The starting point of the itinerary is Passo Croce d'Aune, which can be reached from Pedavena or Sovramonte via the state road 473; here you can optionally leave the car. From Croce d'Aune, following the Troi della Zeccona, you will arrive at Col Melon (see itinerary 12 – Croce d'Aune for the detailed description).
The path proceeds downhill along the roadway for about 500 meters. You continue to descend along the main road, flanked by an outcrop of Scaglia Rossa, where the orderly arrangement of layers creates the visual effect of a dry stone wall. After making a couple of bends and reaching a third one, you veer left onto a dirt road that leads to some casère.
You then proceed through a forest rich in beeches and ashes; the path is quite steep, while the reddish ground presents some rocky outcrops. Continuing in the same direction, you keep descending until you reach a reforested area of Norway spruce; however, the presence of chestnuts suggests that, not too long ago, the environmental setup was different.
Shortly we arrive at a cluster of rustic buildings: the barn is the one that has best preserved the typical aspect, where the use of porphyry boulders creates a characteristic chromatic effect on the walls. Looking northward, through the branches of the larches, you can glimpse once again the Peaks and the valley carved by the Porcilla stream.
The itinerary continues downhill, occasionally surprising us with details such as a patch of ground covered in soft mosses and ferns of the genera Polypodium and Asplenium. As you descend, the forest increasingly enriches itself with tree species that adapt to the different soil and climate conditions: there are maples, beeches, birches, and spruces, but also poplars and willows, which require more humidity, and finally cherries, chestnuts, and hazels, which reveal a connection with human activities.
A final stretch of a compact stony mule track guides us to the intersection, where the road to Col Melon branches off from the state road 473. We find ourselves at the lowest point of the itinerary (719 m above sea level) and we need to climb for about a kilometer along the state road towards Croce d'Aune. Despite the slight uphill, the path is pleasant because it offers beautiful scenic views of the eastern side of M. Avena, Croce d'Aune, and the Peaks. Accompanied by signs indicating the perimeter of the Park, we reach the evocative Pian d'Avena. In addition to a picnic area, at Villa Berton there is the Territorial Coordination station for the Environment, an office of the State Forestry Corps responsible for supervisory service in the Park.
In the surrounding territory, the presence of the quail king, a very rare bird protected by EU regulations, has been recorded; it arrives here in spring to nest in grassy environments. A convenient dirt road winds through the vast plateau, offering splendid views of the mountains. After about 20 minutes of walking, you leave it to take the path on the left that will lead you back uphill to Croce d'Aune (see itinerary 5 – Camogne for the detailed description).
DEEPENING ON... Past and present on Monte Avena
Until the 1950s, an intense agro-silvo-pastoral activity took place on Monte Avena. In recent decades, significant changes have occurred: the current climate, for example, no longer gifts us the abundant snowfalls of the past. Sometimes aided by artificial snowmaking, the ski facilities of Monte Avena continue to operate. Meanwhile, other sporting practices have also emerged, such as free flight, with paragliding or hang gliding, favored by the area's particular atmospheric circulation. Hiking, both on foot and by mountain bike, is also widespread, taking advantage of the dense network of roads and trails; after all, the historic itinerary of the Alta Via No. 2, after crossing the fascinating scenarios of the Dolomites, ends right at Croce d'Aune. The hope is that new forms of tourism will grow, bringing visitors into contact with the environment and culture of this territory, in line with the need to protect its great natural value.
