At the entrance to Cadria, take the little road that goes immediately to the left, which first descends to the Proalio stream and then goes uphill through a shady beech wood to the area of the same name. From here, along the northern side of the Valle dell'Era you reach Malga della Puria di Tignale (1 hr 30 min). This shepherd’s hut was abandoned after the war and is now in ruins. It is surrounded by a thicket of Grecian fir (Abies cephalonica). In fact it was once the state forestry service’s habit to reforest any pastures no longer used for grazing, but nowadays it is firmly believed that leaving open spaces - albeit requiring costly grass-cutting operations - guarantees an appropriate environmental mix and therefore greater biological variety. The State Forests Authority reforested Puria in the Seventies using the Grecian fir, which up to now has been a great success both here and in the other areas where it was planted (Droane di Valvestino and Val di Campiglio above Toscolano). The Grecian fir (so called because it was introduced from the mountains of southern Greece) is easily recognised for its similarity to the silver fir, though its needles are sharply pointed and arranged more or less all around the branchlets, while those of the silver fir are blunt and arranged in horizontal ranks. Its presence around Lake Garda adds, as if it were needed, a Mediterranean touch. Once you pass Malga di Puria, if you do not want to go up to Passo della Puria there is a path that goes south to Passo di Scarpapé (1242m) where another path leads into Valle Tignalga. Now, however, continue along the cart road and after about half an hour you will reach Cascina Puria Nuova (New Puria Farmhouse) which replaced the Vecchia, or old farmhouse, only to be abandoned in the 1960s when livestock was no longer transferred every year from lowland grazing to mountain pastures. Used as a lodge by the state forestry service, it is worth stopping here for a while. Behind the farmhouse are a few steps leading up to a panoramic point from which, on clear days, there is a spectacular view to the head of the valley in Val Droanello. Take the forest path that starts the descent just below Cascina Nuova. You go through a Scots-pine forest and reach the ruins of the Val del Porsél farmhouse, surrounded by old beech trees (1 hr). The old waterhole was recently restored to encourage hoofed mammals, especially deer which seem particularly suited to this area. It is worth making a diversion that will in just a few minutes take you to Marànch farmhouse. Behind the house, on the ridge that descends towards Val di Droanello, is a magnificent hornbeam, together with a beech and an ash. The hornbeam’s rough, twisted trunk testifies to its respectable age. Go back the way you came and when you get back to the ruined Val del Porsél farmhouse take the uphill path that goes past the waterhole and in just over half an hour you will reach the road that comes up from Cadria and takes you back to where you started (1.30 - 4.00 hours).
| Itinerary: | Magasa - Denai - Rest - Cadria - Magasa |
| Approximate time: | 4 hours |
| Water along the way: | No |
| Ascent: | 400mt. |
| Practicability: |
loc. Cluse - Turano di Valvestino
tel 0365.745007 cell 334.6686327 fax 0365.745821
e.mail consorzio.valvestino@tiscali.it