Antrona is a secondary valley of Ossola, the great area in the north east of Piedmont that from 'Lago Maggiore', one of the great lakes of Northern Italy, ascends to the famous Simplon pass.
The groove of Antrona valley, on the hidrographic right of Toce river, starts just a few kilometers at south of the city of Domodossola and ascends towards the ridge of mountains that signs the border with the Wallis region in Switzerland.
Four impounds built at the beginning of the last century still supply hydroelectric power to the factory and towns of the big planes in Lombardy and Piedmont and leave the principal river of the valley, the Ovesca, almost dry for all the year.
The maximum elevation in the territory of Antrona is 3656 meters at the summit of Pizzo Andolla, and there are several other summits with an elevation superior to three thousand meters located all over the border with Switzerland.
These high peaks, together with the lower ones, offer the possibility of mountaineering and hiking in an ambient that is still the one that the pioneers of the '800 found.
The mountains of this range are principal made of Gneiss, so their shape is the typical one of the Western Alps with very high flanks hanging over the the valleys below and with long ridges forming numerous secondary pinnacles and short cliffy rock walls.
The rocks are not always firm, but in the main group of Andolla there are solid ridges and walls with great mountaineering/rock-climbing routes.
Solitary landscapes always attends who ventures through these fierce mountains, while the view from the summits always embrace the highest 4000s of Switzerland and the big lakes of Piedmont and Lombardy in italy.

Val Loranco, the northern branch of Antrona with the higher summits of the area

The principal summits along the border with Switzerland

Getting There

From Italy.
The valley is easily reachable from Milan(and Malpensa airport) in less than two hours following the highway Milano-GravellonaToce and then the SS33 for the Simplon pass.
From Turin follow the A26 and then take the highway to Gravellona toce, after Gravellona proceed on the SS33 as from Milan.
Arrived in Villadossola exit from the highway and follow the easy mountain road (SP67) that leads to Antronapiana(1020m), the highest village of the valley.

From Switzerland.
From Brig cross Simplon pass and enter in Italy.
Follow the main road (SS33) in direction Milan, after Domodossola take the exit of Villadossola.
Follow then the main road of the valley (SP67) till AntronaPiana, the principal village of the area.

Groups and routes overview

After Antrona Piana, the highest village of this area, the groove of the valley splits in two forming Loranco valley at north and Troncone valley at south.
It's possible to approach both of these valleys by car. From Antrona Piana a paved road leads to Cheggio(1500m), the village at the beginning of Loranco valley and a parking is present near Lago dei Cavalli, 'horses lake', one of the big impounds of the valley.
To get to the entrance of Troncone valley by car you can instead follow the paved road that always from Antrona Piana leads to Antrona lake, where a private road continues till the barrage of the impound of Campliccioli at 1300 meters.
This last prvate road is normally open to everybody, note anyhow that it is very narrow and no public autority will take responsibility for any accident over there.
Campliccili and Cheggio are the trailheads for almost all the routes of the Area.
The state border between Italy and Switzerland runs along the ridge that closes the valley at NW, the mostly used pass to cross from a country to another are Andolla pass(2476m) in Loranco valley, one of the principal tobacco smuggling routes of the first half of '900 and Antrona(or Saas) pass(2807m)in Troncone Valley.

Montalto group

This group closes the Loranco valley at east going from Fornalino pass (south) to Andolla pass (north) delimiting the border with Bognanco Valley, the maximum altitude is at the top of Montalto, 2705m.
These mountains offer some nice hike possibilities through the easy reachable passes of their ridges, the top of Montalto is normally reached without difficulties from the impounds 'Lago dei Cavalli'(Lake of the Horses).

Andolla Group

This group goes from Andolla pass to the summit of Pizzo Bottarello (Sonninghorn) and closes the Loranco valley at north delimiting the border line between Italy and Switzerland.

The three mountains of this group are the higher of the Valley, East to West:
-Pizzo Andolla (Portjengrat) 3656m.
-Pizzo Loranco (Mittelruck) 3363m.
-Pizzo bottarello (Sonnighorn) 3487m.

They are not easy from the Italian side but the east ridge of Loranco ("Lago Maggiore" ridge) and the S ridge of Andolla are appreciated classical mountaineering routes with some good rock climbing (difficulties goes from AD+ to D, max IV+ UIAA scale) on solid rocks above the altitude of 3000 meters.
The east face of Loranco is moreover the hardest alpine rock face of the Pennine Alps (from TD to ED+, VI and VII of UIAA scale) and has an height of 650 meters.

