Mount Cadin is one of the main peaks of the Musi mountain range. It is located at the western-most point of the ridge and is closely connected to the Plauris-Lavara Massif. This itinerary takes place on the southern slope of the mountain, in the Torre river catchment basin (Municipality of Lusevera). The route, which is quite challenging, especially along the stretch near to the peak, takes in former, neglected pastures in which shrubs and trees are in the process of recolonizing, rocks awash and in rapid disintegration, dry alpine meadows, cliffs and karst hollows on the mountain ridgeline. Despite being located in one of the wettest zones in Europe, the habitat along this route is, on the whole, quite arid and, where the water does manage to surface, it creates a landscape of unparalleled and primitive beauty (Rio Zaturan is one such place). Along the route, it is possible to see rare botanical species and an extraordinary cross-section of reptiles and amphibians; moreover, there will also be many interesting bird species to observe.
Durante la bella stagione è possibile muoversi lungo il percorso senza particolari accorgimenti, anche se sarebbe opportuno evitare le ore più calde della giornata. In inverno,invece, è necessario disporre di un'attrezzatura adeguata (ramponi, piccozza e racchette) per avere una presa migliore lungo i pendii innevati. Si sconsiglia di effettuare l'escursione durante il periodo di scioglimento delle nevi, in quanto, a causa della forte pendenza e della notevole insolazione, le slavine sono piuttosto frequenti e pericolose. E' necessario, infine, prestare la massima attenzione quando si raggiunge la base delle rocce costituenti la linea di cresta: vi si staccano con frequenza dei grossi sassi che possono costituire un serio pericolo per l'escursionista.


WALK TIMES
From the village of Tanataviele to the summit of Mount Cadin, following the suggested itinerary, the time required for the climb is roughly 3½ hours, maintaining a good walking pace; the return trip takes about 2 hours. The whole route, then, should not take more than 6 hours in total.

DIFFERENCE IN LEVEL
The highest altitude this itinerary reaches is 1,818 m above sea level, corresponding to the summit of Mount Cadin: with the altitude of the departure point being 627 m (a.s.l.), the difference in level is 1,191 m.

THE SEASON
During fine weather, it is possible to walk along this route with no special arrangements, although it would be preferable to avoid the warmest hours of the day. In winter, on the other hand, it is necessary to have adequate gear (crampons, ice-axe and snowshoes) for a more solid grip along the snowy slopes. We advise you against going on this excursion during the snowmelt period as, because of the steep incline and significant insolation, snowslides are quite frequent and dangerous. It is also necessary to be especially careful when you reach the base of the rocks at the ridgeline: large stones frequently break away and could constitute a serious danger for the hiker.

EQUIPMENT
Normal hiking equipment is sufficient, although the use of alpenstocks would be preferable to facilitate climbing steep slopes. Because of the presence of ticks of the Ixodes genus (other than annoying, they also carry borellia, a cause of Lyme disease) and vipers, quite common, we suggest you wear long trousers. The same precaution is also useful to protect you from the many blood–suckling insects in the meadows.

THE ITINERARY
From the village of Tanataviele (627 m) you take CAI trail no. 709, which is well sign-posted. The place-name reflects the conditions of a region which serves as an axis between diverse people and cultures: the Friulian noun "taviele" means 'cultivated land, countryside', the adverb "ta" and the preposition "na" in Slovene combine with the original noun and assume the meaning of ‘up there’. Access to the route is blocked by an iron gate, which is always locked: it is therefore necessary to set off along a path to the left which will enable you to bypass this obstacle. After a few minutes you cross a clear stream. It would be a good idea to fill your water-bottle here, as this will be your only chance to obtain fresh water. The route continues across an area in the process of being afforested and through rocks awash which are extremely brittle, mainly near the gullies, where the pioneer vegetation grows with difficulty. The incline, moderate but not excessive, prepares the body prior to the arduous climb to the summit of Mount Cadin.
At this initial stage of the excursion, the landscape is dominated by rocks awash, interrupted by arid meadows and recent limited tree formations. Mount Cadin is mainly composed of Noric dolomitic limestone, rock which is in itself quite brittle: this factor, together with a high level of rainfall, renders the landscape unstable and uneven. The environment is characterised by permeable soil with a good southerly exposure, often battered by heavy rains. In these conditions, the prevailing vegetation is winter flowering heather (Erica herbacea), sticky flax (Linum viscosum), mountain pine and rayed broom (Genista radiata); on the other hand, in areas where the earth retains more water, you can find the black bog rush (Schoenus nigricans), the marsh grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) and the delicate alpine butterwort (Pinguicula alpina). In areas where the incline decreases and a humus layer has settled, the prevailing vegetation is beech and European hornbeam, alongside other thermophilic species such as the flowering ash (Fraxinus ornus) and the downy oak tree (Quercus pubescens). In the underwood, most common are various moor grasses (Sesleria varia), white sedge (Carex alba), scented Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum), dark red helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens), wood anemone, common hepatica (Hepatica nobilis), spring pea (Lathyrus vernus), glutinous sage (Salvia glutinosa) and odorous pig-salad (Aposeris foetida). The considerable insolation, the presence of refuges and the geographic location have favoured the settlement of numerous reptile species. Very common are the wall lizard, the slowworm, the green lizard and the smooth snake. Also present, but less widespread, are the coluber, the Aesculapian snake, the asp and the horned viper. Regular sightings are made of the buzzard, the honey buzzard and the sparrowhawk. Interestingly, during the winter months the wallcreeper can also be seen, around the gullies. Amongst the mammals, it is worth noting the common shrew, the stone marten and the rare wildcat.

