Monte Cadria
2,254 m
Italy
- Elevation
- 2,254 m
- Prominence
- 1,434 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: EE (Italian hiking scale) (vienormali.it)
A long but straightforward day from the former power station above Lenzumo (Val Concei, about 930 m): a steep mule track to Malga Vies, open pasture to just below Malga Cadria, then a marked ridge path past First World War tunnels to the summit cross. About 1,300 m of ascent, 3¾ hours up, with a short, mildly exposed cabled step below the top.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,316 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,254 m
- Time Up
- 5h 10m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 26m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Val di Ledro drive to Bezzecca and up the Val Concei to Lenzumo. Continue on Via Bianchi towards Rifugio al Faggio and turn left at the sign for the Ex Centrale (the former power station), where there is ample parking at about 930 m. SAT path 423 starts as a steep, partly concreted mule track through forest and reaches Malga Vies (1,556 m) in about 1¼ hours. Above Malga Vies the path continues as a grassy track below the slopes of the ridge. Just before Malga Cadria (1,914 m) a sign points right onto the 'sentiero delle creste', which climbs to the crest and follows it, switching from side to side over easy rock and dwarf pine and past First World War tunnels and gun positions. A short protected section just below the summit cross is mildly exposed and equipped more as a precaution than for real difficulty. An alternative, less exposed line stays in the grassy valley floor from Malga Cadria and joins the ridge below the summit. The top carries a cross, a granite altar and a memorial to Lieutenant Felix Hecht, with views over Lake Ledro, the Giudicarie and the Adamello. Descend the same way, or from the end of the protected section take the obvious path right that traverses back to Malga Cadria and rejoins the ascent route. Allow about 3 hours down. Experienced walkers can continue north along the narrow, little-used ridge (path 445, part of the Sentiero della Pace) to Bocca dell'Ussol (1,878 m) and loop back via Malga Gui and Rifugio al Faggio, a much longer day of about 2,000 m of ascent.
Start
Ex Centrale elettrica di Concei949 m
- Bus line 214 (Riva del Garda – Valle di Ledro – Storo) to Lenzumo, then about 1.5 km and 150 m of ascent on foot to the Ex Centrale
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ex Centrale elettrica di Concei → Monte Cadria | 6.0 | 1,316 | 12 | 5h 10m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Ex Centrale elettrica di Concei949 m
- Waypoint: Malga Vies1,562 m
- Waypoint: Malga Cadria1,922 m
The ridge path branches right just below the malga
- Summit: Monte Cadria2,254 m
Key Passages
- Steep mule track (SAT 423) to Malga Vies
- Ridge path with First World War tunnels above Malga Cadria
- Short cabled step below the summit cross
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Brescia and Garda Prealps (2,254 m), rising between the Val di Ledro and the Giudicarie. A long, quiet day walk on marked paths through pasture and over a First World War ridge, with a broad view over Lake Ledro and the Adamello.
Monte Cadria stands north-west of Lake Garda in Trentino, above the Val Concei, a side valley of the Val di Ledro. It is the highest point of the Garda Prealps and has two very different faces: a broad, grassy southern side grazed in summer from Malga Vies and Malga Cadria, and steep, rocky walls to the north towards the Giudicarie. Locally the summit is also called 'Geometro', after the Austrian surveyors who used it as a triangulation station in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The normal route from the Val Concei is long rather than difficult: about 1,300 m of ascent on SAT path 423 through forest and pasture, finishing on a marked ridge path with tunnels, trenches and gun positions from the First World War, when the Austro-Hungarian front line ran along these crests. A short cabled step guards the final metres. The summit has a cross, a granite altar and wide views over Lake Ledro, the Val del Chiese, the Adamello and the Brenta Dolomites; edelweiss grows near the top.
The mountain sees relatively few visitors compared with the peaks closer to Lake Garda, and the long northern ridge towards Bocca dell'Ussol is faint and overgrown in places.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 6–7 hour day with about 1,300 m of ascent and descent is the main requirement. The route is graded EE (for experienced hikers): sure-footedness is needed on the ridge path and on the short cabled step below the summit, but no climbing gear. Those uncomfortable with exposure can use the grassy valley path from Malga Cadria, which avoids most of the ridge.
There is no staffed hut on the route; the malghe are working summer farms, not refuges, so carry food and enough water. The south-facing slopes are hot in midsummer: start early and watch for afternoon thunderstorms, which are common in the Garda Prealps. Rifugio al Faggio, near the start in the Val Concei, is a place to eat after the walk. In winter and spring the upper slopes hold snow and are avalanche-prone; ascents then are for experienced snowshoers or ski tourers only.
History
The mountain appears as 'Cadria' on Peter Anich's Atlas Tyrolensis of the late 18th century; earlier maps named it Monte de Pura after a malga below. During the First World War the Val di Ledro lay between the Austro-Hungarian line (Monte Nozzolo to Monte Sperone, including the Cadria ridge) and the Italian positions; the valley's 11,400 inhabitants were evacuated to camps in Bohemia, Moravia and Austria in May 1915. Tunnels and trenches survive on the summit ridge, which is followed by the Sentiero della Pace, the long-distance trail along the former front.
Season
Best Jun- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; snow on the upper slopes
- Feb
- Winter; snow on the upper slopes
- Mar
- Snow above the forest; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Lower path clear; snow lingers near the summit
- May
- Usually snow-free by late May; check the ridge
- Jun
- Flowers and grazing on the pastures; long days
- Jul
- Hot on the south slopes; afternoon thunderstorms; start early
- Aug
- Hot; thunderstorms; start early
- Sep
- Stable weather and clear views
- Oct
- Short days; possible early snow late in the month
- Nov
- Early snow likely on the ridge
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Getting There
Bezzecca / Pieve di Ledro (Ledro); Riva del Garda
Verona Villafranca (VRN)
- Car: A22 exit Rovereto Sud – Lago di Garda, SS240 via Riva del Garda to Bezzecca, then up the Val Concei to Lenzumo; continue on Via Bianchi towards Rifugio al Faggio and turn left for the Ex Centrale car park
- Bus: line 214 Riva del Garda – Valle di Ledro – Storo; stop at Lenzumo, about 1.5 km below the trailhead
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather