Rifugio Pelizzo - Monte Mataiur/Matajur (via Fonte Skrila)

Access to starting point:
A) On Slovenian side: From the road Tolmin - Kobarid, in the settlement Idrsko to the left (from the direction Kobarid right) steep two-lane road branches off towards the village Livek (approximately 5 km). We continue here on a narrower road in Italy. On the other side of the border, the road starts slightly descending, at village Polava again widens, and slightly ascends towards the village Čepletišče / Cepletischis. From here we descend towards the crossroad (0.5 km), where we continue right in the direction of village Matajur / Montemaggiore and Rifugio Pelizzo. Straight Sauodnja / Savogna. From Livek to the village Matajur is approximately 10 km, and to Rifugo Pelizzo 13 km.
B) On Italian side: From Gorca direction we drive on a regional road towards Videm / Udine, to the turn-off for Krmin / Cormons. At the roundabout on first exit we turn towards Krmin / Cormons and Čedad / Cividale and we drive below underpass and then we immediately turn left. In larger and clumsy crossroad in Krmin we turn towards Čedad / Cividale del Friuli. We continue driving through more settlements on carefully treated Friulian plain. In good visibility we will see our destination Matajur in company of Krn at first on our right side, and from Čedad straight in front of us. In Čedad we get to the traffic light crossroad next to building, in which is at first pharmacy (farmacia) and then bank. At the crossroad, we turn sharply right (straight in front of us entrance in old part of the town and large free parking lot). To famous bridge Hudičev most there is only few minutes of walking.
We continue to a smaller roundabout, in front of which there's more signposts, among them also brown sign for Kolovrat. From here further we follow the signs for Kolovrat. By the river Nadiža we drive towards the settlement Špeter Slovenov / San Pietro al Natisone. Approximately 1 km before Špeter we get to a crossroad in the settlement Muost/Puint/Ponte San Quirino. Here we turn right (straight Špeter), and left over a bridge road from Čedad on other bank of river Nadiža, on which leads the path which you can find on Google Maps. We still follow the signs for Kolovrat, but only for approximately 1.5 km, where the road branches off to the right towards Kolovrat and former border crossing Solarij / Solarie. We continue straight to bigger settlement Sauodnja / Savogna, also center of the eponymous municipality. Here we turn right over a bridge and we continue on the main road. We could also go after the bridge left upwards, but the path is very steep and narrow. On the bridge we see also red signs for Rifugio Pelizzo. The path soon starts ascending in zig-zags (approx. 3 km and 6 sharp turns). On the top we come to the next turn-off, where we turn left towards the village Matajur / Montemaggiore and Rifugio Pelizzo. Straight in front of us village Čepletišče (Cepletischis) and approximately 6 km to Livek. From the crossroad to the village Matajur separates us approximately 5.5 km moderately ascending two-lane road. Above the village Matajur the road narrows a little and after 3.5 km in a gentle ascent brings us to Rufugio Pelizzo.

Path description:
We park on a parking lot at Rifugio Pelizzo on the mountain pasture Planina v Lazeh. Word rifugio in a literal translation means refuge, but in Italian also the mountain hut or cottage. Pelizzo by the size belongs more among the latter. In the snow conditions there is a road closure above the village Matajur. The shortest path to Rifugio Pelizzo is on mildly ascending road (approximately 45 min of walking), which we can quite few times shorten on a steep shortcuts.
From the parking lot at Rifugio Pelizzo we step to a turn below the observatory, where signs for Fonte Skrila point us left. The path descends towards the house, which we see below the observatory, and continues past a wall below the house. The footpath starts descending on a grassy slope towards the forest on our left. After few steps, we will notice an unmarked footpath which branches off on our left. We continue on a marked footpath which is for few meters steeply descending and then turns to the left, towards the forest. Relatively gentle path after few minutes brings us to a well. From here starts footpath mildly ascending diagonally through the forest to turn off, where a signpost for Matajur and Fonte Skrila points us left uphill, and straight continues a footpath to Palestra di roccia. The path is next 10-15 minutes relatively steeply ascending. At the end of the ascent from the left joins unmarked footpath which at the beginning of the path, below the house immediately went to the left through the forest.
Unmarked footpath is all the time to the junction with the marked path moderately ascending, so compared to a marked path, which is at first descending, and then steeper ascending, is for walking less strenuous. But a walk there also in snowless conditions requires more attention, because footpath is very narrow and in parts crosses steep slopes, which are because of shady side often covered with ice, and when wet it is slippery. Unmarked path in snow conditions mostly isn't beaten, if it is icy, we will need crampons. If snow is soft, is a great risk that we trigger an avalanche. If there is more than 0.5m of snow, it is better to choose the bottom, marked path.
Bottom, and marked path also in snow conditions mostly isn't problematic. If there is near 1m of snow and more, we have to be very careful on part of the path right before Fonte Skrila, where we cross few meters of slope above the riverbed of a torrent. In snowless conditions leads here wide flat path and we don't even notice the steepness. If there is a lot of snow, this part changes into a steep slope, which ends in the riverbed of a torrent. Here more caution is needed, because we can trigger avalanche or we slip into a riverbed of a torrent.
When footpaths join, the path flattens and turns to the right few more strides through the forest, which soon gets thinner. In front of us we notice mountain pasture, which is rising below the eastern slopes of Matajur.
We continue past stone trough and water reservoir at the source Fonte Skrila. Skrila is one three sources, which are on Matajur at an altitude above 1.400 meters, which is a great rarity. It is possible that right those sources give fatherly mountain of Venetian Slovenians special energy.
The path starts from the trough moderately ascending on the right edge of the mountain pasture towards the saddle, where joins the cart track - old path from Livek. Here joins also a footpath which cuts a turn. In front of us is rising mighty Krn with its neighbors, behind us on our left, we clearly see our destination, peak Matajur. Signpost says, that to the top there is 20 min, you can add at least 10 min and enjoy in increasingly beautiful views. We continue few steps on a cart track to turn, where blazes point us on a footpath which leads straight uphill. And cart track in a gentle ascent crosses southeast slopes of Matajur towards Dom na Matajure. If there is near 1m of snow, you won't see a cart track. If snow isn't settled, crossing of the slopes towards Dom na Matajure isn't recommended, because we can trigger avalanche from higher steep slopes above cart track.
On the path from Rifugio Pelizzo to Fonte Skrila and forward towards the saddle, is usually a lot more snow, as on the south side. If it isn't beaten, on this part of the path snowshoes usually come in handy.
From the turn our path continues on a footpath which is relatively steeply ascending to a smaller saddle, where from the right joins the path from Avsa. From here views in front of us widens on Kanin mountain chain and Rombon, Mangrt, Jalovec, and Razor. Next follows a shorter ascent on the eastern ridge, from which a view reaches all the way from Dolomites to Spodnje Bohinjske gore. After the crossing of the ridge the path is for few minutes moderately ascending towards the summit, which we all the time see in front of us.
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