Description

This beautiful hike develops in a fairly sunny and unknown corner of Primiero, within an environment of untouched nature offering surprising sights. The route starts in Val Nagaóni, at the end of the road of Val Noana, about 2 km after the hut of Rifugio Fonteghi (1,100 m asl). The starting point is located by the parking lot, at the beginning of the limited transit stretch, in a location called El Bèlo (1,157 m asl).

From the small parking lot, there are two paths, both leading to Rifugio Boz: the Signpost No. 727 and the Signpost No. 727A. Among the two of them, we suggest taking the second one, along Signpost No. 727A, although it is also still possible to reach the hut along Signpost No. 727 (on a gravel road), on the other side of the stream of Rio Nèva.

Once arrived by the hut of Rifugio Boz (1,718 m asl), in the territory of the Municipality of Cesio Maggiore (BL), the itinerary continues uphill for a short stretch following the Alta Via delle Dolomiti No. 2 (Signpost No. 801) toward the mountain gap of Pass de Mura (1,887 m asl). From the gap, which offers a beautiful view towards Val de Canzói, Val D’Alvìs and the eastern ridge of Sass de Mura (where the Alta Via No. 2 continues), the trail continues along the Signpost No. 748, gently descending until crossing the stream of Rio Nèva, for then climbing on the opposite side towards west, until reaching a relatively wide path supporting an aqueduct, at an altitude of approximately 1,820 m asl. At this point, a path towards the Cadin di Nèva starts climbing in the northern direction. The path leads to the water source named Sorgente Nèva, where Rio Nèva starts, with its pretty waterfalls and small pools.

Once past the water source, the paths proceeds to the suggestive place called Cadìn di Nèva; a flat basin that leaves its visitors with an incredible feeling of peace, together with an unexpected and spectacular view of the Pale di San Martino that can be enjoyed from the gap of Forcella Nèva (2,148 m asl), located just above the basin. A place definitely worth discovering, with a natural balcony overlooking the Giasinozza Valley and the entire Dolomite group of the Pale di San Martino.

From the mountain gap, the trek resumes returning to the crossroads, where the small path to the Cadin di Nèva started. From the crossroads, it joins back the Signpost No. 748, continuing south for a short while, after which the wide track  (which would lead directly to the hut of Malga Nèva) is left, in order to take a smaller one. The small track (still marked as Signpost No. 748) leads directly to the top of Colle San Pietro (1,954 m asl). Immersed in its rough pasture, Colle San Pietro, also known as Col de San Piero, dominates the Giasinozza Valley and the green basin of Malga Nevéta. From the hill, the route proceeds by starting a long descent along the Signpost No. 748 with ridges and stretches of forest offering views of the Pale di San Martino and the Nèva Prima and Nèva Seconda huts every now and then. After passing the locations of Casera Scaorin and Segadure, just upstream from the pastures of a place called Vaticano, at an altitude of about 1300 m asl, the Signpost No. 748 (which would arrive at Rifugio Fonteghi) is left to cross the stream of Rio Nèva and converge along the gravel road of the Signpost No. 727. After a few hundred meters along the Signpost No. 727 towards the south ease, the route returns to the starting point.

At last, as a note, the loop can be adjusted and, with about 3 km more, it is possible to start and close the route at Rifugio Fonteghi.

Paths

• In the end of the Noana Valley, from the location of El Bèlo – Buse (1.157 m slm), take the Signpost No. 727A toward Rifugio Boz,
• From the hut of Rifugio Boz (1.718 m slm), take the Signpost No. 801 (marked as Alta Via delle Dolomiti No. 2) towards the mountain gap of Pass de Mura,
• From Pass de Mura (1.887 m slm), take the Signpost No. 748 towards Colle San Pietro,
• Optional and recommended detour towards Cadin di Neva / Forcella Neva,
• Follow the Signpost No. 748 until reaching Colle San Pietro,
• From the top of Colle San Pietro (1,954 m asl), keep walking downhill along the Signpost No. 748 for about 4 km, until reaching a location called Vaticano, where the Signpost No. 748 is left behind for descending, crossing the river and head back to the starting point along the Signpost No. 727. ✓

NÈVA

• Depending on the version, the name Nèva – “the mountain of Eve” – derives from the dialect of Feltre and e(g)ua (tr. Water, water-rich area). From June to September, it was tradition to go to montegàr (tr. to pasture) in Eva; as time passed it became inEva, mutating to Nèva. For this reason, the whole area is called Nèva, with Cadìn di Nèva indicating the highest basin of glacial origin, from which the stream of Rio Nèva starts, dominated by Monte Nèva and its peaks.
• From the historical cartography, the “Mountain of Eve” was divided and assigned by the Bishop of Feltre into two distinct fiefdoms: the mons de Eva maiori to Feltre and the mons de Eva minor to Primiero. The territory remained used only by people from Feltre until the XVIII century, even if, from the end of the XIV century, the two territories became part of the two different states: the Republic of Venice and the Austrian Tyrol. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the states border crossed the Nèva basin. Today, it is still possible to see some of the border stones, dating back to the 19th century. The territory of Nèva went under a further division with the purchase by Transacqua of a part of the Eva minor, which gave the name of Nèva Prima, resulting in the formation of the middle Nèva, today Nèva Seconda, and of the Eve major or Casera di Nevétta, on the Feltre side.
• In the Feltre territory, during the Second World War, the Casera Nèva was renovated for use as a mountain hut. Purchased later by the Municipality of Mezzano, in 1970 Casera Nèva became Rifugio Boz, rented to the Italian Alping Club (CAI) of Feltre, to the memory of Bruno Boz, which was a climber and partner of the CAI of Feltre, who died during while he was hunting.

RIFUGIO BOZ

• Located at the foot of the beautiful “Cadini” (tr. basins) of Nèva, the hut of Rifugio Boz is named after Bruno Boz, who tragically lost his life in the Nèva valley at the age of 36, falling down a grassy slope in October 1966.
• Following the tragedy, the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) of Feltre undertook the mission of converting the shelter of Malga Nèva first to a bivouac and later as a Rifugio.
• The site where the malga now stands was identified in the 1920s by the CAI of Feltre; however, the lack of funds and the complex legal nature of the Nèva valley (divided between two “Venetian” malgas of Finestra and Nevetta located on the orographic left of the stream of Val Fonda – historically owned by the Feltre family of Villabruna and later by the Episcopal Seminary of Feltre – and the “Austrian” malga on the right side, belonging to Primiero) made its construction rather complicated.
• Malga Nèva and its elevated site, where the Rifugio is now located, was built on the initiative of Don Pompeo Bertolini, who obtained funds to reclaim the pastures of the Nèva valley.
• In 1953 the malga was sold to the Municipality of Mezzano, which is still the owner of it and later decided to rent it free of charge to the CAI of Feltre. For the realization of the building there an extraordinary effort and financial solidarity was put into place: the Municipality of Mezzano provided the material and took on the financial burden for the restoration of the building (severely damaged by the 1966 flood); so did the Promoter Committee with the collaboration of the CAI of Feltre for the building the actual bivouac, inaugurated on July 26, 1970.

References

• CAI Feltre (2002). La Montagna di Neva. Libreria Editrice Agorà.
• CAI Feltre (2012). Andar per monti. La grande passione. Libreria Editrice Agorà.

Links

• Rifugio Fonteghi: https://www.rifugiofonteghi.it/
• Rifugio Boz: https://www.rifugioboz.it/