Description:
26-01-2023: From the parking lot near the village of Campese, continuing on foot along the main road towards Campolongo sul Brenta, on the right, about 200 m after the parking, there is a steep uphill road (signs for trails 762 and 763), follow it to the end. From here starts the trail that initially climbs steeply and paved, then becomes flat and crosses northwards until intersecting a dirt road; follow it for about a hundred meters to a junction between trails n.762 and n.763. I recommend taking the right trail (n.763) which first traverses long northwards towards the evident northern ridge (Costa Solana, meaning 'sunny ridge'), then starts climbing evenly with several switchbacks until intersecting the Alta Via del Tabacco. Past the AVT intersection, continue climbing, with the forest starting to thin out and the first rocks characteristic of the upper part of Monte Caina becoming visible. In this first part, with rocks from the gray limestones formation, the first testimonies of the Great War begin to be found, particularly some galleries dug into the rock. The Engineering Command of the Troops of the Asiago Plateau began right here, from November 1916, the construction of seven different defensive lines across the Brenta Canal: the southernmost barriers had their stronghold on Monte Caina. After some switchbacks the trail, now not far from the summit, begins to traverse long southwards, opening up in several points to panoramas on the Grappa and the underlying plain. Past a last wide ledge, we emerge into a meadow area that briefly leads to the top of Monte Caina (1002 m). From here the panorama spans north over Valsugana towards Sasso Rosso and Col Moschin and Col del Fenilon and south towards the plain, often cloud-covered in winter, but from which the Euganean Hills and Berici Hills emerge, while on clearer days the Apennines are already visible in the distance. Very evident in the open fields around the summit are rock slabs (Rosso Ammonitico formation) historically used for property boundaries, as done in many other areas of the Venetian Prealps, particularly in Lessinia. For the return, descend southwards more or less along the ridge (trail n. 762), past some houses and a forest road, which is followed briefly, and quickly reach Bocchetta Campesana. Here there is still an old ice house called “Bora”, dating back to the early 1800s, consisting of a circular room and a false dome above. In winter it was filled with ice, used throughout the year, probably by the adjacent malga, now in ruins, dating from 1812. From the saddle descend left towards Val del Brenta, keeping trail 762, which quickly returns to the junction just above the village of Campese. Along the descent, cross the AVT again and soon reach the parking lot.
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Video length: 12:33