The stunning Cajada valley, in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, is a typical example of traditional mountain pastureland which lies on large mantles of scree at the foot of Dolomite peaks (Cimon, Cime di Caiada, Cirvoi) and on the undulating surface of the glacial deposits linking them.
The distinctive characteristics of this landscape are due to the positive interaction between man and nature over the course of the centuries: vast forests of Norway spruce, silver fir and beech alternate with hay pastures and large rolling meadows (the marshy Palughet pasture is active).
The valley is a clear example of climatic morphology associated with ancient glaciation. It formed when a giant paleo landslide detached from Cime di Cajada when a glacier was partially melting during the last Ice Age (25 – 30,000 years ago approx.), blocking the Desedan Valley. This kind of morphogenesis is typical of the Dolomites in this area, where powerful landslides (stabilised or active) and vast mantles of scree characterise the
geomorphology of the land and are dynamic elements of this constantly evolving landscape.
