Monte Caucaso, monte Rocio, Gattorna da Ferrada

Very rewarding itinerary with a long but beautiful climb and an amazing descent very scenic and a bit adventurous. Starting from Ferrada we take Via dei Barbieri and begin the long climb (22km) that will take us to the top of Mount Caucasus at an altitude of 1250 meters. Shortly after Moconesi the road becomes unpaved and stays that way until it joins the Provinciale del Passo della Scoglina. The ascent remains steady and beautiful. As we progress, the roadway narrows until it becomes a nice single track and begins to descend, with a few technical passages.

When we reach the Scoglina Pass we follow the signs for Mt. Caucasus continuing the ascent on asphalt on a beautiful mountain road through a beautiful forest. Just before the Barbagelata refuge we turn right on a wide path and finally reach the summit of Caucasus with attached refuge. The view from the summit is amazing and the clear sky offers super views. Before tackling the descent we stop at the hut for a small warm lunch.

The descent is amazing always on the ridge on a rocky bottom and super panoramic. We transit from Passo Croci,Monte Rocio to the Chapel of San Rocco where the ridge ends. From the Chapel we continue uphill on the right to take a little further on a downhill single track that should lead us to Gattorna. At about 640 meters altitude we need to pay attention as there is a fork in the road. Initially not noticing anything we continue keeping to the right but realizing that this was not the direction to follow we go back trying the other variant, but we soon realize that the solution taken initially was the right one, since what was originally the path is completely dug up and very ruined.

Stubbornly we try to do a section of it but then we realize that it is not the case to continue as it is too ruined. Back again at the junction we take care to bar with some stones the passage so that it is understandable the direction to follow and then resume the descent. Still on rock mixed with roots the trail is fun and further downstream it rejoins the original trail, which visually would seem to be better put than the upper part. Arriving on a cart road we continue to the right taking the last section of trail that keeping the same characteristics as the previous one takes us to Gattorna.