Lake Viola

Lake Viola (refuge Viola in the background)

August 19.
A nice quite easy kike. You have to reach (by car) the town Arnoga, on the road that connects Livigno to Bormio (North Lombardy, next to the border to Switzerland). Right on the interior part of the hairpin bend there is a hotel, while on the opposite side there is a bar and a road that signs the start point of the path.
In low season it is possible to drive the first part of the road by car, there are some comfortable parking lots ahead. During the summer there is too much people, so, to drive this road, you have to own the proper permit that can be bought at some public structures or on site. But there is a closed number of permits for the cars, so it ends up that you have to park the car outside. Too bad, because the first part of the path is pretty long and not very interesting, and moreover every now and then there are cars passing by: residents or public cars (2 euros for the tickets - you can take a ride till the last parking lot). It is possible, for 40 euros to have a ride all the way to the refuge Viola on an off-road vehicle

Mr. Bentley, Maddie and me

with 8 seats (so it comes 5 euros each), but we didn't see anybody doing that.
We left the car outside, in the parking lot just after the hairpin bend.
In the beginning the path is on asphalted road, very easy and with a minimum pendence (uphill). There are several houses around, that gradually become less frequent leaving space for woods and pastures. Every now and then you can encounter a parking lot completely stuffed with cars. The last parking lot is the starting point of the path allowed only to pedestrians (and the few offroad vehicles for the refuge). The road gets lost among meadows and rocks, and you can start to hear the typical whistles of hte marmots. They were all around us, although we were not able to see any. The path keeps being easy but really long. Taking a look to the map you believe to be really close to lake Viola and the refuge, our final destinations, but at every curve you are deluded. Finally, after another curve, there it is lake Viola. The refuge is still far but we decide to stop anyway, to eat the sandwich that we carried in the backsack. Maddie and Mr. Bentley were also exhousted and starving too. They deserve a snack.
We decide to head back without reaching the refuge. The GPS signs that we walked already for 10.5 kms, but it is quite wrong, probably the recording results longer because for the jags caused by the bad reception of accurate position. Going back on the same path till the start point we record over one kilometer less. The informations that we have found on the internet talk about a distance of 8.5kms
The hike is really nice although a little annoyed in the first part for hte cars. It is quite easy but it looks really neverending. The sight of the little lake at the end offers a gratification for all the strength to reach it.

Outward:

Time: 2:44

Distance: 10.50km [6.52mi] (?)

Difference of level: 393m [1289'] (730m [2395'] uphill, 337m [1106'] downhill)

Altitude: 1882m [6175'] to 2313m [7589']

Return (on the same path)

Time: 2:05

GPS track of the excursion.
A: Path start point; B: Last parking lot; C: Picnic; D: Lake Viola; E: Refuge Viola

Two hikes in Val Taleggio

While preparing a post about an excursion we made last week during our holidays, i take advantage of the relaxed mood of the return to the office to document two hikes still sitting in the bottom of the last drawer.

Cornello dei Tasso

March 28th: Cornello-Oneta

Walking towards Oneta

Following the main road SS470 of Brembana Valley, after San Giovanni Bianco you have to take the last exit before the tunnel, towards Camerata-Cornello. From here continue along the old road until you find a left turn that starts to climb the mountain. Some haipin bends and you reach a sports center, where you can leave the car.
From here walk down to the hairpin, which branches off a paved road. At the end of this road the trail starts. Soon you reach the medieval village of Cornello del Tasso (one of the Borghi piu' belli d'Italia).
From here you enter the woods, and soon you find a little church dedicated to St. Anna.
You reach then Oneta, another beautiful medieval village known for being the birthplace of the character Harlequin. After a short exploration of the village, we returned on our steps.
The path is well-shaded and flat. There is no difficulty at all but it's very nice.

Outwards:

Time: 1:08

Distance: 4.82km [3mi]

Difference of level: 144m [472ft] (210m [689ft] uphill, 66m [217ft] downhill)

Altitude: 449m [1473ft] to 563m [1847ft]

Return (on the same path):

Time: 1:16

GPS track of the excursion.
A: Parking lot; B: Start point of the path on the hairpin; C: Cornello dei Tasso; D: Oratorio di S. Anna; E: Oneta

Exploring Il Fraggio

May 16th: Pizzino
We had already been here one time before, passing by around here and following the signs indicating the sale of artisan goat cheese.
Coming from Bergamo on the road of Brembana Valley, at San Giovanni Bianco, take a left towards Taleggio valley. At Sottochiesa there is a road on the right that already indicates the goat cheese. Pizzino is after few hairpin bends.
We leave the car in a small parking lot just before the church.
Following the indication, we find our way for the farm "Il Pavone", where they make that magnificent cheese. Over there the trail starts, through woods and pastures that leads to the village Fraggio (a couple of houses and a church dated XV century). From here, we turned around the village and climbed gradually until we reached the paved road that descends back to town Pizzino.
Then we go back to the farm to buy some cheese, and then, back to the parking lot. This tour is not particularly difficult and rather short.

