Summary
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Trail in numbers
- Distance: 41 km
- Total climb: 400 m
- High point: 2162 m
- Ridable: 100%
- Duration: 2 days…or 5-7 hours!
Highlights
- Lake Palù, situated in Valmalenco at about 2000 meters a.s.l., is one of the biggest lakes in Valtellina, North of Italy. On the northern shore of the lake sits a mountain hut bearing the same name. The lake, surrounded by amazing landscapes and nature, is surrounded by a thick conifer forest and by the tall peaks of Valmalenco, reaching above 4000 meters with the majestic Piz Bernina.
- Rifugio Motta is the beautiful mountain hut where we spent one day relaxing and eating incredible food. It is located near the top of the mountain bearing the same name, and is a truly cozy and beautiful location. Check it out here.
- Chiareggio is the tallest village in Valmalenco, located at the end of the winding road that takes from the resort town of Chiesa in Valmalenco to San Giuseppe and then Chiareggio at 1600 meters a.s.l. The neighboring Val Sissone offers outstanding views of the towering surrounding mountain range, reaching 3000 meters and completely blocking the way towards the bordering valleys. Chiareggio is also an outstanding location to taste delicious mountain food. La Tana del Grillo is one of the most renowned and appreciated restaurants.
Useful info
- When to go June to September. Make sure you check the opening times of both the cable way and Rifugio Motta
- Trail options:. If you feel fit for it, you could climb all the way from Chiesa to Lake Palu and then Rifugio Motta. Catching the cablecar cuts a good 1000 meters climb..
- Food and Water: not a problem: there are several huts and restaurants scattered all along the way.
- Recommended gears&bike: although Valmalenco can provide rugged and perilous trails, this option is super easy. If you want some more thrill you can use the hiking paths descending from Lake Palu to San Giuseppe..
- Starting point: Cablecar parking in Chiesa Valmalenco, 2 hours drive from Milan.
Valmalenco is a stunning Alpine valley next to Sondrio, Italy. We spent one weekend exploring its most beautiful mountains, cycling around Lake Palù, spending a night at the marvellous Rifugio Motta and enjoying the Canadian-like views from Chiareggio, the uppermost village of the valley.
Photostory
It’s the first weekend of July, but the weather here in the North of Italy turned unexpectedly cold and rainy after weeks of baking sun. The forecast says that there will be better weekends later in the season, but Maria and me are craving for the mountains. She has been traveling all week, and next monday she’ll head to China for a business trip. Can we manage to squeeze in a couple of days in the outdoors, even if against the weather?
The answer is yes, and specifically it is Valmalenco, a mountain area some two hours away from Milan that I know rather well as I had the chance to explore it in the past. I chose it because of its relative closeness to the city, the accessibility that it provides to high mountains (the Bernina peak being the tallest with its 4.049 meters) and the presence of open mountain huts.
The plan is to pick up Maria from the airport on saturday early morning, head directly to Chiesa in Valmalenco (the main town in the valley), climb to 2000 meters by cableway and take it extremely easy: have lunch in a mountain hut next to a lake, then take on the short climb to the mountain hut where we will spend the night. The next day would be dedicated to the descent, taking it easy and exploring the valley.
The plan worked out great despite the wet and chilly weather, so much that Maria has decided that we will have to come back at the end of the summer!
Enjoy the pictures below!
Maps and Stats
Max elevation: 2162 m
Total climbing: 1973 m