List of forums / Italy / Carnic Alps / Monte Cucco

Monte Cucco

IgorZlodej24. 10. 2014 18:24:44

I start in the village of Naborjet (Malborghetto), which is known for having a lion's paw cast nearby, the same as at the Predel fortress. About a km above the village I park; further ahead the road is closed to public traffic.

To the Ciurciule basin, where the forest hut is located, one walks along the old military road. The first part is fairly good, then it gets worse. Below the forest hut I cross the stream and on the other side ascend again along the road towards Cucco. In between, at the Clinac saddle, trail 504 turns right towards the Biffil pasture, which is still very far. I continue a bit further along the road towards the Cucco pasture, then turn right onto a cart track that brings me to the Cucco summit. Views of the nearby Stabet, Kovk, Lepa Špica, Poludnik and Šinauc are beautiful, even more beautiful on the Viša group, Montaža, Mangart.

At the summit I decide not to return the same way, but to descend to the village of Sveta Katarina (Santa Caterina). Along a barely noticeable path I descend the SW ridge, passing the Cucco pasture; I don't even reach Alpe Piccola, as I turn left earlier onto a once-marked but now abandoned path that brings me directly to the Cucco village. It is more recommended to descend via trail 502 to S. Caterina.
To the starting point is about half an hour of walking along the valley (possibly less), depending on where in Naborjet you park.

Monte Cucco although few people walk here, the paths are exemplarily marked, only to the summit nothing is marked, but still traceable

Monte Cucco on the path I came across three huts, no bivouacs

Monte Cucco forestry hut Clinac (Clinach)

Monte Cucco from Viš to Montaž and from Poldašnja špica to Dve špici

Monte Cucco at some places the path was washed away

Monte Cucco Stabet, a few years ago I was twice at the summit

Monte Cucco descended to the village Cucco, Via Romana

(+8)

palček plezalček20. 02. 2020 19:37:52

Above the village Cucco/Kuk rises the little peak Alpe Piccola/Kleine Alpelspitze (1304 m). In the past it was known under the name Kuk. Its higher, north-lying neighbor, which today we call Monte Cucco/Kuk, did not have a name, but was marked as point 1598 m.
At the end of the village Cucco there is a small parking lot and right above it the pine forest begins. Through it leads a once-marked but abandoned path, which after good ten minutes brought me to a place where I thought the adventure was over. Steeply inclined slab, sprinkled with dust and fine sand of constantly crumbling rock, over which there used to be a steel cable, and below it quite some air, aroused doubt. I make a few cat steps, but retreat and after consideration descend a few 10 height meters to the dam of the torrent. The gully was dry as pepper, so I take it upwards, bypass the tricky spot with torn steel cable and right after it step back on the path. Immediately I encounter the next obstacle. A few meters separate me from the freely hanging steel wire. Since the rock is a bit better, I grab the rock twice and I'm already on the other side. After less than half an hour I spot the steel cable again and it's torn here too. The terrain seemed acceptable to me, so I didn't hesitate. The 'tricky and sweet' part of the path was behind me. After another hour I joined path CAI 502, but left it immediately and headed along the ridge towards the hill that today bears the name Monte Cucco/Kuk. Instead of rock there was forest and instead of crumbly rock fallen trees. In places persistent icy slides hidden under needles and leaves. When I reached the grassy tongue, there was more snow. The summit was not far and from it Šinauc was visible from a new angle. Unfortunately it offers no other views. I continued north to the marked path and on it 'slalomed down' towards Malga Cucco (1428 m) and further to the previously mentioned junction, from where I continued towards Šenkatrija/Santa Caterina. Just like on the ascent, the descent variant also ran over crumbly slopes and crossing several gullies led to a pine forest strewn with brushwood and then to the road. Along a section of the old road closed to traffic I returned to Cucco.

P.S.: Path CAI 502 (my descent variant) is closed and in Šenkatrija/Santa Caterina marked as impassable. The ascent variant is harder.

On the little hill in front of me there was a cow skeleton :(

There were many animal tracks, but no human ones

The lowest is Monte Nebria/Podgorski vrh

(+8)

2061alessio8. 04. 2024 20:05:22

The former path CAI 502A, newly secured by the Naborjet municipality project, solitary and crumbly, here and there still with old marks because I installed them more than 10 years ago, connects with path 502 from St. Catherine (officially still closed, maybe this year they will fix the section with the old ladders) and leads across Planina Cucco to the Clinac saddle on path 504, part of Sentiero Italia (there maybe/hope we will cut the fallen trees between the Rio Bianco stream and Planina Biffil at some opportunity) for connection to Mokrine/Nassfeld/Pramollo.

