How to get there:
This top is located north-west of Varese. There is an observatory on the
east summit, thus possible to drive almost to the top. It is fairly
popular, at least in weekends so parking at the uppermost possibility may
be a problem.
We parked off the road in a sharp right bend, this location is
N45.86826, E8.77643, quite close to the top. Elevation just short of 1100 meter.
The road does continue
all the way up to the observatory, but there is really no appropriate
parking up there.
Route::
A quick summary of the peaks climbed in Italy 2022.
Continue up the road, then fork left where the final road to the observaatory goes right.
Follow this road, essentially horizontally, until a signed trail forks right, clearly
to access the saddle between the west and the east summit.
More signs will lead you uphill (left) from this saddle.
The main trail ends at a local top
with a marker.
However, this is not the highest point. Backtrack just a few meter, then take a small
trail that leads further west near the main crest. You will arrive at a new
summit point marked with a single pole. This is possibly the highest point.
Just to play it safe continue along the ridge trail to a third point, the beginning of
a gradually down-sloping ridge.
What remains is to also visit the east summit, since it may be equally high. Return
to the main saddle, then follow a small trail that will connect you to the observatory.
(This is the rightmost smaller trail, a bigger trail also runs east sort of on the
left side of the main ridge (looking east).
The observatory hill has
a number of smaller equipment and the area is, in fact,
quite messy.
The highest point
is generally on the north side of most structures.
Finally, just return back down along the observatory road.
Comments:
Heidi and I were on our way from Lugano to the Milan airport. Our flight was early
evening, so time to explore another prominent top. We parked
around 1145 and reached the first summit point after 30 minutes.
We spent the next 30 minutes first exploring the ridge a bit more west, then taking
the small trail along the top ridge to the observatory.
Later, we drove to the Malpensa airport and subsequently were informed that our flight
had been cancelled. An unplanned extra night in a hotel provided by Lufthansa, then
home on July 4th. exactly 24 hours late.
