Uja di Calcante
| Uja di Calcante | |
|---|---|
| Monte Calcante | |
The mountain seen from the nearby Monte Bellacomba | |
| Highest point | |
| Prominence | 311 m (1,020 ft) |
| Isolation | 2.52 km (1.57 mi) |
| Coordinates | 45°15′33″N 7°23′15″E / 45.259167°N 7.3875°E |
| Geography | |
| Region | Piedmont |
| Parent range | Graian Alps |
The Uja di Calcante (or Uia di Calcante, sometimes Monte Calcante[1][2]) is a mountain in the Graian Alps with an elevation of 1,614 m a.s.l.. It is located in Piedmont on the watershed ridge between the Val d'Ala and the Valle di Viù, and its summit marks the convergence of the municipal territories of Traves, Mezzenile, and Viù, all in the Metropolitan City of Turin.[3]
Toponym
The term Uja, sometimes rendered as Uia, means needle or sharp point in the dialect of the Lanzo Valleys.[4]
Description
The mountain lies at the convergence of four ridges. The western ridge connects it to the Colle della Cialmetta (1,305 m) and forms part of the watershed separating the main Lanzo Valley from the Valle di Viù. The southeastern ridge also lies on this watershed, descending to the Colle Prà Lorenzo (1,384 m) and a saddle at 1,169 m, then rising to form the Monte Bellacomba (1,199 m) and fading beyond the Punta d'Aprile (1,092 m). A third, short ridge points north and ends near Pessinetto, while the fourth, the most notable for mountaineering, reaches the Colle Lunelle (1,330 m), continuing westward without further mountaineering interest to the Cima Lunelle (1,384 m) and the Cima del Toro (1,108 m).
At the summit of the Uja di Calcante, where a cross stands, there is also a geodetic trigonometric point of the IGM named Monte di Calcante (055022).[1]
From the summit, there is a view of the 3,000-meter peaks at the head of the Lanzo Valleys.[5]
Access to the summit
The commonly followed hiking routes to the summit pass through the Colle della Cialmetta or Prà Lorenzo, starting from Fubina[6] or Selvagnengo[7] (both hamlets of Viù) or from Mezzenile.[8]
The mountain can also be reached from Traves by following the Sentiero Frassati, inaugurated in June 1997 and dedicated to the memory of the Blessed Piedmontese.[9]
History
The ridge section between the mountain and the nearby Punta Lunelle (1,384 m) has historically served as a climbing training ground for Turin mountaineers. The rock is solid and rich in holds, and the route closely following the ridge crest has difficulties of grades II and III. The first recorded ascent in the CAI documentation dates to 1905; the area was heavily frequented until the 1960s and saw the deaths of some notable climbers of the time, including Alfredo Morello and Augusto Domask. Among the enthusiasts who frequented the area was Pier Giorgio Frassati, to whom a trail was dedicated in 1997.[10]
Flora
On the slopes of the mountain is one of the few known stations of Euphorbia gibelliana, an endemic plant exclusive to the Graian Alps.[11]
Mining exploitation
The slopes of the mountain were historically exploited for the extraction of iron minerals. In particular, on the northern slope facing Pessinetto and the eastern slope descending toward Traves, magnetite and chalcopyrite were extracted, providing raw materials for various small forges located near the Stura. The need for timber for these operations was met through deforestation of the Uja di Calcante and surrounding heights. Evidence of these mining activities, which ceased toward the end of the 19th century, includes some shafts and a service mule track for the mines.[7]
Cartography
- Official Italian cartography of the Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM) at scales 1:25,000 and 1:100,000, available online[12]
- Istituto Geografico Centrale - Trail and refuge map scale 1:50,000 no. 2 Valli di Lanzo e Moncenisio
- Istituto Geografico Centrale - Trail and refuge map scale 1:25,000 no. 110 Basse Valli di Lanzo (Lanzo - Viù - Chialamberto - Locana - Ciriè)
References
- ^ a b "Punti Geodetici" [Geodetic Points] (in Italian). IGM. Archived from the original on 2012-06-05. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ "Traves" [Traves]. lanzoelesuevalli.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ Carta Tecnica Regionale [Regional Technical Map] (in Italian) (raster 1:10,000 (version 3.0) ed.). Regione Piemonte. 2007.
- ^ Ghiotto, Matteo. "Le montagne nell'area francoprovenzale" [Mountains in the Franco-Provençal area] (in Italian). Regione Piemonte - Minoranze linguistiche storiche. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
- ^ Claudio Trova & Giuliano Tomasetti. "Uja di Calcante (1614 m)" [Uja di Calcante (1614 m)]. alpioccidentali.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ mario-mont. "Calcante (Uja di) da Fubina per la Mulattiera della forestale" [Calcante (Uja di) from Fubina via the forest mule track]. gulliver.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ a b Berutto, Giulio (1983). Valli di Lanzo e Moncenisio [Lanzo Valleys and Moncenisio] (in Italian). Turin: Istituto Geografico Centrale.
- ^ "Pagina sul sito della pro-loco di Mezzenile" [Page on the Mezzenile pro-loco website]. mezzenile.eu (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2013-08-11. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ "Sentiero Frassati di Traves - Inaugurazione" [Frassati Trail of Traves - Inauguration]. sentierifrassati.org (in Italian). Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ "Palestra di Roccia delle Lunelle (m 1434)" [Lunelle Rock Climbing Area (1434 m)]. traves.info (in Italian). CAI and Comune di Traves. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ Santacroce, Claudio (2007-04-01). "Euphorbia gibelliana Peola" [Euphorbia gibelliana Peola]. Piemonte Parchi (in Italian) (165). Archived from the original on 2009-06-02. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
- ^ ".:: Geoportale Nazionale ::". Archived from the original on 8 February 2015.