While descending from the ice fields of the South face of Monte Rosa toward the small city of Borgosesia at SE, the Sesia river picks up the waters of numerous feeders.
The most important of these is Sermenza that flows into Sesia near the village of Balmuccia.
The ridge of mountains that divides the initial flow of these rivers and their valleys is the range of mount Tagliaferro(2964m).
The main dorsal that connects these peaks arise from Balmuccia and runs towards NW till the North summit of Corno Piglimò, where it joins the great Dorsal that descending from Monte Rosa divides the biggest areas of the NE of Piedmont, Valsesia and Val D’Ossola.
The Group of Tagliaferro is essentially made of Gneiss, the flanks of the mountains hang over strict valleys with cliffs and colouirs often covered by vegetations, the trails over their slopes gain elevation with brutality and in the past it was not unusual for the villages of this area to remain isolated for big avalanches and land slides.
The thick vegetation of these rpeaks is due the dampness that from the big planes and lakes of the NW of Italy arise towards the Alps and impacting against their ridges causes frequent precipitations during Spring and Summer.
The principal possibilities in this range are for hikers and trekkers, the climbers can find some classical routes on the walls and ridges of Tagliaferro and of Punta Giacomo Chiara.
The environment is very savage, often the trails near the minor summits at south are hided by the vegetation, anyhow during the last years several paths and huts have been fixed along the routes to the major passes that was once used by local people to cross from a valley to another, starting from these paths you can then venture towards the summits, often in complete solitude, except for ibexes, alpine goats and other wild inhabitants.

The northern summits of the range seen from NW in autumn.

Getting There

From the highway A26 take the exit of Romagnano Sesia then follow the main road of Valsesia till Balmuccia.
From here take the local road of Valsermenza to reach the trailheads for approaching the group from East or go on along the main road for the trailheads at west of the main ridge.
The Major villages that can be used as support are Mollia, Riva Valdobbia and Alagna in the valley of Sesia, and Rimasco, Fervento, San Giuseppe and Rima in the valley of Sermenza.

Red Tape

No permissions are required. You can venture through these peaks whenever you want.

Huts

Alpe Sajonchè(2047m). A small building at the pass called ‘Sella alta’ on the routes that connect Mollia on the Shore of Sesia to Fervento in the valley of Sermenza.
Useful as support point for the southern summits of the range expecially for Punta Sajonchè.

Alpe Sattal and Alpe Campo(2000m). On the western slopes of Mount Carnera, reachable by the locality Pedemonte, a few kilometers at north of Alagna.
Useful to climb Tagliaferro and Carnera.

Ferioli hut(2426m). Near Mud pass, on the route that connect Alagna to Rima, under the massive N-NW ridge of Tagliaferro.
Usefull to climb Tagliaferro and Corno Mud. The trailhead is Pedemonte like for Alpe Sattal.

Pastore hut(1675m). In the High Valsesia park, the trailhead is the locality called ‘Acqua Bianca’, White waters in English, at the end of the main road of Valsesia, under the huge soth face of Monte Rosa.
Useful to approach from West Corno Piglimò and Corno Mud.

Axerio hut. At the ‘Little altar pass’(2600m) at the basis of the East ridge of Piglimò.
This is just an old building that you can use in case of emergence.
You can get ther from Rima following the trail to little Altar.

view of the range from "Little Altar" pass. Axerio hut is also visible

Most interesting summits

It’s probable that Some of the summits of this range don’t get visits for years, especially the minor ones at south.
The access from the West side, in particular from the hanging valleys of the southern feeders of Sermenza , above Fervento, can be a real challenge due to the wilderness of these slopes, to their steepness and to the abundance of vegetation.
The only frequented trails are those to Cima Sajonchè, starting from Mollia or from Fervento, and some other trails that go to the pastures above Piode and Scopello and can be very pleasant in the days of Autumn.
The deal is a lot easier for the main summits at North, here the trails are often well signed and maintained.

Moving from Balmuccia till the summit of Corno Piglimò these are the most important summits of the group:

Cima Massarei. 1571m.

Punta delle Balme. 1930m.

Quattro Bricchi. 1979m.

Cima Sajonchè. 2344m.

Cima Tirette. 2381m.

Cima delle Croci. 2408m.

Carnera 2741m

Tagliaferro 2964m

Corno Mud 2804m

Punta Giacomo Chiara. 2739m.

Piglimò 2876m

external links

Valsesia
official site of the mountain community of this area.

CAI Varallo Sesia
Official site of the detachment of Varallo of the Italian Alpine Club.

Alagna
Site of this famous locality. Useful informations about trails, huts and sleeping possibilities.

Sajonchè
Informations about Sajonchè hut.

LINAlpe Sattal
Official site of Alpe Sattal. Informations, phone numbers and fancy images.

Ferioli hut
Informations about Ferioli hut.

Pastore
Informations about Pastore hut.

Images



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