The Lagorai Group is a huge mountainous chain which extends itself from north to south, from Valli di Fassa -Fiemme to Valsugana and from west to east, from Valli di Cembra - Mocheni to Val di Primiero - S. Martino di Castrozza. It is a chain of mountains consisting mainly of porphyry and granite, whose highest peaks do not even reach the 3000 meters (m. 2847 Cima d'Asta), but instead, could be placed in average, within heights of around 2300/2400 meters.
The main characteristics of the Lagorai, in addition to the vastness of the forest surface and the abundant presence of water on the surface (numerous streams and about a hundred lakes and pools can be counted) is the result of a scenery dynamic, also due to the fact of having only one crossover viable by car (the one taking you to Passo del Manghen, and open, however, only during the summer), together with the lack of lodging places of high demand, but compensated by the abundance of Alpine huts and shelters: all of which convert it, into the ideal destination for the lovers of “solitary” hiking, a little adventurous, far from the crowds that animate even the most beautiful Dolomites. In winter, then, thanks to the presence of thick wood paths, the Gruppo dei Lagorai (Lagorai Mountain Chain) is definitely a good exercising place for those who try it for the first time even with snow wood shoe platforms and do not want to face, neither too steep nor too risky hill sides.
The Lodge is located at the Monte Croce Group (Croce Mountain Chain) which closures the high Valle di Pinè (Pinè Valley) separating it on the east from the valleys of Cadino and Calamento. Such group, from the geological point of view, forms part of the extreme southwest layer of the igneous rock chain of the Lagorai. From beginning to end, all along the pathway leading to the lodge, one walks along the “Porfido del Lagorai” (Lagorai Phorphyry), that is, on rocks pertaining to the superior volcanic blanket characterized by a content of silica quite higher than the one found in the valley below.
At the base of the big southern face of Monte Croce (Mount Croce), you can find a stretch of landslips masses. From the lodge, one can see the northern side of Monte Rujoch (Mount Rujoch) which constitutes a good example of the glacial cirque (a niche in an amphitheater rigged from the glaciers) which morphology was partially modified by a detritus layer. Still, by the XVII century, then, during the full last expansion of the glaciers, occurred between years 1550 and 1850 and named Piccola Età Glaciale (Small Glacial Age), the Mariano pointed out to the presence of “perpetual snows” on the Fregasoga Mountains.
On the left slope of Val Regnana G.B. Trener e C. Battisti (Valley Regnana G.B. Trener and C. Battisti), they found residues of moraine remains. On the meridian section of Valle di Pinè (Pinè Valley), more huge moraine sediments, not many leftovers from clean waters, cover river excavations which go back to Pleistocene age; this contributes, together with the rounding up of the heights of some bumps and some other tokens, to indicate that such valley is definitely of glacial origin.
The Pleistocene age glacial landscape, in the area corresponding to the actual Lago di Serraia (Serraia Lake), used to flow in the east-west direction. The geological rocky evenness of the zone, allows us to easily notice the erosive action of the various streams that flow into the small hydrographic basin delimited by the half circle of mountaintops comprised between Monte Lemperperch (Mount Lemperperch) and Monte Cogne (Mount Cogne). The two main water courses are Rio Regnana (Regnana River), which forms the colorful waterfall, called “del Lupo” which is about forty meters high, and the Rio Brusago (Brusago River).
These two streams are responsible for the “beheading” of Valle di Pinè (Valley di Pinè). As a matter of fact, after the retreating of the Pleistocene glaciers, the higher part of said valley, from Bedollo upwardly, has channeled its waters into Valle di Cembra (Di Cembra Valley) instead of the hydrographic basin of Fersina due to the intense regressive action exerted by the two effluents of the Avisio. Following said “capturing” phenomenon, the Fersina basin was reduced by roughly 36 square kilometers.
Near Stramaiolo, in a bed of green-sand inserted among porphyry, it was discovered back in 1931, a footmark of a “Tridentinosaurus antiquus”, a reptile of about 25 centimeters characterized by a very long and thin neck.
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