Technical data:
- Start point: Pozzis (elevation 614mt)
- Arrival point: Pozzis (elevation 614mt)
- Difference in height: 100 m
- Maximum elevation: 769 m
- Minimum elevation: 617 m
- Length: 7.7 km
- Estimated travel time: 2 hours, 50 minutes
- Cartography: Tabacco chart 1:25000 sheet #013 – Carnic Prealps, Val Tagliamento
- Difficulty: touristic
Description:
Starting from Pozzis, down by the shrine and among the long-uncultivated terraces, reach for the Arzino Creek’s bed, just where the flow suddenly changes direction (southward).
Wade across the creek onto the right bank, thanks to some big boulders in the bed. Follow a dirt road and shortly later, at a fork, proceed along the route flanking the watercourse in a slight-sloped bed stretch formed by several small rills that cut through gravel deposits. The itinerary then passes through a beech wood, taking after a short rise a higher trail coming from the left.
From here on, the valley narrows. The watercourse takes on its peculiar characteristics, presenting suggestive glimpses on the torrential morphologies. Along the slope’s base, the vegetation is formed by an aggregation of hazel, hornbeam and beech with a rich and varied undergrowth. Several reeds areas along the bed, instead.
Arrive to the stone bridge over Colle Cervar Brook, tributary of the Arzino, where the grade visibly increases, the mule track runs up with several bends, always to the right bank, while the bed deepens into a gorge where visible are the typical shapes of the fluvial-torrential erosion. This is the itinerary’s most spectacular stretch: A series of waterfalls, with an overall gap of a hundred meters, alternate to lakes, erosion basins, potholes and other shapes created by water’s intense erosive activity.
At the second bend, it is possible to observe the tallest waterfall, characterized by a double leap.
After some more turns, you’ll reach a small wooden bridge from where you can observe the waterfall from above.
Cross the bridge and move to the orographic left, where, paying due attention, is possible to observe more suggestive waterfalls that feed the creek. Now the trail runs up toward the road that leads to Chiampon Pass.
In order to keep observing in this splendid torrential environment, you can instead abandon the trail and follow the track that, after the bridge to the left, keeps flanking the creek. Even in the absence of a real trail, proceed easily on until you’ll walk across a vast plateau. Staying to the right, on a track slightly below the asphalt road, you’ll arrive to an open space where the creek separates in many small rivulets accompanied by strips of marsh marigold.
Shortly later, take the trail nearby the wide grassy plateau of the Piè della Valle stables (760mt). Now proceed along the asphalt road for a little longer than 1Km until Chiampon Pass (789mt), a suggestive and wide saddle characterized by the presence of several, mostly restored stables.
Return trip through the road (not usually frequented) that connects Chiampon Pass to Val d’Arzino road until it meets the detour to Pozzis (start point).
Alternatively, you may hike back through the same outward route.
Access:
From Pinzano al Tagliamento, or from Flagogna, take the road to Anduins, then drive up the Val d’Arzino asphalt road, passing over ancient, small hamlets. Proceed from the San Francesco built-up area, through some tunnels, and then meet to the left the fork to Pozzis (you can also reach the site from Carnia through Chianzutan Pass). Drive down to the small hamlet, leaving the car by the first houses at the sides of the road.
