The Dignas Fork

The Dignas Fork is an ancient border crossing between Italy and Austria. The narrow passage rises at an altitude of 2094 m asl wedged between Monte Palombino and The Croda Negra along the Carnic Alps chain.

From the small peak next to the saddle, we can admire the whole Val Dignas and the nearby Val Visdende on one side, while on the other, the Austrian valleys and the village of Obertillach. Just before the pass there are 3 military barracks dating back to the Fascist period and used as a border guard post, even in the 70s, during the episode of Cima Vallona.

Reaching the military complex on foot takes about two scarce hours and does not require any particular hiking skills. Going up from Val Visdende, past the locality of La Fitta, we take a comfortable forest road that starts at the Ciadon junction. The road marked CAI-170, also known as the road of the Alpine Huts, salt gently immersed in the fir forest. Once you reach Dignas Alpine Hut, the forest thins out, slowly leaving space for pasture. We continue to climb up to the junction for Campobon Alpine Hut and leave the main one, which goes east,
to continue going up through hairpin bends on the military mule track which now narrows and takes us to the state border in just under an hour.