Col Visentin

1,763 m

Italy

Elevation: 1,763 m
Prominence: 1,295 m
Difficulty: 2/10; Hike
Best Season: May–Jun
Routes: 1

Routes

3D Preview

SACT2HikeNormal route

Sources differ: E (Italian CAI hiking scale equivalent)

An easy, popular ridge walk from the top of the Nevegal ski area above Belluno: from Ristorante La Casera (about 1,400 m) over Monte Faverghera, past the former Brigata Cadore hut and Col Toront, to Rifugio Col Visentin on the summit. About 2 hours each way with some 400 m of climbing including ups and downs.

Elevation Profile

Distance: 5.3 km; one way
Ascent: +471 m; −105 m lost on the way up
High Point: 1,763 m
Time Up: 2h 26m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 1h 58m; DIN 33466 · same way back

Drive from Belluno up the SP31 to the Nevegal resort and continue on the road towards Faverghera to the car park at Ristorante La Casera (about 1,400 m). Signs for Rifugio Visentin and the 'Sentiero delle Creste' lead up to Monte Faverghera (1,611 m), with the Giardino Botanico delle Alpi Orientali, in about 20 minutes. Stay on the main path to the former Rifugio Brigata Alpina Cadore (1,617 m); one report found that early 'Creste' signs at Faverghera lead off-route. From the old Brigata Cadore hut the Sentiero delle Creste follows the broad crest south-west over or past Col Toront (about 1,655–1,675 m) and Col dei Gai, with steep drops on the Fadalto and plain side but no difficulty, then dips to a saddle before the final rise to the summit, crowded with radio and TV masts, and Rifugio Col Visentin. Allow just under 2 hours from La Casera. Return the same way or by the tracks below the ridge on the Nevegal side. The ridge is fully exposed to weather; in winter the same line is a popular snowshoe walk and an easy ski tour from the Nevegal piazzale (Camptocamp F, 1.1).

Start

Ristorante La Casera1,396 m

No public transport to La Casera was verified; Belluno railway station is about 12 km away by road
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Ristorante La Casera → Col Visentin	5.3	471	105	2h 26m

Waypoints

Parking:
Ristorante La Casera1,396 m
Feature:
Monte Faverghera1,604 m
Giardino Botanico delle Alpi Orientali
Feature:
ex Rifugio Brigata Alpina Cadore1,619 m
Feature:
Col Toront1,668 m
Hut:
Rifugio Col Visentin1,758 m
not on route line
Summit:
Col Visentin1,763 m

Key Passages

Monte Faverghera and the botanical garden
Sentiero delle Creste between Brigata Cadore and the summit, above the Fadalto drop

Equipment

0/4 packed

Technical

Snowshoes or microspikeswinter, depending on snow coverRecommended

Safety

Sun protectionRecommended

Footwear

Hiking boots or sturdy trail shoesRequired

Clothing

Windproof and waterproof jacketthe ridge is fully exposedRequired

Downloads

Route confidence 75%

Download GPX Download KML

Overview

The high point of the Nevegal ridge above Belluno (1,763 m), on the Belluno–Treviso provincial border, crowned by radio and TV masts and the Rifugio Col Visentin. An easy two-hour ridge walk from the Nevegal ski area with views from the Dolomites to the Venetian lagoon.

Col Visentin is the culminating point of the long Prealpine ridge that separates the Valbelluna from the Venetian plain, west of the Fadalto pass and Lake Santa Croce. Its gentle northern side holds the Nevegal ski area above Belluno; the southern side drops steeply towards Vittorio Veneto and the Treviso plain. With about 1,295 m of prominence it is a significant summit despite its modest height.

The top is not wild: a tall RAI mast and other antennas surround Rifugio Col Visentin (5° Artiglieria Alpina), and the summit is a stage on the Munich–Venice long-distance walk and, according to the hut, of the Alta Via 1 delle Dolomiti. The attraction is the panorama: the Dolomites from the Marmolada to the Pelmo and Antelao, the Valbelluna, Lake Santa Croce, the Cansiglio plateau, and on clear days the Euganean Hills, the Adriatic coast and Venice.

The usual ascent is the Sentiero delle Creste from the top of the Nevegal road, a broad ridge walk of about 2 hours with roughly 400 m of climbing including small ups and downs. Longer approaches come from the Treviso side (Pian de le Femene above Revine) and through the Occett woods. In winter the ridge is a classic snowshoe walk and an easy ski tour.

Climbing Notes

A straightforward walk on good paths and tracks for anyone with basic hill fitness; allow 4 hours for the return trip from La Casera. Drive up from Belluno to the Nevegal resort and on to the La Casera car park. There is no technical ground, but the ridge is exposed to wind and summer thunderstorms, and fog can make it hard to follow.

Rifugio Col Visentin is open daily from 1 June to 30 September and at weekends or by reservation for the rest of the year; phone ahead outside the summer. In winter the ridge is usually snow-covered: snowshoes are often needed, and the route from the Nevegal piazzale is a well-trodden ski tour that the Camptocamp author describes as safe even after heavy snowfall, provided you keep off the steeper slopes below the crest.

History

The Belluno section of the CAI opened Rifugio Budden on the summit on 23 September 1900; it was destroyed in the First World War after Caporetto (late 1917). Soldiers of the 5° Reggimento Artiglieria Alpina began a new hut in 1938, designed as a memorial with a shrine to the fallen, and it was inaugurated on 15 August 1946. It burned on 25 May 1964, was rebuilt by the military engineers and re-inaugurated on 31 August 1968, and has been managed under agreement with the Belluno section of the Associazione Nazionale Alpini since 1970. According to a local tradition repeated on Wikipedia, the name derives from 'Col dei Vicentini', after people from Vicenza settled on the hill in the 15th century.

Season

Best May–Jun

January: Good
February: Good
March: Good
April: Good
May: Best (best window)
June: Best (best window)
July: Good
August: Good
September: Best
October: Best
November: Good
December: Good

Jan: Snowshoe walk or easy ski tour; hut open weekends or by reservation
Feb: Snowshoe walk or easy ski tour
Mar: Snow on the ridge; hut weekends only
Apr: Mixed snow and mud; hut weekends only
May: Usually snow-free; hut weekends or by reservation
Jun: Hut open daily from 1 June
Jul: Hut open daily; hazy views and afternoon thunderstorms
Aug: Busy; afternoon thunderstorms
Sep: Hut open daily until 30 September; clearer views
Oct: Clear autumn days; hut weekends or by reservation
Nov: Short days; possible early snow
Dec: Snowshoe walk; hut weekends or by reservation

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Rifugio Col Visentin: phone +39 0437 27110 or +39 348 3350750, or email info@rifugiocolvisentin.it. Reservation needed for overnight stays outside June–September.

Getting There

Belluno (about 12 km by road to Nevegal)

Venice Marco Polo (VCE) or Treviso (TSF)

Car: from Belluno take the SP31 to the Nevegal resort, then the road towards Faverghera to the car park at Ristorante La Casera (about 1,400 m)
Rail: Belluno station; onward public transport to Nevegal not verified
From the south, a minor road from Serravalle (Vittorio Veneto) leads to the Col Occett parking area for the forest path

Hazards

Weather

Huts & Shelters

Rifugio Col VisentinHutStaffed
Open daily 1 June – 30 September; weekends or by reservation the rest of the year
Website of Rifugio Col Visentin
1,763 m