It had been quite a while since I had last climbed Monte Cernera. I went back a few days ago with Mauro and, once we reached the summit, I was reminded of just how beautiful this mountain is, and above all of the extraordinary views it offers.
Cernera is certainly not one of the best-known peaks in the Dolomites. From Passo Giau, dominated by the much more striking shapes of Ra Gusela, Averau and Lastoi de Formin, it almost goes unnoticed. Seen from Val Fiorentina, however, it reveals a completely different character, with its great southern wall dropping steeply towards Santa Fosca.
The normal route starts from Passo Giau and reaches the summit with a relatively modest amount of elevation gain. But this, together with the presence of a few short equipped sections, can give a misleading impression of how demanding the route really is.
The ascent from Passo Giau
From Passo Giau, follow trail 436, which starts near the distinctive little church and heads towards Forcella Giau and Mondeval. If you are coming from Cortina, however, I suggest parking in the pullout near the last hairpin bend before reaching the pass. An unmarked trail starts here and soon joins trail 436 near Forcella Zonia, saving you the need to go all the way up to Passo Giau.
After passing Forcella Zonia (2229 m), you reach Forcella Col Piombin (2239 m). Here you leave the main trail and turn sharply right, following the signs for Monte Cernera.
From Forcella Col Piombin, the trail initially loses a little elevation before beginning a long traverse across the western side of Cernera. The path is generally easy to follow and, where it becomes less obvious, a few cairns help indicate the way.
The trail remains narrow for most of the way. On level ground this is not particularly problematic, but in several places it cuts diagonally across very steep and exposed slopes, where sure footing is essential. Along the route there are a few short sections protected by steel cables, but in my opinion these are not the most delicate parts of the ascent.
There are exposed sections of trail both before and after the final equipped section where a slip could have fatal consequences. Wet grass, mud or damp rock can make these passages considerably more delicate, so I recommend doing the route in dry conditions and avoiding it after heavy rain.
There are no major technical difficulties, and an experienced hiker who is comfortable on this kind of terrain should have no particular problems. However, it is important not to confuse the absence of technical difficulty with the absence of risk.
Beyond the final equipped section, the trail continues uphill over a mixture of grassy and rocky terrain, with a few more exposed passages requiring care. The angle gradually eases as you approach the summit ridge, where the character of the landscape changes completely and the views begin to open up in every direction.
Following the ridge, you finally reach the North Summit of Monte Cernera at 2664 metres, the destination of the normal route, without any particular difficulty.
The view from Monte Cernera
Monte Cernera occupies a truly privileged position, with views stretching in almost every direction across an extraordinary part of the Dolomites. Pelmo, in particular, dominates the landscape and seems remarkably close.
There are so many mountains in sight that listing them all would make little sense. But one detail gives a good idea of just how extensive the panorama is: from the summit of Monte Cernera you can see the three highest mountains in the Dolomites at the same time — Marmolada, Antelao and Tofana di Mezzo.
It is one of those places where you naturally end up staying longer than expected, simply looking around and recognising one mountain and valley after another.
An alternative descent
The standard descent follows the same route used for the ascent, returning to Forcella Col Piombin and then, via Forcella Zonia, to Passo Giau. Care is still required on the more exposed sections during the descent, particularly if the ground is wet or slippery.
Those who would like to extend the hike can instead make an interesting loop via Monte Verdàl (2493 m) and Val di Zonia.
From the North Summit of Cernera, descend for a while along the same route used for the ascent. After descending the final equipped section, you come to a well-marked junction leading towards Forcella Ciazza.
From here, a short climb takes you to the summit of Monte Verdàl; return to the pass and then continue downhill towards Val di Zonia.
At the junction at 1910 m, you have to regain some of the elevation you have lost: follow trail 462 back up the valley to Forcella Zonia (2229 m). Here you rejoin trail 436, used on the way up, and return to Passo Giau.
This alternative is longer and involves more elevation gain than simply returning by the ascent route, but it makes for a beautiful circular hike and, with a short detour, also allows you to add the summit of Verdàl.
A mountain with a long history
In Antonio Berti’s guidebook, the entry for the normal route on Cernera gives no name for the first ascent, referring simply to “unknown local hunters”.
This is hardly surprising. The Giau and Val Fiorentina area was frequented for centuries by local shepherds and hunters, and it is very likely that someone reached the summit long before mountaineers began documenting their ascents. Who actually stood on the summit first, of course, we will never know.
One of the earliest well-documented mountaineering accounts dates back to 10 June 1912, when Arturo Andreoletti, A. Della Bianca and six Alpini soldiers reached Cernera from the north during an exploratory traverse of the ridges. At the time, the group was still little known, and Andreoletti later published an account of the expedition accompanied by a topographical sketch.
But Cernera shows a completely different face towards Val Fiorentina, where its imposing south wall drops steeply towards the valley. On 26 July 1953, four members of the Scoiattoli di Cortina — Lino Lacedelli, Beniamino Franceschi “Mescolin”, Candido Bellodis and Claudio Zardini — established a 400-metre route up this wall at Grade VI, taking 9 hours and using 70 pitons.
A geological curiosity
I must admit that I know little or nothing about geology, but while preparing this article I discovered something about Cernera that I had not known before. According to the Dolomites UNESCO Foundation, its rocks preserve important evidence of the ancient processes that led to the formation of the Dolomites, when this area lay beneath a tropical sea. Fossils have also been found in the rocks near the summit, telling the story of how that ancient environment evolved over millions of years.
For a deeper understanding of the geology, I am more than happy to leave the explanation to those who know far more about it than I do. For me, it is enough to think that as we walk across these rocks, beneath our feet lies a story that began hundreds of millions of years before us.
A summit worth discovering
Returning to Monte Cernera after quite a long time was a pleasant rediscovery. It is perhaps somewhat overshadowed by the more famous peaks around it, but that is also part of what gives the mountain its particular character.
The view from the North Summit is worth the climb in itself and, for those who want to make a longer day of it, the loop via Monte Verdàl and Val di Zonia makes the hike even more varied and rewarding.