Ring path:

Time: 1:45

Distance: 5.22km [3.24mi]

Difference of level: 166m [545ft] (295m [968ft] uphill and downhill)

Altitude: 887m [2910ft] to 1053m [3455ft]

GPS track of the excursion.
A: Parking lot; B: Il Pavone farm; C: village Fraggio

Refuge Martina - Mount San Primo

June 27, 2010.

The path we will have to hike
in the return, seen from the summit
of mount San Primo

It looks like it's going to be a hot day, so we decide to leave early.
On the road that connects Erba and Como from Lecco there's a detour to the right towards Canzo. This is a beautiful scenic road that leads to the famous town of Bellagio, cutting through the Triangolo Lariano in the middle. After Canzo, at Asso you must go straight and ignore the signs to Bellagio (which takes you back to the coastal lakeside route). This road is famous for cyclists (in fact we encountered a lot of them). Soon there is the Madonna del Ghisallo chapel, dedicated to the memory of Fausto Coppi (a famous champion cyclist of the 40s and 50s), and, right there, the Museum of the bicycle. Just at that point there is a road to the left, which clings, with a lot of bends, to the mountain. The drive ends with a stretch of dirt road, in San Primo, where a disused hotel (I wonder why never restored ... it is beautiful!), and eventually a parking lot. A bar indicates that access is allowed only by foot. Following the signs to the refuge Martina is the main road and then a detour to the left. It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the refuge, uphill, but not difficult. Almost all the hikers stop here: actually it looks like a very welcoming place. But our destination is the summit of Mount San Primo. Behind the hut, in fact, the trail branches off and the descent begins!

The same trail, just after hiked

The path becomes increasingly difficult, so that in some places we have to hold onto rocks or trees. Maddie and Mr. Bentley needed some help to overcome particularly steep sections. It's hot and rather humid, the flies stick to sweaty skin every time you stop to breath. But the place is beautiful, the trail cuts through the woods and the birds singing keeps us constant companionship. Mr. Bentley misses his pillow while Maddie is looking forward to see what will come next. We met some other hikers, even a couple of cyclists coming down in the opposite direction with the bike on their shoulders (crazy!). We ask them for information and they confirm that the path on the opposite side, is definitely easier (they have done uphill biking).
Finally, after almost two hours, the forest suddenly opens and the top is at hand. There is a votive cross and a big antenna, powered by solar panels.
Two paths branch off from the top, on the crest, one at right, towards northwest, one on the left, to the southeast. Unfortunately the weather is not very good. No rain, but it is very muggy, and the lake cannot be seen. There is supposed to be be a rather nice view of the split between the Lecco and the Como branches, where Bellagio is.
We take a left. A little further down we stop to quickly eat a sandwich. The descent is much less steep and easier than the climb, but it is also much longer. At some point we find a marker that indicates the path Sentiero Italia #1. We follow that which takes us through woods and pastures, down to a farm. From here you take the paved road that leads down to where the disused hotel is.

Ouotwards:

• Time: 1:59
• Distance: 4.62km [2.87mi]
• Difference of level: 562m [1844ft] (578m [1896ft] uphill, 16m [52ft] downhill)
• Altitude: 1151m [1077ft] to 1568m [1678ft]

Return:

• Time: 2:50 (including a 20 minutes stop for lunch)
• Distance: 6.48km [4.03mi]
• Difference of level: 562m [1844ft] (47m [154ft] uphill, 609m [1998ft] downhill)
• Altitude: 1678m [5505ft] to 1116m [3661ft]

GPS track of the excursion.
In red the ascent, in yellow the descent: A: Parking lot; B: Refuge Martina; C: Summit of mount San Primo; D: Lunch stop; E: Intersection with Sentiero Italia #1; F: Farm house; G: Disused hotel.

Fuipiano

June 2, from Fuipiano to Zuc di Valbona.

Our destination: Zuc di Valbona

Fuipiano, as stated in the road sign indicating the border of the town, is nicknamed "The roof of Imagna Valley". This town is in fact the highest in the valley and is situated on the opposite side of the mountain where we live. Here is the start point of some hiking trails.

