MISURINA HIKE IN THE DEI CASTRATI VALLEY

Route: from the small hotels behind Col S. Angelo de Misurina, instead of going up towards Tre Cime, take the road on the left, which continues slightly downhill and, in the woods, northwards, until the rock falls of Monte Piana (often marked out for cross-country skiing). Go along, leaving it on the right, the Col de Saline, immediately starting to go up the series of bends that, along a perilous route, cross the south-eastern rocks of the mountain. We will thus arrive at the Alta pass (1,984 m), to resume the ascent on long, exposed, hillside crossings, sometimes covered with snow in the shape of small basins. At the end, after a more important turn, we reach the windy slopes of the summits, quickly reaching the Bosi refuge (2,205 m). Continue on the plateau following, in a westerly direction, the line of a large poorly defined ridge at the top and near the Carducci pyramid. At this point, those who do not wish to cross the mountain and descend the more difficult route of the I Castrati valley, can return to their steps by the route of the outward journey. Others can descend through the valley of I Castrati, with a view of the superb profile of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo massif; a gentle and free descent, eastward, to the open sea of the Forc dei Castrati pass (2,272 m). The valley of the same name starts with a steep path (about 80 m of gradient) that is best descended on the left slopes. You can then head towards the bottom of the valley, on a shallower slope, following the summer trail on the left on a short route. When the inclination starts to steepen again, about after the wood, fold sharply to the right (southeast) and descend through a small steep valley with often hidden ravines (be careful!), after which, after passing a brief rocky stranglehold on the left, quickly reach the Rinbianco stream, at an altitude of about 1,700 m. From there, there are two options: turning left (north), you go down through the gently sloping Rinbianco Valley to the gorge below the Scoglio S. Marco; then there is a more difficult route south of the talweg to reach the Rienza Valley or the Rinbon Valley, about the same height as the shelter with the same name (1,537 m), from where you continue through the Val di Landro as on route 6. Or, by choosing the opposite direction (south), you go up the Rinbianco Valley, passing before Casera Rinbianco (1,841 m), and, following the route of the Tre Cime road downstream, you reach Lake Antorno (1,866 m), from where, again by the road or through the tracks that leave this road, you return to Misurina. The summit of the mountain is a large undulating plain, in an isolated position, from which an exceptional 360-degree panorama unfolds. The historical interest of these places is not the least important: the mountain was the scene of cruel battles during the Great War, battles that earned it its name of Monte Pianto ("Mount of Sorrows").

Recommended periods: from March to mid-April. Contact the high mountain guides of Cortina for this route.