Ast - Val Vena

Ast is one of the hamlets of Terento and marks the entrance to the unspoilt Valle di Vena (Winnebachtal). The area is ideal for long hikes in the Fundres Mountains, as well as for excursions to the surrounding mountain pastures and picnics in nature. Today, a few newer buildings can be found among the old farmsteads. The location of Ast and the tranquillity it provides seem to have grown in appreciation, as people are drawn back to nature.

The Val Vena valley leads from Ast towards the Hexenstein, the Witches' Stone, and has a dedicated car park for hikers. From there, you can reach the Ast Mountain Hut, a managed hut with a barbecue terrace. The trail continues across meadows and through a high valley to Lake Pausa, which glitters in the sunlight above Terento at an altitude of over 2,000 metres. Its water temperatures are brisk, as expected at this alpine altitude, and invigorate body and mind.

The sixth and final stage of the Fundres High Route starts here, and it is also here, by the rushing Rio Vena, that the managed Lago di Pausa Hut is situated. Above the Val Vena, the Monte Gruppo - a mountain tour of six hours -, the Giogo di Terento and other peaks reveal their full majesty.

Their summits are often snow-capped as early as autumn and some almost reach the 3,000-metre mark. In winter, when the nearby ski areas like Gitschberg Jochtal and Plan de Corones are open, you can watch ski tourers ascending the slopes of Mount Al Giogo, or Giogo di Terento.