Mount Cjampon (Ring walk)
Superb itinerary to discover the territories of the Julian Pre-Alps and climb one of the main peaks: Mount Cjampon.
- start: Gemona, 270m - CAI 713
- length: 14.8Km
- altitude difference: 1480m
- duration: 6h 30m
- Information and details
- Spectacular sea views from the top of Mount Cjampon
- How to reach the top
- Descending along the northern slope
- The flora of Mount Cjampon
- The descent towards Gemona del Friuli
Information and details
An itinerary for expert hikers on the highest peak of the mountain chain between Sella di Sant’Agnese and the upper Torre Valley. Itinerary: Gemona, 270 m – path CAI 713 (Torrente Vegliato alluvial fan – Sella Foredôr, 1089 m – peak of Mount Cjampon, 1709 m – Col Foran, 1528 m – Stavoli Scric, 1230 m – Forca di Ledis, 752 m) – path CAI 708 (valley of the Rio Pozzolons) – Sella di Sant’Agnese, 430 m – Gemona
Spectacular sea views from the top of Mount Cjampon
Cjampon is the highest peak in the mountain chain running east to west between Sella di Sant’Agnese and the upper Torre Valley. The southern side is quite steep, with walls of rock and steep slopes covered with arid meadows, while luxuriant vegetation thrives on the gentler northern slope.
The whole itinerary is a true feast for the eyes, in an environment typical of the foothills of the Alps in which to observe intriguing geological phenomena.
The view is incredible on a clear day, sweeping across the eastern Alps over the plains of Friuli to the sea.
How to reach the top
The peak may be reached from Gemona along path CAI 713, which is easy up to Sella Foredôr, while the steep section from here to the mountain peak requires greater care, especially near Passo della Signorina.
Descending along the northern slope
Descending on the northern side of the mountain, we come to a rocky basin presenting the characteristic circular glacial morphology. The basin, carved into the particularly soluble Jurassic limestone, is sprinkled with Karst phenomena such as the characteristic “glaceris”, pits ten or more metres deep which were at one time permanently covered with a thick layer of snow and ice at the bottom. This ice was collected for sale in Gemona and even as far away as San Daniele until the early twentieth century.
The flora of Mount Cjampon
The vegetation and flora of Mount Cjampon is highly various, abounding in endemic species of great interest. At the peak of the Würm ice age, the massive southern flank of the mountain, free of ice, represented an important refuge for vegetation, permitting the survival of pre-Würmian species that went extinct elsewhere.
These include Festuca laxa, a graminaceous species that colonises finer scree with a prevalently southern exposure, and Thlaspi minimum, which prefers the snowy rocks of the north-facing slopes. To these we may add Campanula zoysii, Raponthicum scariosum heleniifolium and Ranunculus traunfellneri.
The descent towards Gemona del Friuli
The path descends the mountain’s northern flank, through a series of ledges and steep slopes, to Forca di Ledis. From here it continues along the Rio Pozzons, turning left towards the Sella di Sant’Agnese di Gemona.