Anello di Croce d'Aune

This itinerary starts from the Croce d’Aune Pass, that can be reached from Pedavena or Sovramonte by taking the state road 473; there, there are some parking slots. Walking along the paved road that climbs toward Mount Avena, passed a crossroad, take the Troi della Zeccona on the left.

Making slight fluctuations of altitude and passing small valley incisions, the trail comes out near a clearing, where brambles and shrubs are advancing. In times not too long ago, cows grazed here, as shown by the existence of an old single-body mountain hut, surrounded by cherry and walnut trees. You are located on the summit of Col Melon, near Pian dei Lac, a place-name related to the existence in the past of cattle watering ponds.

The hike continues uphill along the direct carriage road on Mount Avena until a hairpin bend, where it turns onto a dirt road. Past an outcrop of Biancone, limestone in thin layers with flint levels, you come to a crossroad. From there you continue, leaving a group of rustic buildings on the left, which show exquisite architectural elements, such as roof slabs, stone jambs and architraves. You get back on track and in a few minutes you pass by the Stalle al Pez, a complex formed by a stable with a barn and a casèra with attached the caserìn, a small room for the preservation of products.

From there, it is possible to reach St. Susanna, descending to the base of the meadow that houses some rustic buildings and heading to the left, until you enter the grassy ridge above the small church. After this worthy detour, you return to the Stalle al Pez, where you take a mule track that climbs into the forest, passing a beautiful specimen of double beech. After passing a building in a panoramic position, turn right and proceed on a steep track, crossing first a beech forest and then a spruce.

Making a small digression to the left, you can see other examples of casère that have maintained typical architectural features. Proceeding, instead, slightly uphill to the right, you come to a grassy slope where artifacts and buildings rise up, which are decidedly out of tune with the surrounding environment. Descend in view of the Chalet alle Buse and, passing by the ski lifts, cross the parking lot below to join the paved road that climbs from Col Melon.

After a few minutes, you arrive in Casere dei Boschi, where there is a picnic area, equipped with fire points and the homonymous mountain hut. On the way back, follow the convenient trail that crosses Prà de Gnela and, remaining always in an open and scenic environment, it runs along the border of the protected area. Past the crossroads 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 you gain the starting point.

FURTHER INFORMATION ON... The alpine huts of Mount Avena

The mountain huts are an integral part of Mount Avena landscape, a mountain of gentle forms, suitable for alpine pasture and cattle, despite the lack of surface water. The established practice of moving livestock to higher altitudes during the summer season was related to the possibility of resource exploitation on different altitudinal levels; in fact, at the same time the meadows of mid- and low-altitude were mowed and guaranteed forage for the winter. An aspect that perhaps today is not so easy to understand, since our daily life takes place essentially on the valley floor, where inhabited centers, productive activities and communication routes have developed. The mountain grazing (cargàr montagna) takes place in early June and ends in early September. There are three mountain huts still active today: two belonging to the Municipality of Pedavena (Casere dei Boschi and Campet) and one belonging to the Municipality of Fonzaso (Malga Campon). In addition to enjoying the spectacle of the green pastures dotted with cows, excellent dairy products can be enjoyed at the pastures: butter, ricotta, cheese and schiz, which, combined with polenta, is a typical Feltrino dish.