About one hour into the hike, you reach the locality of Plan di Tapou (place name derived from the Slovene "topol" meaning 'poplar'), a now neglected meadow with an intersection at 875 m altitude: take the trail which climbs to the right - signposted “decollo” (take-off), which takes those who wish to practice gliding to an open area from which they can take off – and go through a dense wood of mainly hazel trees. The terrain here is quite wet and the incline increases rendering the climb decidedly arduous, even though the trail is in the shade. The area is in a phase of rapid reforestation, with deciduous species which grow naturally, such as the birch and the sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), as well as with planted species such as spruce and larch. The ground is composed mainly of moraine deposits which make for quite a wet habitat. The transition from meadow to forest favours the settlement of numerous species of small birds which build their nests in the dense vegetation and feed in the abandoned meadows. These include the chaffinch, greenfinch, bullfinch, red-backed shrike, chiff-chaff and blackcap. There are also numerous tits, in particular the crested tit (Parus cristatus) that nests here. The presence of fruit-bearing vegetation attracts various species of mammals such as the squirrel, the edible and hazel dormouse, woodmouse, red fox, badger and, quite frequently, roe deer and wild boar.

Bypassing the western slope of Mount Tapou (1,100 m) requires some time, but once you have reached the north of the summit, your efforts are rewarded with the wonderful view of the Musi valley eroded by the Mea river (the hydronym derives from the dialectal word "méa, meja", meaning 'landslide, steep terrain'). The environment here is harsh and spectacular, characterised by the steep rocky surfaces of the southern face of the Cime di Musi peaks and by the dense beech groves of the northern slope of the Gran Monte. Afterwards, the trail climbs rapidly, passing other meadows in the process of being reforested and a few areas of mountain pine. During the ascent, you will see recent military posts, small semi-circular trenches dug out to defend against potential attacks by the infantry coming from the valley.

In these steep and arid meadows, it is possible to see some interesting botanical species. Growing along the route are the Clusius gentian (Gentiana clusii), cowslip (Primula veris), goldentuft alyssum (Aethionema saxatile), creeping cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans), alpine squill (Scilla bifolia), scented Solomon’s seal, fragrant hellebore (Helleborus odorus), wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa), alpine pasqueflower and pale-flowered orchid (Orchis pallens). The growth of species typical of underwood habitats shows that these meadows have an anthropic origin and are recent formations. It is not uncommon to come across the viviparous lizard and the adder. From the end of April to the beginning of May, the black grouse, which has been seen much less over the last few years, parades itself here. Also found here are the rare corncrake, the water pipit and the tree pipit.

After an hour’s walk from Plan di Tapou, you reach CAI trail no. 740 which leads directly to the Forcella Stiliza pass (1,375 m). Another hour and the first rock faces come into view, and ten or so minutes later a timely wire cable appears which gives you the impetus to reach the ridgeline. A final 10 minutes and you reach Forcella Stiliza (1,790 m: from the Slovene "Stilice" meaning 'steps'), an impressive wild and rugged landscape of sheer rock faces and karst caves. From the pass, you leave the CAI trail and take a left towards the summit of Mount Cadin (in Friulian "cjadìn", from the Latin ‘Catinus’, in the sense of 'cirque, rocky basin'). Great care should be taken when walking along the ridgeline (you must first tackle a couple of subpeaks before reaching the main summit at 1,818 m).

Growing out from between the rocks are the auricula primrose (Primula auricula), alongside the flax bellflower (Campanula carnica), rock valerian (Valeriana saxatilis), Burser’s saxifrage (Saxifraga burserana), rock kernera (Kernera saxatalis) and an abundance of winter-flowering heather. From this privileged position, you can observe the flight of the golden eagle, alpine swift, raven and occasionally the alpine chough. Amongst the small birds, the black redstart can be found here. The meadows are densely populated with the snow vole, whilst the most typical mammal of these habitats – the chamois – has had to be “restocked”, an operation which should lead to a rapid increase in the population of this ungulate. Recently, on the southern slope of the Musi mountains, the Park authority has introduced a dozen chamois, taken from the Maritime Alps Park, which will be joining the other chamois released onto the various sections of Mt. Plauris.

The first part of the return journey is identical to the outward route. Once you have reached the intersection between CAI trails 709 and 740 (1,375 m), after about 1 hour walk, you take the path which continues to the left (trail no. 740). The path descends rapidly along a slope known as Tasaiebomenta, which in certain parts has been transformed due to the repeated snowslides down these valleys. The steep downhill slope allows you to quickly reach an area which is in the process of reforestation, which then gives way to rocks awash near the gorge created by the Rio Zaturan ('za' means 'behind' and the root "turan" derives from the Slovene "tùren" meaning 'tower'). This is perhaps the most evocative setting, the most significant “snapshot” of the whole itinerary, considering the starkness of the place.

In an extremely permeable environment like the Cadin massif, the presence of surface waters is of fundamental importance for various animal species such as the fire salamander, common toad, common frog, grass snake, white-throated dipper and water shrew.

Once you have passed the river, cross through a conifer plantation and you soon reach the departure point.

Map


Cartography

Topographic map for hikers - scale 1:25.000 – sheet no. 026 Julian Prealps
Valli del Torre
Publisher: Edizioni Tabacco.
Itinerary coordinated by Tiziano Fiorenza and Maurizio Dondolo.
We thank Luciano Michelizza for his collaboration.