Anello di Croce d'Aune

The itinerary begins at Passo Croce d’Aune, which can be reached from Pedavena or Sovramonte by taking the state road 473; there is space here to possibly leave the car. Walking along the paved road that climbs towards Mount Avena, after passing a crossroads, the Troi della Zeccona is taken on the left.

With slight elevation changes and crossing small valley cuts, the trail emerges near a clearing where brambles and shrubs are advancing. Not too long ago, cows grazed here, as evidenced by the existence of an old single-body malga, surrounded by cherry and walnut trees. We are located at the summit of Col Melon, near Pian dei Lac, a toponym related to the past existence of watering holes for livestock.

The walk continues uphill along the road leading to Mount Avena until a bend, where a dirt road is taken. After passing a succession of Biancone, limestone in thin layers with flint levels, a fork is reached. Here, the path continues, leaving a cluster of rustic buildings on the left, which show valuable architectural elements such as roofing slabs, door frames, and stone lintels. Resuming the route, in a few minutes one passes beside the Stalle al Pez, a complex consisting of a stable with a hayloft and a casèra with an annexed casèrin, a small room for preserving products.

From here, it is possible to reach Santa Susanna, descending to the base of the meadow that hosts some rustic buildings and heading left, until entering the grassy ridge overlooking the small church. After this worthwhile detour, one returns to their steps until reaching the Stalle al Pez, where a mule track is taken that climbs into the forest, passing a beautiful double beech tree. After passing a building in a panoramic position, one turns right and proceeds along a steep path, first crossing a beech forest and then a red spruce forest.

Making a small digression to the left, it is possible to see other examples of casère that have retained typical architectural features. Instead, continuing slightly uphill to the right leads to a grassy slope where structures and constructions are decidedly out of sync with the surrounding environment. One descends in view of the Chalet alle Buse, and, passing beside the ski lifts, crosses the lower parking lot to join the paved road that rises from Col Melon.

After a few minutes, we arrive at Casere dei Boschi, where a picnic area has been set up, equipped with fire points and the homonymous malga. The return takes place along the comfortable path that crosses Prà de Gnela and, always remaining in an open and panoramic environment, runs along the border of the protected area. After passing the fork for Col de Gnao and Col Falcon (Municipality of Sovramonte), the houses of Croce d’Aune appear and, further west, the steep Vallon di Aune; in a few minutes, the starting point is reached.

DEEP DIVE INTO... The Malgas of Mount Avena

The malgas are an integral part of the landscape of Mount Avena, a mountain with gentle shapes, suited for grazing and cattle pastures, despite the lack of surface water. The established practice of transferring livestock to high altitudes during the summer season was linked to the possibility of exploiting resources at different altitude levels; in fact, at the same time, meadows at medium and low altitudes were mown and provided fodder for the winter. An aspect that perhaps today is not so easy to understand, given that our daily lives take place mainly in the valley floors, where inhabited centers, productive activities, and communication routes have developed. The mountain grazing (the cargàr montagna) occurs at the beginning of June and concludes in early September. The currently active malgas are three: two belonging to the Municipality of Pedavena (Casere dei Boschi and Campet) and one to the Municipality of Fonzaso (Malga Campon). In addition to enjoying the spectacular green pastures dotted with cows, at the malgas, it is possible to taste excellent dairy products: butter, ricotta, cheese, and schiz which, paired with polenta, constitutes a typical dish of the Feltrino.