The cross-border area of Sella Nevea-Kanin, located in the heart of the Julian Alps, just outside the Triglav National Park, includes, in a single ski carousel, both the slopes on the Italian and Slovenian sides, above Bovec and the Soča Valley. Ski enthusiasts will find here the opportunity to ski on a wide range of slopes: more difficult, but always with impeccable snow quality on the northside, and sunny, though often winterly on the southern side as well. Due to the location in one of the areas with the highest intensity of snowfall in Europe - here the cold and dry air masses of the northern Alps collide with the humid air masses of the Adriatic -, the Mount Canin group offers an abundance and quality of excellent snow, even in years of poor snow conditions. The morphology of the terrain is ideal for backcountry and ski touring: steep slopes, which offer fantastic runs to the most expert freeriders, alternate with softer slopes suitable for off-piste beginners. This is a real freeride paradise, comparable to the most famous ski resorts in the Dolomites. The valley Krnica, that descends from Sella Prevala into Slovenian territory, is one of the easiest and most rewarding routes. The descent ends at 980 meters, at the intermediate station of the cable car that goes uphill from Bovec and, therefore, it can be used only in case of snow to low altitude.
Access
From Chiusaforte drive the steep Raccolana valley to Sella Nevea and to the large parking of the ski lifts (17.5 km from Chiusaforte). Alternatively, from Tarvisio follow the state road to Passo del Predil, and near Lago del Predil turn right to the Passo di Sella Nevea, from where we descend to the ski resort and parking (21.5 km from Tarvisio)
The itinerary
The Canin cable car brings us uphill to the Gilberti Soravito Refuge (1850 m). Under the refuge there is the bottom station of the Funifor Prevala, which allows us to reach the ridge of Sella Golovec at an altitude of 2132 meters. Here we ski down to Sella Prevala (2067 m, bottom station of the chairlift Prevala) and we begin the off-piste descent in an east-south-east direction along the wide valley of Krnica (in case of poor snow conditions it is better to ski down to the valley, avoiding the steep side-slopes). After an almost flat stretch at an altitude of 1500 meters, the valley turns south. At this point, instead of going down to the river at the bottom of the valley that has some jumps, we keep high on the left and descend through a thin wood, with a moderate decline, until Planina Krnica (1262 m).
Here we take a wide forest road, with a constant descent. After a long hairpin bend in the forest, we reach the bottom station of Krožno-kabinska Kanin (980 m, 1 hour from Sella Prevala). We take the gondola up to the top station at 2202 meters and from here, with the chair lift Prevala, we climb to the Škrbina Pod Prestreljenikom (Sella del Forato) at 2300 meters. On the ski slope or in the fresh snow alongside the piste, we descend to Sella Prevala. Back in Italy, we go down the slope or in fresh snow on the left until the Piano di Prevala, where the short Gilberti chairlift takes us back to the refuge Gilberti Soravito. Here, following the Canin piste, we ski down to the parking lot of Sella Nevea (3-4 hours).
Technical data:
- Route difficulty: S2 (wide slopes and valleys, gradient up to 25°)
- Duration: 3-4 hours of ascent
- Altitude difference: 0 m uphill
- Recommended period: from January to March
