One of the most hard-fought points of the ‘Carnia Zone’ during the Great War was the border area near the Monte Croce Carnico Pass in the Upper But Valley. An open-air museum was set up on the Pal Piccolo, where Italian and Austro-Hungarian military structures are still visible on the summit.
Pal Piccolo (1,866 m):
Situated near the Monte Croce Carnico Pass (1,360 m), on the border between Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) and Austria (Carinthia). mportant strategic location during the First World War, today the site of an open-air museum with restored trenches, tunnels and fortifications.
Freikofel (1,757 m):
Connected to Pal Piccolo by a rocky ridge, also the scene of bitter fighting between Italians and Austro-Hungarians.
Characterised by an underground defence system, with helical tunnels and emplacements carved into the rock.
DEPARTURE POINT - Parking above Timau, roadside
TOTAL KM - 14 km
TIME PERIOD - 7h
DEVELOPMENT - 1100m
FOR 4 PAWS FRIENDS - Not recommended
WATER POINTS - Present
PLACEMENT POINTS - Casera Pal Piccolo and casera Pal Grande
ALTITUDE MIN/MAX - 934m-1860m
TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT - Undergrowth, Valleys, Meadows
CAI SIGNPOSTS - 161-401A-413-402
Hiking Routes
Pal Piccolo
From Monte Croce Carnico Pass (1,360 m):
CAI Path 401: Direct route to the summit (1.5-2 hours), passing through restored trenches and posts. Difficulty E (expert hikers).
Variant 401b: More panoramic and demanding, with equipped sections (iron ladders and ropes) and access to several trenches. Ideal for a combined ring-route with CAI 401.
Ring of the Portatrici Carniche (CAI 401c):
Departure from Casa Cantoniera (1,150 m), passing the war cemetery and the Val Tagliamento Battalion Chapel. Height difference 800 m, length 9.7 km, time 4.5 hours.
Freikofel
From the Monte Croce Carnico Pass:
CAI path 413: Through a rocky gully equipped with cables, it reaches the summit in 3.5 hours. Along the way: tunnels, barracks and the Pal Grande Chapel.
Traverse from Pal Piccolo: Link via path 401, with technical descent to Passo Cavallo (1,622 m), rich in military remains