Once in Fuipiano you need to follow towards the pass of Grumello until the end of the road. There are plenty of quite comfortable parkings. If the day is busy, you can park a couple hairpin bends below, as we did.
At this point we start to trek uphill, on a paved trail first, then cobbled. Among woods and meadows, the trail is clear and not difficult. There are several variants, well marked; we stay on the main road, and reach an area with a pond (for watering the cows?) and some picnic tables.
Zuc di Valbona (a cross at the top of slope) is our goal (Zuc is the dialect for pumpkin, or, as a funny expression, for bald-head, infact the top of the mountain reminds you of it). The Kompass map indicate a different path towards

View from underneath, during our return.
On the left the end point of the excursion, on the right the Zuc.
Enlarging the picture you can see the steep climb,
on the right, that points straightful towards the little house in the center

the forest, but we decide to follow the main road. The climb is impressively steep and seems endless (it's paved but closed to traffic). The signs indicate a gradient of 22%, but sometimes it must surely be greater. While walking, you have the feeling you must move your weight forward not to fall back. Crazy are those cyclists who climb up with their mtb. And even more crazy are the ones who descend.
On top of the hill the view is beautiful. On the right there's a house, the trail bends around it and ends at Zuc Valbona, not far. Some hikers are at the top around the cross. In front of us stands the distinctive profile of Mount Resegone viewed from its eastern side. We decide to change our goal and go straight on a variant of the main path that follows the sweet ups and downs towards mount Resegone. After a few hundred meters further down we see a building on the right with a pond and some hikers resting. We stop in the locally highest point to eat a sandwich. We go back to the car following same route in reverse.

Outwards:

Time: 1:26

Distance: 3.81km [2.37mi]

Difference of level: 368m [1207ft] (392m [1286ft] uphill, 24m [79ft] downhill)

Altitude: 1098m [3602ft] to 1481m [4859ft]

Return (on the same path):

Time: 1:09

June 6. Ring circuit: Fuipiano - Tre Faggi - Madonna dei Canti - Fuipiano

View from Madonna dei Canti, on the path we made last
time: the pick on the right is the Zuc di Valbona,
on the left, the steep climb

From Fuipiano we noticed an interesting looking variant, so we looked and found this alternative on the Kompass map. We decided to come back and try this other path.
The beginning of the trail is in the same place, at Fuipiano. Walking on the same path, when the road opens out to a pasture, there is a fork. This time we follow the sign to "Tre Faggi' on the right. Following that road, we head to the opposite side than the one we hiked the last time. At one point the road is blocked to contain the cows, and we had to follow the marked path on the left,

Hiking with Mr. Bentley and Maddie

which goes into the woods. Anyway, it's obvious enough that we must reach another path a little higher up. The only problem is that the dead leaves are quite slippery, making the climb difficult. Once reached that path to get to Tre Faggi is a breeze.
The destination is rather obvious for the presence of the three huge beech trees (Tre Faggi, in Ialian), growing just side by side. There is also a construction: a balcony overlooking the precipice, and a shrine.
From this point there are various branching paths. We follow #571 west, which proceeds on the ridge at the top of the mountain. Here the route alternates between woods and rocks, to open up a wide meadow. Here is a statue dedicated to Madonna dei Canti ("Our Lady of Songs"). Following the Kompass map on the GPS here it looks that the right way is straight, despite #571 is well marked by a sign in the middle of the meadow. Continuing straight, however, the track looses in the forest. We decided then to trust the signs. Going down the paths enters the woods again and, after some steep hairpin bends, it connects the main trail, at the lowest point of steep path we hiked few days before. From here we follow the same path, stopping, at the picnic area, for lunch: teryaki-ginger chicken, pancit (Filipino noodles), brownies, fresh cherries. This time we have also some snacks for Maddie and Mr. Bentley.
From the picnic area to the car there is still a few walk downhill.

Ring path:

Time: 4:04

Distance: 8.76km [5.44mi]

Difference of level: 487m [1598ft]

Altitude: 1151m [3776ft] to 1568m [5144ft]

Traccia GPS dellE DUE escursioni.
In rosso quella del 2 giugno, in giallo quella del 6 giugno: A: Parcheggio auto; B: Inizio sentiero; C: Bivio Zuc di Valbona/Tre Faggi; D-E: Ripida salita; F: Zuc di Valbona; G: Sosta all'arrivo della prima escursione; H: Tre Faggi; I: Madonna dei Canti; J: Area pic-nic.