Rifugio Pelizzo - Monte Mataiur/Matajur (via Ledina)

Access to starting point:
A) On the Slovenian side:
From the road Tolmin - Kobarid, in the settlement Idrsko turn left (from the direction of Kobarid turn right); a steep two-lane road branches off towards the village Livek (approximately 5 km). Here we continue on an increasingly narrow road into Italy. On the other side of the border, the road starts to descend slightly; at the village Polava it widens again and ascends slightly towards the village Čepletišče / Cepletischis. From here we descend to the intersection (0.5 km), where we continue right, in the direction of the village Matajur / Montemaggiore and Rifugio Pelizzo. Straight ahead Sauodnja / Savogna. From Livek to the village Matajur is approximately 10 km, to Rifugio Pelizzo 13 km.

B) On the Italian side:
From the Gorizia direction we drive on the regional road towards Udine / Videm, to the turn-off for Cormons / Krmin. At the roundabout before Krmin we turn right towards Krmin / Cormons and Čedad / Cividale. We drive under the underpass and then immediately turn left. In the larger and awkward intersection in Krmin we turn towards Čedad / Cividale del Friuli. We continue driving through several settlements on the carefully maintained Friulian plain. With good visibility we will see our destination Matajur in the company of Krn first on our right side, from Čedad straight ahead of us. In Čedad we arrive at the traffic-light-controlled intersection next to a building in which there is first a pharmacy (farmacia) and then a bank. At the intersection we turn sharply right (straight ahead of us is the entrance to the old town and a large free parking lot). To the famous Devil's Bridge (Friulian: Puint dal diaul) it is only a few minutes' walk.
We continue to a smaller roundabout, in front of which there are several direction signs, including a brown sign for Kolovrat. From here onwards we follow the signs for Kolovrat. Along the river Nadiža we drive towards the settlement Špeter Slovenov / San Pietro al Natisone. Approximately 1 km before Špeter we arrive at an intersection in the settlement Muost / Puint / Ponte San Quirino. Here we turn right (straight to Špeter), left over the bridge is the road from Čedad on the other bank of the river Nadiža, along which the route that you can find on Google Maps leads us. We continue to follow the signs for Kolovrat, but only for approximately 1.5 km, where the road for Kolovrat and the former border crossing and saddle Solarji / Solarie branches off to the right. We continue straight to the larger settlement Sauodnja / Savogna, also the center of the eponymous municipality. Here we turn right over the bridge and continue on the main road. We could also go left uphill after the bridge, but the road is very steep and narrow. On the bridge we also see red signs for Rifugio Pelizzo. The road soon starts to ascend in serpentine (approx. 3 km and 6 sharp turns). At the top we come to the next junction, where we turn left towards the village Matajur / Montemaggiore and Rifugio Pelizzo. Straight ahead of us is the village Čepletišče (Cepletischis) and still approximately 6 km to Livek. From the intersection, approximately 5.5 km of moderately ascending two-lane road still separates us from the village Matajur. Above the village Matajur the road narrows somewhat and after 3.5 km in a gentle ascent brings us to Rifugio Pelizzo.

Path description:
The path is very suitable for all hikers who are not fans of steep ascents and like to walk on (in dry conditions) undemanding paths. The start of the path is not marked, but orientation is not a problem. After 20-30 minutes, as we continuously move away from the destination and starting point, we join the path that comes from the village Mašera/Masseris. The path from the village Mašera is comparable in elevation gain and length to the one from Avsa. For all those for whom the mentioned paths are too demanding, this is a good shortcut, as we shorten it by approximately 1 hour of the steepest ascent, and thus enjoy only the most beautiful part of the path to Matajur.
In winter the path is usually not trodden, so snowshoes are almost mandatory, and crampons if icy.

We park on the larger parking lot on our left, a little below Rifugio Pelizzo. The word rifugio literally means shelter; in Italian it also means mountain hut or lodge. Pelizzo by size belongs more to the latter. From the parking lot we descend along the road in the direction of arrival to a larger bend (approximately 300 m).
In snowy conditions the road is closed above the village Matajur. The shortest path to the bend below Rifugio Pelizzo, where our path starts, is along the gently ascending road (approximately 40 min. of walking), which we can shorten several times via steep shortcuts.