Start of the path in the settlement Cucco

Further carefully about 100 meters due to leaves on the narrow exposed track

(+7)

Ninahl26. 04. 2024 11:41:09

Alessio, does path 502A start at the end of Cucco village before the tunnel? Where is best to leave the car for the mentioned path?

(+2)

palček plezalček26. 04. 2024 13:48:30

https://maps.app.goo.gl/p7fwXnfaigt7BqpT6

(+2)

Ninahl26. 04. 2024 13:57:54

Thanks, little man! nasmeh

(+1)

Janez Seliškar5. 07. 2024 07:30:07

Incredible! Through what kind of fallen trees is the path routed!

(+1)

ločanka14. 04. 2025 13:56:35

summit Monte Cucco-Malga Cucco-summit Alpe Piccola

We looked at Alpe Piccola already two years ago, when we reached the top of Buchkopf, and could look back at it for quite a while on the return from the summit. Already then it caught my eye, as the sandy world covered with pines always captivates me and exploring the access began. But then it was only talk of torn cables and that was not encouraging at all. But times have changed in that direction too nasmeh

!

We did a circular tour or kind of figure eight (last picture).
True we didn't know what to expect exactly, but said let's try, we can always turn back. Our starting point was the village Cucco aka Kuk in our language. Ascent among pines and views over them to snow-covered mountains was something that doesn't leave you indifferent. Traversing sandy steep gullies with help of cables was pure pleasure and we gave all praise to their makers. Problem only arose at crossing the last steep little gully, where only ropes are fixed in three sections. Here we realized they are simply fixed too high, as if they help at the beginning of crossing, after a few meters you have to let go and continue without their help. Best to have poles for support, or extra "sling" to grab it. The continuation is quite adrenaline-pumping too, as you cross on narrow leaf-covered path in very steep slope.
Yes, and that wasn't all. From the path junction we headed to summit M.Cucco, where after some time we found quite a lot of marks, but no path, instead lots of fallen trees. Maybe we should have continued on wider path to the left, there were no marks though.
After visiting the summit, we continued north, but soon turned right and even ascended a bit. We reached a junction where you can continue to saddle Clinarch, but we turned right again towards the pasture. Well, only there we ate our snack nasmeh

.
At the junction towards S.Caterina, of course we turned right and started the second part of the eight. Up and down the ladder no problem, in between we admired views to the Julian Alps, then turned left to the summit Alpe Piccola, which is only a couple minutes off the main path.

Beautiful path it was, a bit adrenaline yes, but safely routed, only in one part so-so. Otherwise at this time rich with rhododendron bushes along the path and colored with pink dogwood, takes your breath away with its beauty.

Thanks really to all who posted here and to Alessio for info on renovation of both paths, which really wasn't child's play nasmeh

World of junipers, beautiful views to Piperji, Due Pizzi

Across the gully of Belega potoka to Alpe Piccolo

This was our most difficult traverse despite the taut rope, but unfortunately the rope is too high

View back, from here on along the steep, narrow path covered with leaves, carefully!!

crossing under these skladovnice, also facilitated by steel cables

view from two years ago of the summit of Alpe Piccolo from Buchkopf

(+12)

2061alessio14. 04. 2025 18:23:33

how many ticks did you pick up descending from Alpe Piccola to St. Catherine?

(+1)

turbo14. 04. 2025 19:33:14

St. Catherine is Šenkatrija in Slovenian nasmeh

https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naborjet_-_Ov%C4%8Dja_vas

(+1)

ločanka15. 04. 2025 07:15:18

Alessio, not at all! Should we have? nasmeh

?
We just marveled at all the beauties along the path and enjoyed.

turbo, thanks for the info. Wouldn't have thought of it, but sounds much simpler straight to sv.Katarina nasmeh

(+1)

2061alessio15. 04. 2025 17:16:53

oh, good news, best that way; I always got them on this part before covid and even more, either on a walk or working, maybe they liked me nasmeh

; thanks Bojan mežikanje

(+1)

Robie20. 04. 2025 13:49:00

Despite the bad weather yesterday, a nice tour - "figure eight", start on the right marked side and return on the left side (upper part unmarked). On the summit, visible traces of wolf feast (carcasses of two cattle - bones scattered around). Nature wonderful and well-maintained path too, the old path we descended is also OK, a bit harder but on some parts among fallen trees old markings help. Walked 13.6 km and 981 m elevation.

(+3)

You must log in to post a comment:

Username:
Password:
Remember me:
	Login

If you do not yet have a username, you must first register.

News

Forum

List of mountains

Trip search

Panorama

Video

Summit register

Events

Animals

Flowers

Map

GPS tracks

Webcams

Pictures

Donate

Monte Cucco