Top 6 Caves カルドナッツォでの

the sinkhole is quite impressive and quite intimidating

Path immersed in an extremely suggestive, arcane and mysterious forest, characterized by fascinating karst phenomena, in which the white rock is covered with very green moss: stratified and suspended boulders, ravines, crevasses, a passage inside a micro canyon and another under two leaning blocks that create a sort of natural tunnel. The height of the surprise is the Caverna (or Voragine) dello Sciasòn (or Siesòn), a dark and deep mouth that opens in the middle of the forest!

A foaming and thunderous waterfall cascades from the spring known as 'Gorgo Santo' (which can be visited a little further along, climbing the trail —> see related highlight). The small bridge actually spans two waterfalls, one upstream and one downstream. I recommend descending to the paved road below, on the border between the hamlets of Scalzeri and Longhi, for a spectacular view of the stream cascading through a series of rapid drops before flowing into the Astico River. I also recommend visiting this site after days of rain or when the snow has melted in the mountains, to see the water swollen and rushing!

The diameter and depth of the chasm are impressive. It's scary. I advise caution in the cold months (and not only) as there is ice everywhere and the area becomes a skating rink, although there are protective barriers. I speak from lived experience....

The Gorgo Santo is a spring that features a very rare phenomenon... Rainwater and snow water are not retained by the Luserna Plateau due to the karst composition of the terrain; instead, it flows down the valley through tortuous underground passages. Under normal conditions, it flows from the lower Gorgo Santo cave; however, in heavy rain or snow, the cave may be unable to handle the full flow, so the water is also released from the upper Gorgo Santo cave... a sort of safety valve. Pope Boniface IV (7th century) happened to pass through these parts during a trip and blessed the whirlpool: hence the name "santo." But there is another, more evocative and legendary, theory behind the name: it is said that here, Saint George defeated the Great Dragon that dwelt in the cave and dominated the valley! The presence or absence of water depends on rainfall or snowfall: to find a good flow of water, you should visit on days after it has rained; otherwise, you'll visit the whirlpool in its "dry" state.

Direct ascent to Spitz di Tonezza, from the southeast face: you begin by crossing a steep and picturesque beech forest; you'll encounter signs of military structures from the Great War (emplacements and cave shelters); you'll climb some rugged sections over rocks; you'll continue along a beautiful, exposed ledge; and you'll finish with a steep final climb to the cross. Rated as a mountaineering trail, EE. It's clean and well-marked with neon pink markers. https://www.tonezza.it/attivita/escursioni-itinerari/percorsi-a-piedi/difficili/sentiero-della-tarbisa/

Impressive and spectacular sinkhole of karst origin, which descends as a well for 46 meters, then continues with a lateral corridor and falls with another well, reaching the overall depth of -96 meters! The dark and mysterious mouth is illuminated by a natural skylight dug into the karst ceiling. At the bottom of the cave the ice remains throughout the year. It is called indiscriminately Caverna or Voragine (del) Siesòn or Sciasòn.

Avoid cycling, not cycling between the fort and the cave.