High towers, imposing rock faces, sharp ridges: no, we are not talking about some Himalayan peak, but italian Grignetta. Among the most famous Lecco peaks in the world for mountaineering and climbing, however, the Southern Grigna is also a paradise for trekking lovers, thanks to the many trails that cross it, with varying difficulties. The one we are presenting today is the easier “Sentiero delle Foppe” that leads from Piani Resinelli to the Rosalba Refuge, on the Larian side of the Grignetta. It is ideal as a first approach to the beauty of this striking mountain for the less experienced.
Rosalba Hut from Piani Resinelli (Sentiero delle Foppe): data sheet
- Departure: Via delle Foppe, Piani Resinelli (1,175m asl)
- Arrival: Rosalba Hut (1,730m asl)
- Path: 9
- Duration: 2 hours
- Elevation Gain: 580m
- Difficulty: Medium
Excursion carried out on April 25, 2021
The itinerary
The start of the hike is in Via delle Foppe, in the “lower” part of Piani Resinelli included in the territory of Mandello del Lario. You can get there by car, setting the route on the navigator, or, adding about 20 minutes of walking, you can park in the main parking lot of Piani Resinelli, in Piazzale Daniele Chiappa (Ballabio). Once you get to Via delle Foppe, you will find signs for Trail 9 – Sentiero delle Foppe and for the more challenging Sentiero dei Morti variant, which also leads to the Rosalba refuge from Piani Resinelli.
From Piani Resinelli to the Rifugio Rosalba in Grignetta
The trail-very busy and for this reason very well marked and traced in its entirety-begins on a wide, flat dirt road. After a few minutes, we enter a beautiful beech forest, always with very gentle slopes, until we cross the gully of Val S’cepina. Crossing the gully, the Sentiero dei Morti comes off to the right, but we continue on the Sentiero delle Foppe. Continuing through the woods on the simple path (in some places you have to help yourself with your hands to get over some easy rocks), after about an hour from the start we join path 12, which climbs from Colonghei, a locality that can be reached from Abbadia and Mandello.
At this point the steepest part of the trail begins, in the shadow of the Pertusio Tower, which lasts a quarter of an hour. Coming out of this passage under the keep, and also out of the woods, the trail flattens out and returns to more moderate inclines.
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After a short while, there is one more short steep climb, then, crossing the meadows on the west side of the Grignetta, admiring the towering peaks and rock walls that are now just a stone’s throw away, in a short time you reach the Rosalba refuge, which remains hidden from view until almost the end of the walk. In total, from the trailhead to Piani Resinelli, it takes about 2 hours.
The Rosalba Refuge is located in the Colle Pertusio locality, at the base of the rocky Segantini Ridge that leads to the summit of the Grignetta. The view opens to Lake Como (we are above Abbadia and Mandello) and the nearby Grignone. But the most spectacular is the one that overlooks the imposing towers in front, a paradise for climbing enthusiasts: the Torrione del Cinquantenario, the Torre Cecilia, the Torre Costanza, the Campaniletto del Rifugio, and the Mongolfiera.
The descent
To descend, one can retrace the same route as on the way out. Other alternative paths to reach the Rosalba Refuge are the aforementioned Sentiero dei Morti, or, again starting from Piani Resinelli and passing by the Carlo Porta Refuge, path 8 (equipped), known as “la Direttissima,” or, starting from Mandello, the long and strenuous path 13. Environmental and physical conditions permitting, from the Rosalba Hut you can also continue to the summit of the Grignetta, which can be reached in an hour and a half along the equipped “Cecilia” trail that cuts through the rocky face of the Cresta Segantini. These routes are for experienced hikers. Here instead is the description of the “classic” trail to climb Grignetta.
Photos and text by Michele Castelnovo
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