Monte San Simeone

Monte San Simeone is an annual pilgrimage for me.  Today the weather was temperate and clear, and the grifoni of Cornino wildlife reserve were making the most of it.  Don't think I've ever seen so many of them at once before.  After watching this spectacle awhile I continued up past Lago di Cavazzo to start of climb.  The climb was perfect: not too hot and the road surface wasn't as bad as I'd remembered.  After the top (1187 meters) I rolled down into some pretty green meadows with the tree-covered summit of Monte San Simeone above in the distance.  The paved road ended so I retraced a bit, then hiked up to Chiesa di San Simeone and a clearing atop the hill with a nice view. 

I descended until 375 meters, where I reached the junction for Monte Festa and turned off to check it out.  Pavement ends after 1.5km but a gravel road continues to the fortress.  I will try to mountain bike that in September or October.

Got a bit fatigued on the way home but never bonked, thanks to the unseasonable 20℃ with a light breeze on an August afternoon.

Beautiful turquoise water of Lago di Cornino

Just a few of dozens of grifoni riding the thermals
along Tagliamento's cliffs   

In clearing above chiesa looking west

San Simeone summit- must hike (maybe MTB?)

The chiesa with mountains to northeast

Monte Palantarins towers above Fiume Tagliamento (left)
and Torrente Pakar (right); another MTB ride

Southern end of Lago di Cavazzo and mountains to southwest

Hang glider taking off from the steep pastures

Monte Festa (left) with pre-World War I fortress
on top

Lago di Cavazzo, created by retreating glaciers

Pieve di Santo Stefano, Cesclans