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WARNING: trekking is not like walking! If you can't overcome a passage, go back!
Some of the tracks presented here are set along mountain trails where some passages may require holding to ropes or climbing short ladders, and may have exposed passages without safety protections. These tracts can be a serious danger if faced without the right equipment, awareness and physical condition.
ITINERARIUM® has no responsibility regarding the tracks presented here, their dangerousness, accessibility, praticability and safety. Who decides to take these tracks does it at their own risk.
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Hike to Cortenero alp from Mondelli

Motto and Colla alps: the pastures facing the Monte Rosa massif

Val D'Ossola - Valle Anzasca

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length icon Length:
8 Km
time icon Our time:
4h20' walking
climb icon Total climb:
986 mt
height icon Min and max height:
1181mt - 2052mt
track there and back icon Type of track:
there and back
surface icon Surface:
trail
panorama icon Panorama:
woods - patures - mountains
coverage icon Cell network coverage:
partial
winter icon Traced in winter:
no
bike icon Traced by bike:
no

The itinerary begins from Mondelli, a small hamlet of Ceppo Morelli. In its square the “casa degli specchi” (house of mirrors) stands. Inspired by the French style of Versaille, its dinner room is entirely covered by mirrors.

The trail immediately enters the woods, with beeches, chestnuts and birches, and goes up constantly gifting wide sights on the Monte Rosa massif. When the skies are clear, the Regina Margherita mountain hut can be seen next to Punta Gnifetti.

The itinerary proceeds going up the slope of mount Marigal until the ancient pasture Colla and then along the trail that winds up halfway, among junipers and rhododendrons, eventually reaching Cortenero alp: the second highest pasture of Ossola, at 2036 mt. This ancient pasture is almost concealed from sight. In fact its name comes from the dark color of the local stone, the same stone used to build the lodges that are mimetized with the background.

During the first years of Second World War the pasture was abandoned and later, thanks to Ceppo Morelli municipality, 11 lodges out of the 32 buildings were restored, allowing a conservation of the ancient and spectacular architecture with the barrel vault roofs, made only with stone and without any wooden beam.

One of these lodges has been donated, in 1981, by Longa family to CAI Macugnaga, who made a small bivouac out of it, dedicated to the memory of Bartolomeo Longa.

In the center of the village there are two “cup-and-ring” rocks, with later engravings of latin crosses, showing that the village was probably populated in ancient times and most likely it was active in 600 A.D.


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