Description

Before the severe whether event of October 2018, Val Canàli was used to offer to its visitors one of the most beautiful forest, surrounded by a simply stunning landscape, where biodiversity was well represented. Val Canali has been often used by us as a starting location for many hikes because it lies at the very edge of the civilized world, where chaos and stress as terms do not even meet a definition in the dictionary.

This is a loop that tries to go through the main parts of the bottom part of the valley, giving a wide overview of what has happened back in October and would require at least the next 50 years to heal. Possibly, by that time, few of us will not even be able to see Val Canali’ forest proudly standing again as before.

The hike starts at Laghetto Welsperg (Welsperg’s lake), nice little alpine lake. Following the path will allow you to cross Villa Welsperg which was once the residence of the wealthy Austrian Welsperg family. Villa Welsperg is nowadays visitor center and info point for the visitors willing to know and explore Paneveggio Natural Park (Parco Naturale di Paneveggio – Pale di San Martino). The hikes also touches Prati Piereni (1,215m a.s.l.), an amazing mountain pasture very popular during the summer season. The loop is entirely in the forest and allows the visitors to personally see the outcome and the damages caused by the weather event of the end of October 2018.

Below, a poem by Gaia Boni (young artist originally from Primiero) on the damage of Val Canali.

Il mare primordiale s’è
mangiato tutto in poche ore
è tornato rovesciandosi
atrocemente su ogni ago
annacquando gli odori
delle tane
strappando l’erba a morsi
ferini.
Non riesco a non vedere
questa morte della terra
il bosco impraticabile dai
corpi selvatici
che pur contorcendosi sotto i tronchi e le pene
ritrovano la naturale greppia dove affondare la fame
e nutrire il mio precario
sollievo.