Voluntary citizens' group
"I mati dela Sorna" of Brentonico
No address or telephone number
Please refer to the author
(logo by Aldo Ripamonti)
Voluntary citizens' group
"I mati dela Sorna" of Brentonico
No address or telephone number
Please refer to the author
(logo by Aldo Ripamonti)
Hiking Monte Baldo - Pont del diaol
The Pont del diaol is intertwining legend that are travelling through centuries of history: it is said that this bold bridge was used by the
devil in its night raids between the countries of the two banks of the Sorna. Other legends tell of two drunk men who met the devil on the
bridge. It was said that they had been dragged down the ravine and both of them died. A little more truth seems to be the story of a mason
of Corne'. He had the contract to build the bridge but as he did not succeed he made a pact with the devil, etc. The true story goes that
the bridge has been restored by the austro-hungarian troops in WW I.
Probably the first Pont of diaol in history was a natural bridge consisting of a large boulder wedged between the rocks (see photo at right).
The canyoning in the torrent Sorna at Monte Baldo of our Mountain Guides School began with just a lowering of 40 mt directly from the
bridge into the ravine below. Today the route demands attention as we move on the path. It is very exposed and is leading from the bridge
into the valley. Please see picture below on the left.
Today the legends seem distant and absurd but the history is telling that the last witch named Mary Bertolotti had been burned alive in
Brentonico on March 14th, 1716. Our so-called civilization at Lake Garda Dolomites is not really that much atavistic as we can read in the
history books!
Along the valley of Sorne there were many other 'productive activities'. In 1850 there were 17 factories used for mills, ironworks and
sawmills being driven by energy supplied free of charge from the torrent. Of course there was a network of mule tracks of access to facilitate
the production. What remains of it today ... Nothing! Here, it seems like in the 'day after'. The forest has invaded the fields, the roads,
the paths. The only traces of humans that you will find are those of a few old fisherman; otherwise only prints of animals.
Hiking Monte Baldo - the mines outside
It is only a hypothesis, bibliography and archaeological research is non-existent and perhaps it would be worthwhile to do some research. Some old men are telling that in 1800 strands of gold had been found in the torrent Sorna. Thus the peasants quit working on the fields and rushed to seek the precious metal. In 1897 the race for gold of Sorne finished due to little success. The farmes went back to cultivate their fields and gardens as well as to plant lush fruit and vegetables on the riverbanks of torrent Sorna and Lake Garda. Iron mines or coal? Everyone in the village of Corne' near Lake Garda Dolomites knows that after WW II there have been active mines to extract coal. Some say that in the Middle Ages iron had been mined there. The coal used to be carried up into the valley of chestnut trees on the back of mules. There are still visible traces of a muletrail. Visiting the mines there are evident veins of ferrite; my opinion is that these mines have provided the raw material for the construction of tools of hunters who had visitited the valleys of Trentino in the Neolithic era after the last glaciation.
Sculpture of nature
This is nature! These are the sculptures which nature has built over millennia and not for the fun of human beings.
Certainly the canyon Sorne is more suitable for the exploration than the fun of a normal descent of canyoning. If you have not yet understood,
I will be more explicit: coming there is to understand and admire nature...
For this reason we propose the canyoning trek at Lake Garda Dolomites.
If you are just looking for fun, there are other solutions ... visit Gardaland or any other waterpark at Lake Garda Trentino! When you face
a tuffaceous conglomerate rock formation which is discharging water like a shower, this is all normal! The image that you see on the left
is an entirely different phenomenon. It is a sculpture of nature. Even the old local fishermen do not know this place at Lake Garda. Only
facing great works of mankind produces the same feelings.
Nature has created the artists which can offer us great emotions. But it has shaped itself during centuries and its works of art should be
admired, studied and preserved.
Spring from tuff stone
Everyone knows that water is a source of life. In no other place like this we have touched this principle with our hands. Here you can see as the water is directly flowing out of the rocks. Even in periods of drought the springs and waterfalls of torrent Sorne in Trentino are carrying water in large quantities. The deviation of water in the upper part impoverishes the quantity of water. But the various tributaries, the main one is called torrent Lodron, contributes towards the valley to increase the water quantity; so the Sorna exits in the plains of Chizzola: rich, sparkling and clear. After the construction of the two waste pipes built into the sides of the valley years ago, the water quality has now improved. Here it is the kingdom of the Fario trout and some elderly fishermen who still venture into the canyon, come back home with their baskets full. The same fishermen who complain to us when we come back to the village after our solitary excursions of canyoning-trek into the canyon of Sorna. The reason why is because these trips can be dangerous due to either steep slopes of the riverbanks or unstable plants and tree trunks uprooted by heavy snowfall. These are the same enthusiastic fishermen with whom we are sharing our experiences: sightings of giant trouts or traces of animals: deer, stags and lately also traces of the bear. Thus another legend was born: 'The bear of Sorne' but photos taken with a cell phone, are indisputable ... no legend this time!
hiking Monte Baldo - waterfall
CORNALE' - BANCHETA - PIGNARI - BRACON - ASENI - SAIORI - PIAGU' - PIAZZINA - ALBI - CROSANO - POLSA - LODRON
MONTE BALDO TUTTI I SENTIERI NEL CANYON SORNA - MAP CANYONTREK SORNA
UNKNOWN PATS ON MONTE BALDO - SENTIERI SCONOSCIUTI SUL MONTE BALDO
