Alpe Piazza and Monte Lago in the heart of the Valtellina Orobie

Alpe Piazza and Monte Lago go hand in hand, in summer as in winter.

The route is divided in half by environment and difficulty. The first part is characterized by conifer forests and panoramic summer pastures with well-renovated huts. Scoccia, Corte Grassa, Corte Grande, Cornelli and Baitridana are – in ascending order – the names of the clusters. The trail alternates between path, mule track, and dirt road up to Alpe Piazza, with the homonymous refuge at 1855 m a.s.l.

The route in the Orobie Valtellinesi Park crosses pasture land, in summer the land of Bitto cheese production, stops at the viewpoint with the Legüi bivouac and the large hut, then – beyond a ridge – reaches a basin. The trail then follows the (left) path – in some sections just a trace – that climbs the ridge, steep in the final stretch, to reach the truly panoramic summit of Monte Lago at 2351 m altitude. The view is 360 degrees and includes the Masino-Bregaglia group, Monte Disgrazia, the Lepontine Alps with Lake Como, and the nearer Valgerola and Val Tartano.

The return follows the same itinerary.