| VanSims12. 09. 2013 19:11:58 |
This Saturday (7.9.) I set off for Mokrine in the morning. From the Italian side, from Tablja (Pontebba), as many know, the road is much worse than from the Austrian side. Plus, cows were strolling along it!  The notification to the prefecture in Udine was sent, but whether the nonchalant Italians will reply at all (like the Austrians and also the Slovenes did for me in similar cases with problems e.g. with dogs) is a question. I have a bad feeling... 
I park at the old customs house a few bends below the top and set off. To the Winkel valley from there is a good shot, there I turn right towards the ferrata Enrico Contin. The whole way the view of the Konjski Špik ridge is obscured by fog, which was constant all the way to the descent. First a moderate ascent along the path, at the junction I go left (right Madriče), then I reach a flat area and there Via Schiavi (free climbing II) branches off to the left, leading directly to the ridge and to the top of Konjski špik. I go straight ahead and at the next junction left (right ferrata Madritsch to Torre Clampil, A/B; if I had known earlier that this isn't that "awful" one that goes from the Austrian side, I might have gone there first and then descended to Forcella Contin). Then a somewhat tedious path over rocky terrain with quite large rocks and even some boulders begins. Finally I reach a small gorge where the ferrata starts. The ferrata is named after the Tablja CAI president Enrico Contin, and in his memory his son, reportedly a well-known alpinist, Bruno Contin, had it installed.
The start to Forcella Contin is not difficult. There I could have detoured to Torre Clampil on the way but I went straight ahead to the left. Then some walking follows and then a somewhat exposed secured section that also includes a little free climbing. Then again some walking and then again a secured section that includes the key steepest part (B, everything else is easier). I also meet a father with a child (he must have been about 6-7 years old), who were going down. The child did look accustomed to climbing, the ferrata itself is also not too difficult, but still I would have belayed him at least for the descent. A few more cables and the ferrata ends. Altogether the climbing part is approx. 45 min.
From there to the top of Konjski špik is still less than half an hour. The path goes past a junction (right the Austrian normal route by which I will descend) then to the top. I am surprised that I am up so quickly already. Unfortunately, the fog that had prevented views the whole way just then engulfed the top so that nothing could be seen at all.  So there was no choice but to snack a bit and descend. At the junction I go left and towards Rudniško sedlo. The fog is starting to clear. Just before the saddle I come across a sign for Mokrine. Well, we'll shorten the path a bit, I think... This shortcut (instead of over Rudniško sedlo as described here on this portal) was really annoying, it led over rocks (if only there had been at least some scree field by which one could slide with poles), when it flattened out I thought it was the end but then crossing large rock blocks similar to those from High Tours awaited me. Finally I reach the artificial little lake with a fountain under Torre Clampil. The weather had practically cleared up in the meantime, the view from the top would have included at least the neighboring Carnic peaks and the closest Zilje ones, but the Julian Alps would probably have remained in the fog, judging by the clouds in that part of the sky.
From there I climb up to Madriče, then improvise a bit on the ski slope this way and that to get out at the inn on top of Mokrine where I treat myself to a beer. Of course, due to the already known problems with beer among the Italians, this has to be done on the Austrian side as well, but ice cream of course obligatorily on the Italian side (the reverse would be a catastrophe, Austrians are amateurs at ice cream compared to Italians).  It was still about 20 min walk to the car and a similar drive to Tablja that separated me from it.
So I go past the little lake on the Italian side and already at its end I turn right, well I miss the official path a bit but after a short wandering on a forest trail I reach it, from there to the car it is only a couple of dozen steps. In Tablja they had some cycling and running competition. I wandered a bit around the town and then on the way home I stopped in Kranjska Gora as well.
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