Forcella Lavinal dell'Orso Ski Tour

Introduction

This nice and not difficult ski tour brings you in the middle of the Western Julian Alps, on the border of Montaž group and Viš group. You don't reach any big, panoramic summit, but a narrow notch from which the shady northern slopes show up. From there (from Saisera valley) the ski route also comes, but it's one degree more demanding.

General Information

The upper part of our ski tour

Overview: Forcella Lavinal dell'Orso (in Slovenian: Škrbina prednje špranje, in German: Bärenlahnscharte) is a distinct notch between the summits of Cima della Puartate (Nižnji vrhovi), 2436 m, and Cime Castrein (Koštrunove špice), 2502 m. In winter conditions both summits are hard to reach, the ascents would require complete winter climbing equipment and alpinistic experiences. Alpinistic skiers do challenge the slopes of Cime Castrein (TD, 50°/45°, 450 m), the slopes of Cima della Puartate are not appropriate for skiing. The tour goes first by a mountain road and from above the nice, broad alpine meadow on, by a broad valley.

On the notch - Montaž

• Difficulty: It's an easy ski tour, but it brings you in a quite high and wild mountain environment. The slopes are only moderately steep (all the time appropriate for skinning up) and nowhere exposed.
• Orientation: In good visibility it's easy, but the route is not marked with ski touring marks. From the Grantagar alpine meadow you keep ascending in the W-NW direction.
• Exposition: Only the valley-step above the Grantagar meadow is a bit steeper, but not really exposed.
• Slopes Orientation: The slopes where you ascend and ski are oriented towards the east and south, so the sun can soon deteriorate snow conditions.
• Objective Dangers: Above the Grantagar meadow there is a considerable danger of avalanches. The side slopes of the upper valley are very steep and avalanches can come from all directions.
• Best Months: As the tour is not difficult, it can be done also in winter months. But due to some avalanche danger the early spring months are the preferred choice, usually from February to May.
• Gear: Only the usual ski touring equipment.
• Tour Start: Rio del Lago valley. We park by the main road on the altitude of 1000 m. You will find the place, where towards the north the mountain road to Malga Grantagar deters. In winter time there are usually only 2-3 parking places.
• Highest Point: Forcella Lavinal dell'Orso, 2136 m.
• Altitude To Overcome: Some 1150 m.
• Time For Ascent: Some 3 h 30 min in average..

Route Description

Grantagar / Viš meadow

From the parking place you first follow the mountain road, ascending northwards on the Malga Grantagar, 1530 m. If enough snow, this road is nice for skiing down.  

The ascent

After almost half of ascent, you cross the broad, gently slanted alpine meadow. In the northern direction you see a quite rocky valley step. Above it, there's the Corsi hut and the core Viš group. But our valley starts turning slightly left, in the west-northwestern direction. We go best by the right (northern) slopes. So we reach the place below the rocks of Cime Castrein, where towards the right the marked summer trail to Rifugio Corsi deters. We are on 1850 m.  

Above the valley-step

From the summer paths crossroads we simply continue, now skinning already in the western direction. Elevation gain soon brings us on the edge of the valley-step. From a gentle hill we have nice views down the valley and on the Eastern Julian Alps, in the western direction we already see the notch, our goal. But it's still some distance till there. Also that last part of our ascent goes by the northern slopes.

We ski down more or less by the ascent route, but we can freely choose the slopes where snow is good for skiing. We'll probably not do that below the Grantagar meadow, but will follow the road.