Pala Monda

Pala Monda: : Cava - Malga Fosse - Sentiero dei Finanzieri - Crode Rosse - Rifugio Colverde - Malga Pala - Sentiero del Cacciatore di Malga Pala

Given that it does not require any technical difficulties and it is also suitable for families, this hike is one of the few at the same time easy and spectacular, allowing you to jump straight into the environment offered by the western side of the Pale di San Martino, observing the walls of the iconic peak of Cimón della Pala and the particular geological conformations in the proximity of the so-called Cròde Rosse.

The route starts at the location called Cava (tr. quarry), from a small parking lot located about two kilometers from the village of San Martino di Castrozza, going up the road SS 50 towards Passo Rolle.

The route begins by descending for about 200 meters along the paved SS 50 road towards San Martino di Castrozza, until reaching a hairpin bend, located above the pastures of Malga Fosse di Sotto. From the bend, the trail takes the wide path on the right, heading north, along the bed of the Cismón torrent, towards Passo Rolle. After about half an hour, and after crossing the main road SS 50, the path leads to the hut called Malga Fosse di Sopra (1,936 m asl). From the hut, the loop proceeds along the path called Sentiero dei Finanzieri (Signpost No. 712) which crosses screes and springs that descend from the vertical walls of Cimón della Pala. The path leads, after a stretch of simple ascent, to the most panoramic point of the itinerary, near the location of Cròde Rosse, at about 2,160 meters above sea level. By Cròde Rosse, it is possible to admire the characteristic grassy slope that opens onto Passo Rolle, with the hut Malga Fosse di Sopra in the foreground and the mountain range of Lagorai on the left.

From Cròde Rosse, the itinerary continues along the beautiful high altitude pastures of Malga Pala, where you can normally meet grazing horses and sheep. With a little bit of luck, it is possible to see marmots. Keeping the contour on a slight ascent, in a few hundred meters the path reaches a crossroads; from here the loop continues downhill towards the hut called Rifugio Colverde, along the Signpost No. 706. From Rifugio Colverde (1,965 m asl), the route continues right, westwards, along the gravel road that leads to the nearby hut of Malga Pala (1,897 m asl), a nice spot where to stop for a break.

The way from Malga Pala back to the starting point follows the path called “Sentiero del Cacciatore di Malga Pala” (Signpost No. 725) which, immersed in the forest and crossing the stream of Rio Marmor, will lead directly to the starting point by the location of Cava, after a downhill stretch that ends with a final ramp of a hundred meters.