Monte San Simeone
1,505 m
Italy
- Elevation
- 1,505 m
- Prominence
- 1,183 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: E (CAI hiking scale) (SentieriNatura (variant from the 460 m road junction))
A steep, direct forest path from the village of Bordano (265 m) that cuts across the hairpins of the summit road to the San Simeone plateau and its 14th-century chapel (1,215 m), then climbs through beech wood to the summit (1,505 m). About 1,240 m of ascent and 4h20 up; open most of the year.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 7.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,314 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,505 m
- Time Up
- 5h 23m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 42m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Via Roma in Bordano turn up the lane at no. 107 and climb about 250 m to Sella Grande, where there is parking. A very steep tarmac lane leads to the start of the path; after a metal footbridge the trail enters dense woodland and climbs almost straight up the slope, crossing the paved Strada del Monte San Simeone several times. Near the locality of Vieres it meets the road; take the path directly ahead. At about 815 m it passes the stone shrine of San Simionin (by tradition first-timers leave a small wooden cross), and a little higher a second votive shrine on the Giron da Bot. The Pro Loco notes that the path is exposed and demanding in places; a variant from the 460 m road junction has a short cabled step. The path reaches the San Simeone plateau (Val di Sore, about 1,215 m), with the small church of San Simeone, one of the highest in Friuli, and the paragliding take-off nearby, in about 3h10. From the plateau follow the forest track and then CAI 838 through beech wood up a series of steps to the summit (about 1h10), which carries antennas and a wide view over the Tagliamento, Lake Cavazzo and the Gemona plain. Descend the same way, or make a loop down the west side via the 838a variant and Monte Festa. The paved road from the Sella di Interneppo (about 11–12 km, narrow, few passing places) can be driven to the plateau, which cuts the walk to about 300 m of ascent. Water only in Bordano and at Val di Sore. Steep sections are slippery with beech leaves in autumn and icy in winter.
Start
Bordano (Sella Grande)237 m
- Nearest railway station is Gemona del Friuli (Udine–Tarvisio line), about 6 km from Bordano; a bus connection to Bordano was not verified
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bordano (Sella Grande) → Monte San Simeone | 7.3 | 1,314 | 48 | 5h 23m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Bordano (Sella Grande)237 m
Turn off Via Roma at no. 107; parking at Sella Grande
- Feature: Vieres442 m
Path meets the summit road; continue on the path straight ahead
- Waypoint: Chiesa San Simeone1,216 m
San Simeone plateau (Val di Sore); end of the drivable road nearby
- Summit: Monte San Simeone1,505 m
Key Passages
- Steep forest path above the metal footbridge
- Exposed steps below the San Simionin shrine
- Beech-wood steps between the plateau and the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
An isolated limestone hump of the Carnic Prealps rising 1,300 m straight out of the Tagliamento valley between Lake Cavazzo and Gemona. A steep forest path from Bordano, a 14th-century chapel on a high plateau and a summit view over the Friulian plain make it a year-round local favourite.
Monte San Simeone (1,505 m) stands alone at the junction of the Tagliamento and the Lake Cavazzo valley, north-west of Gemona del Friuli. Because it rises about 1,300 m from the valley floor and is separated from the surrounding ranges, it looks far higher than it is, and its summit gives an unobstructed view over the Carnic and Julian Pre-Alps, the confluence of the Fella and Tagliamento and the plain towards Udine. The summit carries antennas.
A narrow paved road with nine tunnels climbs from the Sella di Interneppo to a plateau at about 1,200 m, where the small 14th-century church of San Simeone stands, the paragliding take-off used for the Acromax aerobatic competitions is located, and the scattered houses of Val di Sore sit among meadows, dolines and beech wood. The walkers' line from Bordano, the Troi da Bot, cuts straight up through the forest and is steep, well marked and in places exposed. From the plateau a forest track and path lead through beech wood to the top.
In Friulian folklore the mountain is associated with the 1976 earthquake and the Orcolat, the ogre said to sleep beneath it; local sources note that the epicentre was popularly placed here, probably wrongly. The southern slopes host one of the richest butterfly faunas in the region, and Bordano has a butterfly house and an entomological trail.
Climbing Notes
From Bordano the walk is a full day for most people: about 1,240 m of ascent in 5 km to the summit, 4h20 up by the Pro Loco's figures, on a path with a 28% average gradient. Good fitness and sure-footedness are the main requirements; there is no technical climbing, but a few steps are exposed and the beech-leaf surface is slippery when wet. Driving the road to the plateau reduces the walk to about 1h30 and 300 m of ascent.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons. In summer start early: the path is mostly shaded, but the south-facing slopes are hot. In winter the route is often walkable, but microspikes are useful on the steep beech-wood steps below the summit. Carry water: the only supplies are in Bordano and at the spring in Val di Sore. There are no huts; combine the walk with the chapel and a loop over Monte Festa if you want a longer day.
History
The chapel of San Simeone on the plateau dates from the 14th century; local tradition says it was built for a count of Colloredo who fled there with his family to escape the plague, and it was consecrated around the middle of the 1300s. It was badly damaged in the Friuli earthquakes of 1976 and faithfully rebuilt by volunteers from Bordano and Interneppo. The 6 May 1976 earthquake (moment magnitude 6.5) was centred near Gemona del Friuli, a few kilometres to the east, and killed 990 people.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Often walkable; snow and ice possible on the upper beech-wood section
- Feb
- Microspikes often useful above the plateau
- Mar
- Lower path usually clear; late snow near the summit
- Apr
- Spring, recommended by the Pro Loco
- Jun
- Start early; afternoon thunderstorms
- Jul
- Hot on the south-facing slope; start at dawn
- Aug
- Hot; thunderstorms
- Oct
- Autumn, recommended by the Pro Loco; beech leaves slippery when wet
- Dec
- Possible snow or ice above the plateau
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The road from the Sella di Interneppo to the plateau is narrow, exposed and has few passing places and nine unlit tunnels shared with walkers and cyclists
- Getting There
Bordano; Gemona del Friuli
Trieste Airport (TRS); Venice Marco Polo (VCE)
- By car: SS13 Pontebbana north from Udine, turn left at the second traffic light in Gemona (Campagnola) towards Lake Cavazzo, cross the Tagliamento at Braulins and follow the SP36 to Bordano
- Walkers' start: from Via Roma in Bordano turn at no. 107 to the parking at Sella Grande
- To drive to the plateau: from the Sella di Interneppo take the paved Strada del Monte San Simeone (about 11–12 km)
- Nearest railway station: Gemona del Friuli (Udine–Tarvisio line); onward bus to Bordano not verified
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather