Val Comunga, Sella Giaf, Monte Giaf
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| VanSims1. 04. 2012 21:21:45 |
Indescribable wilderness 'in the middle of nowhere'! Solitude! Beauty and wildness of the gorge! Only on the final forest road towards the valley did I meet one couple, otherwise no one. I believe I was alone on the entire path. Definitely, I won't forget this adventure soon.
In the morning a bit late I head towards Tarvisio, Tolmezzo and San Francesco, which later beats me... When I arrive in San Francesco, by asking locals I quite quickly find the start of hiking trail 810 through Val Comunga. From the description, which unfortunately is the only satisfactory one and even that in Italian, it wasn't quite clear.
http://www.sentierinatura.it/EasyNET/Frameset.asp?Code=sentierinatura&Page=FormDOC&IDD=307&FROMSTART=TRUE
A bit further from the no-entry sign I park and start. The forest road soon disappears and you have to find the path start. It's located left of the tunnel entrance (with grates) up the bank. After a few dozen meters we find a yellow paw print on a stone and the first few markings are like that before official CAI ones start. These are very sporadic and faded, the path is narrow and sometimes hard to follow. Despite everything in the first part up to the secured section you shouldn't have major orientation problems.
But in the first part there are lots of ticks. I constantly removed them from my pants and luckily only got 'two'! 
Then I reach the secured path section where it really begins. The cables ahead are the least problem. Then follow two rock jumps (1st grade) equipped with symbolic holds, the conditioning requirement increases (more descents and rises) especially the orientation difficulty. At some spots I almost despair and want to turn back. Especially just before the last descent to the stream when the path is covered with leaves, before finding it purely by chance. If I had turned back here it would have been right before the end of the hardest part. But in the second part there are no more (so many) ticks.
When the path descends to the stream I reach the confluence. Need to go right (again poor signs - impassable at high water here) and after the first bend we are at Pedigaf, where the technical and orientation troubles end. There is a trail junction. Since there is no signpost on the whole path, I of course go wrong i.e. left over the bridge to San Vincenzo instead of right to Sella Giaf (shelter there). After about 45 min. I arrive in San Vincenzo, well luckily there was also an emergency bivouac there (container). No choice, had to overnight, as no time to go back and to Sella Giaf. It was uncomfortable, cold and I almost didn't close my eyes. Good that I took a thick down jacket with me.
Second day (today) at first light I head back to Pedigaf and on to Sella Giaf. The path to Sella Giaf is in not too steep serpentines, it reminded me of the path to our Komna, only with fewer serpentines (around 25-30).
At Sella Giaf I realize that overnighting here would be much comfier, there were mattresses, walled room,... I could even return to the car at night with a headlamp via the wide forest road that descends to San Francesco.
Well, now that I'm here and have time, I make a side trip to Monte Giaf (path start a bit unclear in grass then green-yellow marks). I follow them to the first peak, the path goes further.
Via the above-mentioned wide forest road from Sella Giaf I go back to San Francesco from where it's another kilometer and a half on the road to the car.
Warnings:
1. Ticks!
2. Not recommended in wet - risk of slipping!
3. Impassable at high water just before Pedigaf!
4. Orientation difficulty!
5. Rockfall (especially on the secured ridge) and caution on the whole path along the gorge especially at exposed spots!
But don't get scared!  Lovers of solitude, wilderness and adventure will have every effort rewarded!
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| VanSims2. 04. 2012 18:40:07 |
For less experienced, those who think they can't cope with the problems from the warnings and also for dogs, there is a nice variant bypassing most of the Comunga gorge or its harder part:
Start from the village of San Francesco itself via forest road to Sella Giaf (optional side trip to Monte Giaf - across meadow then yellow-green marks -15 min to summit - steeper at start), then descent to Pedigaf in the gorge itself (continue from Sella Giaf by standard CAI marks). From there continuation to San Vincenzo (path continues over bridge). There you can turn around and go back the same way. Apart from the signpost at the start and the info board in San Vincenzo only rare marks but the path is generally easy to follow.
But on that board I saw it's not far anymore, maybe max one hour or one and a half hours to the trailhead in the neighboring valley - where perhaps leave second car (second car access would then be: from Tolmezzo towards Ampezzo, just before it turn to Tramonti di Sopra, from there to Tramonti di Mezzo and to end of road where forest path starts or ask for the start to San Vincenzo). All accesses, route plans etc. can of course be found on Google Maps.
Another warning: both on the harder part of the gorge and on this easier variant, NO GSM signal on the whole path!
Unfortunately no pics from the path, but they are on the above link in the first post though the comments are Italian! 
Maja, I saw you also had a good time somewhere in the wilderness 'behind God's back' 
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