CRODA GRANDA - AGNER WILD TREK - STAGE 3 - Rifugio Scarpa

Third stage of the Croda Granda - Agner Wild Trek that goes down from Rifugio Scarpa towards Forcella Aurine and then continues towards Don di Gosaldo, arriving at Sagron Mis (Chalet Giasenei)
From Rifugio Scarpa you reach the nearby Malga Losch and from here continue descending through the spectacular and wild Val de Zoppei. Upon reaching the junction at about 1300 meters, you briefly climb to cross the Rozol stream and take the carriage road (path 771) until you find the signs for Frassenè and Mason del Bet. From here continue right along the carriage road leading to Domadore. Upon reaching the paved road, climb slightly to reach the last huts and here cross the bridge and continue following the path called Belvedere, until you reach the localities of Col Fres and via CAI path no. 733 you arrive at the village of Forcella Aurine on a paved road. Just below the junction turn right, joining the municipal road parallel to SP347, which is kept for about a hundred meters until a wide path starts crossing old meadows surrounded by young firs.

Continue up to just before a wooden crucifix, from there turn left and cross the provincial road: on the valley slope a path without signs but clearly visible descends towards Val dei Nogher and skirts it always on the right side without ever crossing it; proceed through the woods in a cool and peaceful environment until you reach the old Campaz ski lift slopes.

Proceed southeast until you reach and cross Val del Mulin; then enter a gravel square. Above you can spot the village of Sant’Andrea (about 1,262 m a.s.l.). About halfway through the square, on the left, there is a concrete ENEL pole with a red spray mark indicating the direction, where the path among ash trees begins that will lead to the Croce Rossa village (complex of 24 small single-family houses donated to the municipality after the 1966 flood). Descending along the municipal road, keep right at the junction and quickly reach Piazza San Giacomo of Don di Gosaldo (municipal seat). Leave the bar Futura on the right passing between the old little church of San Giacomo and the new church of B.V.M. Addolorata and head along SP347 towards Passo Cereda. Continue for about 400 m on the provincial road until leaving it at a left junction descending towards Pette, Zavat.

Follow the municipal road crossing some hamlets of Gosaldo (Pette, Mele, Stefenoi), alternating meadows with beech woods. At the junction for Caldras and Nadai keep left and shortly reach Zavat (1069 m a.s.l.).

Here you find another junction: turn left and continue descending another 200 m until you find larch wood signs in the locality of Altia. Leave the paved road and enter the forest descending on a well-marked path with red and blue paint.

Follow until reaching a meadow where the view goes down to the village of Carrera and the whole Cimonega chain with Piz de Sagron and the village of Sagron in the distance.

Reach the municipal road again, where a drinking water fountain is present. Approaching a wooden shrine, there are signs and the path continues descending passing between a yellow house on the left and an old house on the right. The first stretch is on a meadow, then it immerses into a mixed forest until arriving at Nonet (831 m a.s.l.), inhabited until the late ‘70s.

Continue descending along the old path, well maintained and marked with red/blue marks, you notice well-preserved dry stone walls on the sides, until Le Ai. Here too, four families once lived and the place name derives from the presence, in the past, of several charcoal pits. Leaving Le Ai on the right, continue east on the left orographic side of the Mis stream. Arrive at Macatoch (the name originates from the size of the rock extracted from the mines).

Always following the red/blue signs, at the signs take the direction for the border marker/Sagron. Pass in front of old buildings (one was the “Bar at the Mines”) and continue to the bed of the Mis stream, crossable via a larch bridge that resisted the Vaia storm. Now the path climbs on steep and partly collapsed hairpin bends, following a clearly visible route through the forest. At various points it is possible to glimpse the previously traveled areas and the panorama of Croda Granda.

After about 15 minutes the forest opens and the Casina or Scudelina (855 m a.s.l.) appears, the old mining headquarters of the Austrian mines of Sagron-Mis passing under the porch of the only house. Looking south, you can see the openings of the old mercury mines, reachable by descending along an easy mule track.

Take the dirt road that climbs up to the junction for the village of Vori (883 m a.s.l.), where a short deviation allows to glimpse the opening of the old gold mine. Continue instead climbing along the road, which becomes paved and leads to Marcoi (960 m a.s.l.), the nucleus around which the first Sagron-Mis community developed towards the late 1500s. Continue climbing along the paved road to Casere (970 m a.s.l.), where a wide 360° panorama opens, follow the signs for Val de le Moneghe, turning onto a narrower road to the left.

Arriving at the barrier where the forest road starts (altitude 988 m a.s.l.), turn right taking the IDT path "Intrecci del Tempo" westwards, where a descriptive totem is present. The path, sometimes wider, is always well marked with white-red paint; at one point it opens allowing a view down to the village of Pante (1025 m a.s.l.).