Max altitudine: 1908 m Min altitudine: 735 m Ascesa: 1246 m Discesa: 1255 m
Tempo: 8 hr
Difficoltà: Difficult (EE)
The Val Grande National Park is an extraordinary natural area surrounded by many lakes and classified as the largest wilderness area in Italy. Technically, it is called a wilderness area because the park was inhabited by humans for many centuries until life in the mountains resisted the increasing industrialisation of the valleys, which led to the depopulation of the mountain areas in favour of the plains and cities. A trek in Val Grande, therefore, is not only a route through beautiful natural environments, but can also be an opportunity to admire the traces left by this ancient mountain civilisation.
Our trek starts from Cicogna, a picturesque village within the National Park where people still live a simple and spartan life, and continues through thick forests and beautiful views to the ridge of the mountain range from where we can admire the integral area of the reserve and its interesting geological conformation. We will start our descent on the other side of the mountain to the abandoned village of Pogallo with its suggestive atmosphere. The route to the top is demanding, so we recommend this trek only to fit and experienced walkers. If we are lucky, we will also have the chance to visit the small but folkloristic Val Grande Museum.
Walking in Val Grande is a unique experience: the silence of these mountains is deafening and the natural beauty of the ridges lingers in walkers’ eyes for many days. Once at the top, the panorama is unforgettable, as we are in the middle of the Italian and Swiss pre-Alps, surrounded by all the lakes of the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province.
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