Hike along the Plima Gorge Trail - South Tyrol - Alto Adige - Bolzano (original) (raw)
At the head of the Val Martello valley, an interesting nature trail proceeds until the Corsi al Cevedale Mountain Hut at 2,256 m a.s.l
Image gallery: Hike along the Plima Gorge Trail
video : Plima Gorge Trail
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Our starting point is the parking space at the head of the Val Martello valley which is accessible by car and also by public bus.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The gorge path “Adventure Plima Gorge” in the Stelvio National Park offers four new steel constructions.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The hiking path leads us across a bridge and past a little pond, where the first information board can be found.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
View on the former Hotel Valmartello - Paradiso del Cevedale, a famous summer resort in the last century.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The first staging is called “Kelle in der Klamm” and hovers above the gorge.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The roaring water of the Plima Creek.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The hiking path more or less always proceeds slightly uphill, but the entire altitude difference is only 250 m.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The information boards explain the gorge and the single viewpoints, like here the second viewpoint, called “Panoramic Sickle”.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The “Panoramic Sickle” can be walked round and offers a beautiful view on the Hotel Paradiso and out of the valley.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The “Prospect Pulpit” is a platform above the gorge and shall give the impression to be in a state of weightlessness.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The Rifugio Nino Corsi al Cevedale (Zufallhütte - 2.256 m asl.), the highest point of our circular walking tour, is already visible.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
Here the Plima Gorge Path proceeds downhill for a few minutes towards the waterfall.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The last of the four constructions is the chain bridge, designed to be accessible all the year round, it even can carry lots of snow.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
View from the chain bridge on the gorge of the Plima Creek, which takes the melt waters from the Cevedale glaciers down into the valley.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
The Rif. Corsi mountain hut invites us to take a break.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
At the Rif. Corsi hut there is the possibility to climb up the Glacier Education Trail for a bit. It leads to high alpine terrain…
Foto: MS, © Peer -
… and offers an impressive view on the Gioveretto Reservoir in the Val Martello valley.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
We continue our circular walking tour at the Rif. Corsi hut. Within 45 minutes we reach the parking space “Hintermartell” again, our starting point.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
At the beginning we have to manage a quite steep descent, but then the path becomes flatter and we can enjoy the gorgeous view.
Foto: MS, © Peer -
video : Val Martello
video : A night at the Zufritt reservoir
At the head of the beautiful Val Martello valley, after the Gioveretto Reservoir (Zufrittsee) and embedded in the Stelvio National Park, a small parking space is located. Due to the fact that usually it is already crowded in the morning, we recommend to leave the car at one of the parking lots before the lake and use the bus which circulates between the parking spaces and the head of the valley. Here, at about 2,000 m a.s.l., a bridge leads us to a little pond, the first of 8 information points in total. The info points inform about amphibians, the nutcracker, the marsh and about natural hazards. After a short section uphill, we have reached the first of four stagings made of corten steel which is called "Cazzuola". Staircases lead us downhill to the viewpoint which hovers above the gorge and offers impressive views on the roaring water of the Rio Plima brook.
About 15 minutes later, the second viewpoint awaits us, a panoramic sickle with view out of the valley and towards the Hotel Valmartello - Paradiso del Cevedale, once a famous summer resort. Today the hotel is closed. We follow the walking path uphill through the forest to the third viewpoint, the prospect pulpit. The highest point of the Plima Gorge Trail (Plima Schluchtenweg), the Corsi al Cevedale Mountain Hut at 2,256 m a.s.l. (Zufàllhütte), is already visible. After several minutes of walking we are in front of the waterfall of the Rio Plima which carves through the gorge.
Here the fantastic chain bridge is located which can carry several metres of snow loads and therefore is accessible all the year round. Of course it is the absolute highlight of the path for children. Now the ascent up to the Corsi al Cevedale Mountain Hut follows (5 minutes), with 2,256 m a.s.l. the highest point of our hike. We enjoy a break before we continue our circular walking tour and come down to the parking space at the head of the valley again (about 45 minutes). There is the possibility to extend the hike by a further ascent at the Corsi al Cevedale Hut. Like this you reach the Glacier Education Trail which offers a gorgeous view on the Ortles Alps.
Author: MS
suited for families circular route theme trail
- Starting point:
Val Martello valley, parking space at the head of the valley - Time required:
02:00 h - Track length:
3,3 km - Altitude:
from 2.065 m to 2.269 m - Altitude difference:
+205 m | -205 m - Signposts:
"Erlebnis Plimaschlucht" - Recommended time of year:
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - Download GPX track: Hike along the Plima Gorge Trail
If you want to do this hike, we suggest you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.
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