Canyoning trekking Monte Baldo at lake Garda Trentino Italy
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 amd is leading from the bridge
into the valley. Please see picture below on the left.
Upper Pont del diaol
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!
Hiking Monte Baldo - the mines outside
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.
The mines inside
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.
Hiking Monte Baldo - toboga
Can you imagine to do "toboganing" of this kind in a traditional canyoning ? You would come back with broken bottom bones !
But 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...
Sculpture of 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
For these reasons we have chosen the neologism canyoning-trek in order to distinguish it from the so far known canyoning at
Lake Garda Trentino Dolomites.
Our Links on canyoning:
Canyoning by mountain guides Arco Dolomites
Alpine School Arco offers Canyontrek at Lake Garda
hiking Monte Baldo - waterfall
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.
Clear water
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!
OUR HIKING PROPOSAL FOR TREKKING ROUNDTRIP IN CANYON
OUR TREKKING PROPOSAL FOR HIKING TO THE FORTRESS WW1
Our links to Monte Baldo
Monte Cornale' le trincee e la fortezza della grande guerra |
Monte Baldo am Gardasee Wanderungen Besuch WW1 Festungen |
Monte Baldo at Lake Garda Italy trinces and fortress hiking |
Images of Canyoning trek at Lake Garda Trentino in Italy |
Images of Monte Baldo fortress ww.1 at Lake Garda Trentino in Italy
Canyon-trek Monte Baldo Maps
Map 01-hiking in the canyon Sorna West |
Map 02-Trekking hiking canyon Sorna central |
Map 03-Trekking in the canyon Sorna East |
Trekking dei 5 ponti nel torrente Sorna |
Trekking der 5 Bruecken im Bach Sorna des Monte Baldo