go in a group, you must take turns well at the end.

The guide mentioned in the "SINTESI" and "MAPPE E GUIDE" sections advises a 30-meter rope, which I also recommend to manage the coming and going of any group.

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From the summit of Gusèla or Gusella di Cismon to the start of the final ascent to Rocchetta di Cismon

From the summit of Gusèla or Gusella di Cismon, return via CAI 920, passing again by Saint Stephen's Shrine and continuing briefly to a flat pass to the left below the east-northeast face of the Rocchetta.

Here you enter what is indicated as the "Sentiero Natura" on the Tabacco and Kompass maps.

Then, turn left onto a faint trail which after a few meters becomes a clear and comfortable path.

Shortly after the start, there is a group of cairns to the left probably indicating an insertion variant.

Now follow the easy descending path to the bed of a stream, dry today.

Do not cross the stream bed, but exit to the right onto a terrace in the undergrowth which is the first of a small series supported by various dry stone walls.

Descend the small drops of a couple of dry stone walls and on broken trails soon arrive on the right side heading up a channel-gully – here you see a concrete check dam below to the left.

From this side starts a clear path for the final ascent to the Rocchetta di Cismon.

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Final ascent to Rocchetta di Cismon

Begin climbing the side of the channel-gully, and the path shifts from right to left when the channel-gully ends at the head into a wider and easier wooded side-valley.

Climb the valley without difficulty and at the end turn right for a few meters beneath some staggered rock ledges.

Here the path continues with steep and narrow well-marked hairpin turns, then performs an almost ledge-like traverse to the right.

After the traverse, turn left to enter the "gentle summit dome" in the undergrowth of the Rocchetta.

In the wide area, the trail imprint on the ground becomes faint but is all intuitive and without problems.

To head directly to the Cross, one should follow a final more or less north-northwest direction, but I first made a short detour more to the right-north to seek the not easily identifiable highest summit point.

I found a small rock which may be the right one with a first nice view towards the Gusèla.

Finally, I went toward the Cross, which is "literally perched" on a rock divided by a notch just below the wide wooded summit plateau.

Today at the base of the notch was wedged a kind of "metal crosspiece" placed horizontally with wide somewhat flexible bars: it was also convenient to rest your feet on but – I repeat – it was not completely stable.

The final rock where the Cross rests looks very vertical on approach, but it is much easier and shorter than the Gusèla's finish and remains, in my opinion, Grade I.

However, the Gusèla Cross is metal, solid at the base, and can be held with your hands – while the Rocchetta one is still "super-airy" but made of weak wood and "very shaky": better not to touch it!

For the return, once back down on the Sentiero Natura indicated on the Tabacco and Kompass maps, follow it very easily down to the village of Cismon del Grappa.