Val Aupa - Sernio (via normale - shortcut)

Access to starting point:
Drive to Tablja (it. Pontebba) in Italy.

From Via Macroni street turn right to Via Zardini street. Immediately after driving through the underpass, turn left. Afterwards keep left or straight. There are markings for Val Aupa and for the city limit of Pontebba. From this sign, drive 14.4 km to Val Aupa (you will pass Studena Alta, Sella di Cereschiatis and the villages Saps and Bevorchians).

Soon afterwards, two roads branch off to the right, the first one before the bridge and the second one after the bridge. Take a turn right at the second one. To be sure, check the signs, there should be a sign "Rif. Grauzaria, sentiero n. 437" (the sign is in distinctive brown color). See a photo. Follow the paved road a few bends higher through a pine forest to the parking place.

Option 2: drive to Možac (it. Moggio Udinese) in Italy and turn for Val Aupa. After Dordolla, two roads branch off to the left (with a bridge between them). See pictures. Follow the first paved road and drive a few bends higher through a pine forest to the parking place.

Path description:
Please note that this shortcut only comes handy at descend, it is approximately 20 minutes shorter. An ascent will not save you any time due to scree terrain.

The ascent starts at the upper end of the parking place, which ends with a steep right bend. Here a few steps more uphill on the asphalt road, then turn left onto the footpath following the markings. The footpath soon splits, in the next few minutes follow right twice to a wider cart track, which follow uphill. Soon our path 437 branches off to the right, an attentive hiker will notice the number 1 on a stone there. Follow path 437, soon a new junction where left branches the path to the village Grauzaria (paese Grauzaria) and bridge Dordolla (ponte Dordolla). We continue right and ascend on the path which without major bends or serpentines runs westwards. The pine forest is soon completely replaced by beech forest. Further on cross a spring, but since it flows on muddy ground, water cannot be collected here. The ascent on the path through the forest leads to a junction, continue right (left is again path to villages Dordolla and Grauzaria) and past the abandoned alpine pasture Flop (it.: Malga Flop).

Panoramic boards along the path, according to photographs from 1941, show former life on this pasture, where now only ruined remains of walls of former huts remain, the pastures are slowly shrinking and being overgrown by forest.

Behind the pasture the path first still runs through the forest, then at less visible markings for the hut, which is still 30 minutes away, the view opens. Here the mighty wall and head of the mountain Cima della Sfinge (1847 m) appears to the hiker and to the right towards west also Cima dai Gjai (1916 m). Between these two mountains runs a steep but marked path to saddle Portonat. Left immediately at the forest edge branches the path to bivouac Feruglio, we continue on the easy path westwards. To the hut cross several torrent beds. In the last slope some 30 to 50 meters below the hut and at the last of the torrent beds left branches the path to saddle Portonat (1860 m). Hut Rifugio Grauzaria is open in summer time, overnight stay possible. At the hut there is also drinking water.

Behind the hut turn into the forest and 45 minutes follow path no. 437 to saddle Foran de la Gjialine (1551 m), from which opens an excellent view on mountain Sernio.

From the saddle turn onto the path descending towards southwest. In the first few minutes already turn to the left path with markings 419 towards saddle Forca Nuviernulis (1732 m). After a few long serpentines an unmarked path branches right. This path is the shortcut which comes handy on descent (for hikers accustomed to walking on scree terrain). The path first slightly descends among bushes and then crosses the northern slopes of mountain Nuviernulis towards west. Soon the path enters a crumbly gully, where the path is even marked. Further the path runs through crumbly terrain uphill to the saddle, where it rejoins the so-called Via normale.

The path with altitude enters crumbly terrain south of mountain Torre Ivano (1874 m) then the path becomes demanding. Soon the hiker encounters two separate places with difficulty -I. The path further enters a gully, from which soon turn / climb (difficulty around I) right to the ledge above it. At this place descent is more difficult than ascent, but the terrain is not exposed, nearby there is also an anchor where rope can be used. From here the path goes to the southern slopes, is partly demanding, leads on crumbly slope towards north and reaches the summit from east, where the climbing path from the northwest slope of the mountain joins us.

On the summit there are two crosses, a bell, the stamp is in hut Rifugio Grauzaria. 

Sernio is the highest mountain in this part of the range and is therefore an excellent viewpoint. Towards east stands out nearby Creta Grauzaria (2065 m), behind it is visible Čuk (Zuc dal Bor) (2195 m) and western part of Julian Alps with Montaž (2753 m) at the front. Somewhat further south is also Kanin range. In the distance towards west rises the highest mountain of Carnic Alps, i.e. Monte Coglians / Hohe Warte, behind it on the horizon also visible Dolomites. Towards south the mountains are lower, where among others Amariana (1905 m) is visible. On north opens another endless series of mountains with High Tauern in the background.

Times: Rifugio Grauzaria (1h 20 min); Foran de la Gjialine (2h 05 min); Sernio (4h 30 min).

Description and photos are from June 2019.

On the way: Malga Flop (980m), Rifugio Grauzaria (1250m), Foran de la Gjialine (1551m)