Turiggia Pozzuoli group

This group closes the Loranco valley at south separating it from Troncone valley. The most important mountains are Punta Turiggia (2811m) and Cima Pozzuoli(2615m).
At the beginning of the last century an huge landslide detached from Cima Pozzuoli and dropped in to the Troncone valley closing the water course of Rio Troncone and creating the lake that is now called Antrona lake.
The summits of this group are easy reachable from Loranco valley and they offers nice views and pleasant hiking routes in a olitary environment.a>

'Cresta di Saas' Group

Cresta di Saas, Saas ridge in english, is the prosecution at SW after Pizzo Bottarello of the Andolla group, its name is due to the fact that the ridge connecting these mountains divides Antrona Valley from the Saas one in Switzerland.
The summits elevation is always above 3000m and the highest one is Cimone di Camposecco(3400m).
The east side of this small range falls with cliffs and steep colouirs above Camposecco cirque, while the West side descends gently above the highlands of Furgg Valley, in the territory of Switzerland.
The entire ridge cross of all these peaks, from Cima di Saas (SW) to Pizzo Bottarello (NE) is a classical mountaineering route with incredible views towards the 4000s of Switzerland and the big Lakes in Italy.

Cingino Group

This is the group that closes at north the long Troncone Valley, its ridge runs from Antrona pass(2805m) till Antigine pass(2980m).
The most important summits of this group are Cingino South(3190m), Cingino N(3226m) and Stellihorn(3436m), which summit is located entirely in the Switzerland territory.
These mountains are usually reached by easy mountaineering routes from the Antrona pass or from Monte Moro pass in Anzasca valley.
A spectacular trekking or ski-mountaineering route that crosses all these summits from Monte Moro pass to Antrona pass is often covered in spring and summer

Antigine-Laugera-San Martino group

This is the group that starting from Antigine pass closes Troncone Valley at West and South.
These peaks also delimit the border between the Antrona valley and the Anzasca one.
Its most important summits are Laugera (2995m), Pizzo San Martino(2711m) and Pizzo del Ton(2680m).
These are very savage mountains and the only one frequently hiked is Pizzo San Martino, easy reachable from the Campliccioli impounds at the beginning of Troncone Valley.

Here after the 3D maps of the Area from East and West(Google Earth).

Huts

Andolla hut.
The most used starting point for the normal route to Andolla peak, the trailhead to get to the hut is Cheggio, a good path leads there in 2 hours.

Varese hut.
A very small hut located at the basis of Pizzo Loranco East ridge(2500m), normally used like starting point for the "Lago Maggiore" ridge and the east face of Pizzo Loranco, for the South ridge of Pizzo Andolla and for crossing from Loranco to Troncone valley through the Camposecco's Coronette pass (very pleasant hike with a short Via Ferrata right above Camposecco lake). from Andolla hut by a signed trail in an hour.

Camposecco hut.
Located in proximity of the barrage of the impound of Camposecco(2300m) and usefull for mountaineering in the Saas ridge group or for crossing to the Loranco valley through the Coronette pass.
You get there from campliccioli in 2/3 hours following a steep trail very hot during summer.

Antigine hut.
At Antigine pass(2855m), important support for mountaineering, trekking and ski-mountaineering on the western summits of Troncone valley, its acces is long and complicated from Campliccioli, It's often reached from Monte Moro pass, starting in Anzasca valley.

A valley with many lovely lakes

In this valley there are 4 big impounds and another lake born as a consequence of a big landslide.
Although some of these lakes are not natural, they are all very pleasant to visit, and the lonliness of the environment around the higher ones deserves to be 'tasted'.

Lago dei cavalli, Lake of the horses

Lago dei Cavalli.
This is an impound built at the beginning of the past century, it's located at the entrance of Loranco valley at an altitude of 1500 meters, adjacent to the small village of Cheggio.
To get here follow the paved road from Antronapiana (12Km).

Lago di Antrona.
At the beginning of 1900 an huge landslide ruined from cima Pozzuoli and obstructed the the flow of Rio Troncone, as a consequence of this event the water of Troncone formed Antrona lake.
This lake is located at an elevation of 1050 meters.
A restore and a camping are located in the proximity of this lake, reachable in a few minutes by car from Antrona Piana.

Lago di Campliccioli.
This is another big impound and the starting point for all the routes of Troncone valley.
A private road ascends to the barrage from the Lake of Antrona, this road is normally open to everybody and you can use your car, nobody will anyhow take responsibility for eventual accident on this road that is very narrow.

Lago di Camposecco.
The highest impound of the valley (2300 meters), located under the east face of Saas Ridge.
The cirque of Camposecco is reachable by a trail starting at the barrage of Campliccioli lake, the name Camposecco means 'Dry field' in english and is due to the aspect of the area before the building of the barrage, A dry and hot rock sprawl exposed toward south.

Lago di Camposecco. 2300m.

Lago del Cingino.
The second impound for elevation of the valley, at 2200 meters, closed between the south face of Saas ridge and the east flank of Cingino peaks.
This lake is located in a very remote position, a pleasant trail from Campliccioli crosses all the long Troncone valley and climbs to the lake.
A tunnel under Punta La rossa permits to walk quickly from this impound to the one of Camposecco without loosing altitude and permits a pleasant trekking of one day that passes by the shore of these lakes.

External Links

The following sites are useful to find informations about the paths, the huts and the sleeping possibilities:

http://www.valleantrona.com/
The official site of the valley.

http://www.comune.antronaschieranco.vb.it/

http://ossola.com/

http://www.valleantrona.com/escursioni.htm

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