Monte Slenza Est

Monte Slenza

The tour around Monte Slenza near Pontebba is a historic tour with some great panoramic views and a varied and technical trail descent.

Description

The tour starts between Dogna and Pontebba at the old barracks of the Vallo Alpino or at the Polveriera. From here, a gravel military and forest road rides steadily uphill on the south side towards Casera Slenza Bassa and on to the Cima Est of Monte Slenza. The uphill has medium to moderate gradients. The last few meters to the Casera Slenza Alta must be pushed as the path turns into a trail here.

A detour to the Cima Est Monte Slenza is possible and worthwhile. The small summit is marked with a cross and offers a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains of the Julian and Carnic Alps.

Afterwards, the descent begins on Sentiero 429. At difficulty level S2, occasionally S3, the trail descends steadily along the ridge towards Pontebba. Individual passages are a little exposed, but overall the trail is very homogeneous and rides through dense spruce and beech forests.

At the fork in the trail south of Monte Fortin, you reach the memorial plaques of the infantry regiment and follow the gravel road to the right. This is where the tour's small flaw lies: the altitude difference from around 950 meters above sea level down to around 600 meters above sea level unfortunately has to be covered entirely on a gravel road, as there are no trail cut-offs.

On arrival in Plans, you join the impressive Alpe-Adria cycle path and use it to return to the starting point. Overall, this is a very scenic tour in the heart of Friuli. The long gravel section at the end diminishes the overall impression somewhat, but does not change the alpine character of the route. It is essential to carry lights for the return journey through the galleries.

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