Cima Sasso

Overview

Cima Sasso is located in the centre of the Val Grande National Park.
It was settled in 1992 for the safeguard and preservation of Val Grande, the greatest inhabited area of Italy. In Val Grande there is a only one village, Cicogna. There the road ends and you can begin to walk, on old coble stoned roads built at the time of the mining in the modern age. Or on many paths.
The earliest human settlement in Val Grande were in the Palaeolithic age until the end of the second world war. After the destructions during the autumn 1944 almost all the population left for the towns like Milano and with the exception of Cicogna, all the human settlements were deserted and in few years ruined by the rigor of the weather. With the institution of the Park in the recent years many works of recovery begun.
It is a area of mountains and forests, with a unique ecosystem. A paradise for who is looking for "wilderness". All the peaks there are above 2200 meters, covered by woods, bushes and grass. But the mountains are steeped, with severe and spectacular rocky formations. Peaks rise of about 1500 and more meters form the bottom of the two river (Pogallo and San Bernardo). Just few path allow the visitors to walk into the wilderness.

Val grande offers to the visitors the pleasure to walk in untouched nature and wilderness at less then 100 km from Milano. In the centre of the park there is the "Integral reserve Cima Pedum", a part of the park which has never got permanent human settlement.

Getting There

From Milano (I) drive along the A8 higway direction Varese-Como-Gravellona Toce. Then after Busto Arsizio, follow the A26 "Gravellona Toce-Genova". In Gallarate you will find the crossroad of the A8/A8dir-A26: go streight to "Gravellona Toce-Genova-Sempione" direction.
Drive on the A26 till the exit “Verbania”: then once left the highway follow to Verbania. About after 3 km (in Bieno) look for indication for “Cicogna”, “San Bernardino”, “Rovegro”and “Parco Nazionale Val Grande”. Follow the way up to the mountains. Once arrived in Rovegro just follow the only way going into the valley: it will end to Cicogna (Attention!!!: very narrow way, drive carefully).


From the small Church square in Cicogna (730m) , in front of the monument of the victims of the world wars look for the indication for “Alpe Prà” and “Casa dell’ Alpino”. Follow the coble stone path (white and red signs” rising on the mountains till the Casa dell’ Alpino (1245m) (a hut with beds, water and warm food). A nice panorama on the Verbano Lake and Pianura Padana.
Then follow the way up following the south ridge of the Cima sasso (indication red and white) to a characteristic pass between two rocky formation and then to the Alpe Leciurt. Then follow along the ridge to Colma belmello (1589m) and finally to the Cima Sasso (1916m).

From the top a large view of the Pianura Padana, Verbano and other Sub-Alpine Lakes (Varese, Monate, Comabbio, Orta), Milano. From south east to North west you might recognise Monte Viso and the Pennin Alps: Monte Rosa, Strahlhorn-Rimpflishhorn-Allalinhorn-Alphubel, Mischabel, Andolla, Weissmiess-Lagginhorn-Fletschorn.

Red Tape

Val Grande can offer you nice walking and hiking during all the year.
In the winter time, from November to April be careful for the snow. Severe avalanches danger!

If you intend to explore the Val Grande a standard hiking equipment might be appropriate.
CNS 1:5000 blat 285 Domodossola
Kompass Map "Lago Maggiore" AND "Domodossola".

Camping

Inside the park camping is forbidden.

There are some nice places like

1) Bocchetta di Campo, a house with about 10 beds
2) Alpe Scaredi: a small house with tables, firehood and on the upper floor room for about 20 people. Mattress required
3) Alpe la Piana offers small recovery for about 10-20 people
4) Casa Alpino with about 25 beds: open with personell during the weekend in the good season)

External Links

official website of Val Grande Park:
http://www.parcovalgrande.it/Eindex.html

a site about valgrande, in italian:
http://www.in-valgrande.it/

Additional Information

The region around the Lake Verbano or Lago Maggiore is reach of hystory and art monuments.
Close to Milano, in Angera, on the Lombardia side you can visit Angera, as well in Leggiuno the Abby of Santa Caterina (8t-10th century).
Testimonal of the stone age you can find in Valgrande as well everywehere in the mountains.
Visit also the Isole Borromee archipelago, Verbania, Stersa and Pallanza.
Not so far there is also the Holy Mountains of Orta San Giulio.

Around Val Grande there are several buildings of the italian military defens line called Linea Cadorna built in 1916 in case of an eventual but rather impossible invasion by Central Empires via Switzerland

In Val Grande there are many peacks you can visit: Cima di Campo, Pizzo Pedum, Cima Marsicce, Corona di Ghina, Pizzo Proman, Laurasca.

Some suggestion

Few suggstion to visit Val grande
1. Cima Sasso form Cicogna
2. Cima della Laurasca from Malesco
3. Monte Zeda from Intragna or Miazzina via Pizzo Marona
4. The Premosello-Malesco: from Premosello via Alpe Lut-alpe La Piana - Alpe la Colam (possible deviation for the Pizzo Proman, panoramic point)- Alpe Colletto - La Piana (bivouac) - Alpe Boschelli - Alpe Scaredi (bivouac) (in about 1 hours you can arrive to the top of Cima Laurasca) - Fornaci - Malesco (2 days)

Images

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