Rio Tralba (Forra dei boscaioli)

Wonderful and wild gorge, with an amusing narrow first part, really vertical, with dives, toboggans and wet Rappels. Anyway, even the second part is really pleasant.

 

Difficulty: v4 a4 V
Period: june to september
Length: about 1,5 km
Difference in height: 360 meters (720-360)
Rappels: 13, higher descent 30 meters
Anchors: quite good - 2007
Duration: 2h access + 4h 30' descent
Shuttle: 6 km
Gear: 2 ropes 60 meters long

 

Access
lower: leave highway Udine - Tarvisio at the exit of Carnia/Tolmezzo and head for Moggio Udinese. Once at the village of Moggio turn right towards Ovedasso and then leave the car near the bridge over the Rio Alba, between Moggio and Ovedasso.
upper: from Moggio reach the hamlet of Pradis and then take the road to Drentus and Virgulins. Do not follow the diversions for these two hamlets and go on rising steeply until a road on the right which leads to the "casera Vualt" (indication on a wall, there is also a little sign with the faded writing "Rio Alba"). Take this road, no more asphalted after a few meters, and follow it until a 180° bend on the left, with a concrete bed, from which starts a track going into the wood; park the car.

Approach: follow the path inside the wood and pass over a first junction, going on the left road. After a few minutes, 30 meters before a left turning bend on a embankment, an unmarked but evident path goes down on the right (attention, it's easy to see the path rising along the road but very it is difficult while going down). Take this path leading steeply to the dyke on the Rio Alba, flanked by a with blue railing, cross the dam reaching the left bank, rise up a few meters along the bank, then go inside the wood rising very steeply and reach a path, unmarked but evident, going half way up the hill. Turn right following this path which rises up softly and crosses after a few meters a steep dry affluent of the Rio Alba. Go on this path which offers beautiful glimpses of the valley below; pass a concrete aqueduct outlet and go on without leaving the track. After about one hour far from the parking there is a little grassy glade where it is better to wear the harnesses: in a while, infact, it is necessary to use a rope to pass a a crumbled part of the path. Take the path again and follow it until a little bridge made of concrete and iron crossing a really steep and dry gorge, affluent of "our" gorge. Go on for 10 minutes more and reach the water, near a little concrete dyke. Totally about 2 hours.

Coming back: at the end of the walk along the Rio Alba bed, you will reach the bridge mentioned in the lower access description.

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