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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.

Trekking to Lake Nero

Riale plain - Toggia alp - Lake Kastel - Ghighel alp

Val D'Ossola - Val Formazza

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length icon Length:
15 Km
time icon Our time:
4h30' walking
climb icon Total climb:
920 mt
height icon Min and max height:
1730 mt - 2430 mt
track there and back icon Type of track:
there and back
surface icon Surface:
dirt road - trail - rocks
panorama icon Panorama:
lakes - mountains
coverage icon Cell network coverage:
partial
winter icon Traced in winter:
no
bike icon Traced by bike:
no

The track to Lake Nero (black Lake) starts from Riale plain, following the trail (or the dirt road) that climbs to Toggia alp. The path goes on until lake Kastel (or Castel), which was part of the hydroelectric plan that characterizes the Ossola mountains since the beginning of the last century.

The Kastel dam was built and completed in 1928, the walls are made of dry rocks and was 17 mt high. In 1955 the dam had a failure, following which some geological inspections were conducted. The reservoir was found to be karstic and extremely permeable, and so the project of an hydroelectric reservoir was abandoned. Today a single dam is no longer present, but two walls are left to channel the lake's water. But today the level of the water doesn't even touch the walls. The second pipe, which channeled the water to the Sottofrua station, it still visible today. Lake Nero's water was also channeled to the same station.

The climb to the lake crosses the Scelp creek, which, under certain circumstances, could be quite uneasy.
From the lake the Corno Talli can be seen, and the trail goes on until Basodino and Tamierhornm, the mountain that separates Val Formazza from Switzerland.


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