At the bend, through a gap in the protective fence, we descend the embankment below the road and along the path to the nearby woods. Soon after entering the woods we will see the first blazes. The path continues descending towards the bed of the torrent Skrila. If there is a lot of snow, this part of the path can be quite demanding, as the steepness increases further and the snow here often freezes.
After crossing the torrent bed the path starts to ascend moderately to the left on the slopes below Ledina. After a short ascent the path almost levels out and crosses steep grassy slopes. In snowy conditions the passage on this otherwise short section of the path can be dangerous. On the southern grassy slopes below Ledina the snow softens quickly and we can slip. If there is more than 0.5 m of snow, especially a few days after snowfall, better choose another path.

After a short crossing of the grassy slopes below Ledina the path starts ascending again towards the woods. We are continuously moving away from the starting point and our goal. In the woods the path starts to ascend more steeply. After a short ascent we exit the woods and join the path from the village Mašera/Masseris. At this point we are the farthest from our goal (approximately 30 minutes from the starting point). From here our path will again head towards the summit of Matajur. We continue ascending to the left, to the right downhill the village Mašera.
After a short ascent on grassy terrain we enter the woods again, where the path winds through a corridor between rocks. On this part of the path we must be particularly careful, as leaves can obscure the path. At the end of the corridor we must turn right (if we are not careful and go straight ahead, we go wrong).
The path turns out of the woods and then crosses sparsely vegetated slopes. From here a view opens towards Mrzli vrh above Idrska planina and Krn. In a gentle to moderate ascent it brings us to the cart track - Old path from Livek.
We continue walking on the cart track to the left, to the right Avsa and Livek. In a barely noticeable ascent we cross the slopes of Ledina, from where we have a nice view of our goal Matajur and the path still ahead of us, as well as the path we walked from the starting point below Rif. Pelizzo. In snowy conditions there can be a lot of snow on this part of the path, which can sink deeply. Snowshoes are also useful here, even if skiers have already made a ski track. Even if there is no more snow on the southern slopes below Rif. Pelizzo, it can persist here for a long time. If icy, at least small crampons are useful.

The cart track after approximately 15 minutes of relaxing walking brings us to a clearing where a stone hut stands. Behind us is approximately 1 hour of walking from the starting point. We continue a few more minutes on the cart track, then a path branches off to the right that only shortens the bend and in a couple of steps brings us to the saddle. Here the path from Rif. Pelizzo past the Skrila spring joins. In front of us we clearly see our goal, the summit of Matajur; behind us rises the mighty Krn with its neighbors. The signpost says it is 20 minutes to the summit; you can safely add another 10 minutes and enjoy the ever better views.
The path continues a few steps on the cart track to the bend, where the blazes direct us onto a path that leads straight uphill. The cart track, however, in a gentle ascent crosses the southeast slopes of Matajur towards Dom na Matajure. If there is nearly 1 m of snow, you won't see the cart track. If the snow is not transformed or is very soft, crossing the slopes towards Dom na Matajure is not recommended. Instead of the wide cart track, there are only steeply falling slopes where we can trigger an avalanche, or it triggers from the slopes above us.

From the bend our path continues on the path, which ascends quite steeply to a smaller saddle, where the path from Avsa joins from the right. From here the views ahead of us expand to the Kanin mountain range and Rombon, Mangart, Jalovec, and Razor. A short ascent follows to the eastern ridge, from which the view extends all the way from the Dolomites to the Lower Bohinj Mountains. After crossing the ridge the path ascends moderately for a few more minutes towards the summit, which we see ahead of us the whole time.

From the summit of Matajur we can return to Rifugio Pelizzo and the starting point:
- straight downhill along the former ski area (where the path from Dom na Matajure joins; we can extend the path towards Livek and further past the Skrila spring)
- along the western ridge to Dom na Matajure and from there straight to Rif. Pelizzo or extend past the Skrila spring
- along the northern ridge to the pond on Maršinska planina (descent along the ridge is not recommended in snowy conditions) and from there:
a) further to the end of the planina and then to Rif. Pelizzo
b) from the pond we ascend to Dom na Matajure and from there to Rif. Pelizzo.

If our starting point was above the village Matajur, we can continue from Dom na Matajure or from Maršinska planina to the village Matajur.

If the weather conditions are favorable, it would really be a shame not to traverse this beautiful mountain in several directions, as the ascent itself is not demanding. Walking on this paternal mountain of the Beneški Slovenci offers lovers of undemanding terrain plenty of enjoyment and beautiful views.