Monte Zugna : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost

Overview

Monte Zugna is a mountain known only by the inhabitants of Rovereto (and surroundings) and by some (many) people interested in prehistory, history and astronomy.

It is the northernmost summit of the Gruppo del Carega (Piccole Dolomiti) and its long ridge divides the Val Lagarina (Adige valley - W side) from the Vallarsa (East side - border of Pasubio Group)

In spite of its not high altitude (only 1864 m) is really strategic so this minor mountain became one of the most important 1st world war location : here the Italian Army stopped the famous "strafexpedition" (Austro-Ungarian punitive campaign).

Worth to be visited for (choose the order you like better):

excellent panorama (better in windy days)

1st world war fortifications ecc (Coni Zugna)

Dinosaur tracks ...

Astronomical observatory (Museo Civico di Rovereto)

Rifugio Zugna and its canederli

Monte Zugna 1864m. from Vallarsa Valley

Footprints at the Lavini di Marco

Lavini di marco: dinosaur tracksites

Footprints at the Lavini di Marco

Since 1990. the date of the first mention, the continuous discovery of carnivore dinosaur footprints and tracks, has rendered this Rovereto locality one of the most important fossil deposit in Europe.
The many hundreds of prints found to date, and referring to around 150 individuals, are conserved on the surface of a few rock strata belonging to the carbonate formation of Grey Limestone. The study of the structures and of the fossils conserved within the rock leads us to consider that the formation dates from 200 million years ago.
The landscape appears like a vast and impressing expanse of limestone and big slabs sloping towards the valley. Noe we sww the result of a number of consecutive landslides in different periods. Dante Alighieri in the " Divina Commedia" described well the landslide dynamic because it was very vivid in the memory of people and in their legend.

How to reach Orme dei Dinosauri:

Orme dei dinosauri

Lavini di marco: dinosaur tracksites

Getting There

from Rovereto :

Brennero state road 12

Highway Modena Brennero

2 main roads

Vallarsa road - follow marks for Vicenza - Pian delle Fugazze

Passo buole road - road 12 toward S till 1 km before ALA then on the left along an unpaved road

to the summit

3 main accesses :

road from Rovereto to Albaredo and up to Rifugio Zugna (1616 m) - then on foot, along an old but good military road, to the summit - 30'

path 118 from Matassone (Vallarsa) - 2h 30'

road from Ala to Passo Buole (1460 m) - then path 115 (Peace path) - along an old military road, follow a mule track up to Coni Zugna and to the right, to the summit - 1h 30'