Cima del Cacciatore / Kamniti Lovec (=The Stone Hunter, also Germans name it Steinerne Jaeger) is one of those mountains, which exist in the first place to offer an ideal view on other, more beautiful mountains. But greatness of the latter would not be such if the former would not exist. Kamniti Lovec is standing north of the brilliant Vis group and north-east of the great Montaz chain. That's why from its summit you can enjoy one of the finest panoramas of Julian Alps. Its small group is quite stand-alone, rising high above the valleys of Valbruna and Mrzla voda / Riofreddo. It is attached to the wild chain of Lastovice and over it by the main Vis group on the Prasnik saddle, 1491m.

The statements above don't mean that Kamniti Lovec is not a fine mountaineering goal itself. You can choose among hikes of various length and demand, from a 4 hour walk to a just good 1 hour hike from Visarje / Monte Lussari, 1766m. From the main ridge just below the highest point you can do also a fine ski tour. Having in mind that you can reach Visarje / Monte Lussari by a cable-car and then ski down from the summit to Camporosso, 800m, you can understand why it's one of the most enjoyable, although not easy ski tours. Looking the map I am also asking myself if the cart-road over Prasnik saddle, 1491m, would not offer you a great mountain bike round tour, connecting valleys Valbruna and Mrzla voda / Riofredo. As Kamniti Lovec does not have high walls it is not a goal for rock climbers.

They say that the mountain has its name by a rock figure below the summit, reminding on a hunter. The legend also says that a wild hunter was shooting from there towards the holy church on Visarje / Monte Lussari and was because of that turned in stone.

From the W

From the E

From the S

Summit Views

On Montaz

On Vis

Svete Visarje / Monte Santo di Lussari

On the north fore-summit of Kamniti Lovec stands a famous pilgrim church of Sta. Maria which is worth visiting even if you're not a believer. Besides being a holy place it also hosts nice frescoes, created by Tone Kralj. In summer thousands of pilgrims visit this church, but even though one good hour away on the summit of Kamniti Lovec crowds of mountaineers are not so big any more. Visarje / Monte Lussari can be reached by a modern cable-car from Zabnica/Camporosso. In past this cable-car was reaching Visarje / Monte Lussari from Valbruna valley, a few years ago it was moved closer to Tarvisio. Northern slopes of Visarje / Monte Lussari are covered with forrest, but throug them many ski tracks are cut. Besides by the main cable-car skiing is supported also by some ski-lifts.

Getting There

A map of Vis and Montaz subgroup. It's outdated - the cable-car on Monte Lussari now goes from Camporosso!

For the general orientation see the Julian Alps group page.

Tarvisio/Trbiz can be reached by a highway Udine - Tarvisio - Villach. Some 3 km west of the town in the main valley there's a station of Visarje / Monte Lussari cable-car. This is the easiest approach to Kamniti Lovec. The other two options to reach the summit are longer. They start in two side valleys:
1. Valbruna/Zajzera can be reached from the main valley (Val Canale) by a road, which deters from the highway some 5 km west of Tarvisio.
2. Riofredo / Mrzla voda is a side valley of Val Rio del Lago / Jezerska dolina. By the village, named Riofreddo, 833m, the road into the valley is closed for public traffic.

Contact for info about cable-car: Telecabina Mount Lussari, Camporosso, Tel. 0428-653915/64982.

Map: Tabacco, No. 019. Alpi Giulie Occidentali Tarvisiano. 1:25000

Routes Overview

Kamniti Lovec and its marked paths (red), non marked paths (black dotted) and ski routes (blue).

Visarje / Monte Lussari can be reached by a cable-car (couldn't find an on-line itinerary on the web) or by many marked paths (3-4 hours from valleys). One old pilgrimage path goes up from Camporosso/Zabnica through the valley of Rio Lussari, the other one directly from Tarvisio over the summits of Prisojnik, 1324m, and Florjanka, 1658m.

The very summit of Kamniti Lovec can be reached by two marked paths: the usual one from north and the less common one from south.

Approach from Visarje

On the fore-summit

1. From Visarje / Monte Lussari. By the marked path No. 613 into a basin north of the main summit, then towards east on the summit ridge and over the fore-summit to the top. Marked path, some steep slopes below the summit, 1 hour 15 minutes.

2. From Prasnik saddle, 1491m (can be reached by a cart-road either from Valbruna/Zajzera or Riofredo / Mrzla voda). Marked path, difficulty unknown to me, some 1h 30min.

A mountain bike tour: Valbruna, 860m - Visarje / Monte Lussari, 1760m and back.

Red Tape

There's no red tape.

When To Climb

Kamniti Lovec can be climbed almost any month of the season. Only in hard winter the summit part of the main ridge can be problematic. In High snow there's a big danger of avalanches in the basin north of the summit and if the snow is hard or icy, you'd need a full winter equipment for the summit ridge. Otherwise the best months are July to October and for tour skiing February to April/May.

For weather see here.

Even better site is wunderground - here's the direct link to Kredarica station, 2515m (below Triglav summit).

Camping

To ascend Kamniti Lovec you don't need to sleep on the mountain. On Visarje / Monte Lussari there's Rifugio al Convento.

See also the tourist site of Tarvisio.

Images



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