An interesting place to visit is the so-called "Risina di Coltura", a channel crossing a natural slope. In the past it was used to transport fir or beech logs from the Cansiglio woods downstream, to Coltura. The logs were transported by mule or cart from Coltura to the Livenza River where they were transported to Venice by water.
The channel flowing down from Torion crosses Crep de Varda and reaches Coltura. The initial part of the channel flows through excavated rocks, then it flows over a pebbled riverbed. The channel descends in altitude by 1100 metres over its 3300 metre length. Andrea Galvani, the inventor from Pordenone who devised the log transport system called "motore alpino" (alpine engine), wanted it to be built in 1836.
The alpine engine is a simple but very smart transport system consisting of two wooden rails, running parallel for 700 metres from the top of a mountain, down to the valley. Along the rails, a rope runs through a pulley and two carts are hooked to the rope, the first uphill and the second downhill.
The uphill cart was filled with rocks and stones excavated from the top of the Ceresera mountain. Once it reached the weight required, the cart went downhill and its weight lifted the downhill cart, which had been previously loaded with timber. This permitted goods to be transported over a 300 metre altitude gap in just two minutes. It was calculated that 15 men assigned to the "alpine engine" had an output equal to 56 horses plus 40 labourers. The prototype, dating back to 1836, is now part of the permanent exhibition of the Natural Sciences Museum of Pordenone.
