Fernando Zampiva, the herbalist and writer from Arzignano, was absolutely right when talking about Mount Gramolon: "One must be blind or very hardened not to feel sublime emotions at the sight of Gramolon." The mountain, extremely cherished by the people of the "Terra del Chiampo," stands at 1,814 meters. It is one of the most picturesque destinations, reachable in just under two hours, for those who decide to climb the peaks beyond Crespadoro.
The starting point One sets out from the Campodalbero plateau, where the "Bepi Bertagnoli" refuge is located.
From here, leaving the car behind, you take the CAI (Italian Alpine Club) trail 221, which winds its way along the Scagina gullies up to the pass, taking about an hour and passing through beech forests and rock formations. From the pass, you continue to the left on a mule track in the Val di Fraselle, until, after about twenty minutes amid expansive meadows and clumps of mountain pine, you catch sight of the upper Fraselle mountain hut. On the right, you'll find the trail that ventures into the valley, leading to the summit of Mount Gramolon in a 40-minute ascent.
The alternative routes Another access route is by ascending from the road leading to the "sentiero della cava" (trail of the quarry), the 207, emerging at Bocchetta Mesole in an hour, and then taking the direct path to Mount Gramolon. An alternative approach is the "ferrata Viali" (for experts and equipped climbers), which joins along the Scagina. This route is traversed by many mountain enthusiasts for its beauty, featuring metal cables, steps, and rocky cliffs.
The origin of the name On the topographic map of the Lombard-Venetian Kingdom in the 19th century, the mountain was referred to as "Gran mullon." The name is typically associated with the friability of the rock, "gramolon." According to the mountaineer and historian Gianni Pieropan, it might have originated from the German "Guaman-lon," meaning “hay slope“. Others point to its Latin derivation from "grumus," meaning “heap“ or “hill“. Its beauty lies in the towering rocky spurs reaching towards the sky and the breathtaking panorama from the summit.
Maestro Bepi De Marzi, among his songs with the Crodaioli, couldn't forget its poetry. His 1970 composition, "La campana del Gramolon," reads: "Su la costa del Gramolon sonava 'na campana, come 'na vosse che ciama / Din - don - dan / No l'è'l vento che fa din-don: la ze 'na mano forte de chi gà vinto la morte / din- don-dan." (On the Gramolon’s slope rang a bell, like a voice calling / Din - don - dan / It’s not the wind calling / Din - don - dan /but the strong hand of the one who conquered death/ Din - don - dan / )
The peak is often snow-covered in winter, and it was precisely an avalanche from one of its slopes that caused the death of Bepi Bertagnoli, a university student, in 1951. From this tragic event, the song "Signore delle cime" by De Marzi was born in 1958.
The cross and its meaning At the summit of Gramolon, a steel cross welcomes hikers, its arms facing the Chiampo Valley. A bell, crafted by the alpine troops, hangs from it. There's also a summit logbook, where hearts release expressions of appreciation and reflections, often profound and born of genuine wonder. But above all, speaking sovereignly are the sunsets, the horizons of the crests of the Small Dolomites, groups of chamois on the expanses of grass, the alpine lilies and stars in the summer, the first snows of the north wind, the magnificent landscape towards the plains of Vicenza and Verona, even the November mists. Just below the cross, a niche houses a small Madonna, the guardian of the mountain mystery and eternal protector of those who tread the path. Anyone who reaches up there cannot help but entrust her with an intention, a hope, or even a heartfelt gratitude for experiencing that place at that moment. It's an enchantment of wind that lingers peacefully in the heart of anyone who has been there.