Trekking in Carona

This beautiful trip to the Orobie Alps, in the province of Bergamo, combines comfort and sublime landscapes. The starting point, Carona, is in fact relatively close to Milan and the path is easy to follow even when snowy.
we have traveled this winter itinerary, with the boots in the first part and with snowshoes in the second, and We liked it a lot.

Carona is a town in Alta Val Brembana at about 1200 meters of altitude, equipped with some ski plants; The excursion to the Calvi refuge comes away from the ski lifts. It is necessary to take the small road for the small village of Pagliari, made of stone houses in the middle of the mountains.

To payrates, summer trail and winter trail separate: while the summer one passes down in the valley, the itinerary in snow conditions follows the comfortable road on the mountain coast (road that in summer is traveled into jeep by shelters managers, So it is easily recognizable even if snow-covered). In both cases, it is immersed in the woods and the landscapes are very picturesque.

On November 30, 2019, when we tried this itinerary, the sun was obviously low and therefore often hidden from the mountains, as well as from the trees: a small defect of this first part of the path between Carona and Calvi Refuge. Even the snow was not present at the bottom, except for some avalanches!
In the middle of the dry grass, the remains left (well, tons of snow!) Of large slavins falled on the previous days.

At one point you meet the beautiful waterfall of the Sambuzza Torrente.

From the point of view of the avalanches, the Carona route - Calvi Rifugio is generally considered safe, but, as we will also see later, in certain conditions, instead we must pay much attention and, sometimes, to give up.
Going up again along the valley The landscape starts to open (and for us he had also started to fill up with snow).

In particular when you arrive at Lake Prato, which we obviously found snow covered, the valley widens showing all the spectacular peaks covered around.

Lake of the lawn consists of an idyllic stream that flows into a clearing. It is about 1650 meters of altitude, (the departure, along the road that from Carona leads to pagliare, is about 1250 meters of altitude, while the Calvi refuge exceeds a little altitude 2000. At Lake of the Prato it is therefore overcome recently halfway, in terms of height difference).

Other routes leave from Lake Lake, in particular the Longo Rifugio trail and an alternative itinerary for the Calvi Rifugio itself: both options are more risky for avalanches, so often not suitable for a snowshoeing, while they are very beautiful for A summer trekking.

In order to continue along the road to the Calvi refuge you need to cross the stream passing on the wooden deck. Continuing with snowshoes, shortly after we also had to cross a large avalanche.

As mentioned, along the way we walked over several Slavines, but it was not a senseless risk: the bulk of the heaps of snow, in fact, had already fallen into the previous days, and that day the climate was beautiful cold. Of course it was impressive to see so many distactions around, to dozens on the steep walls of the Orobie Alps.

Continuing to rise, with some slightly steepest stretches, the panoramas of the mountains of the Alta Val Brembana have become more and more beautiful, up to the view of the fregalbangia dam, an impressive flaked wall that almost looks like the wall of a gigantic castle.

The fregalbiaggia dam creates the lake homonymous, truly spectacular with ice blocks in the middle. Here we are about 2000 meters of altitude: 20 minutes are missing at Calvi Rifugio, which can be reached clattered practically in falsopiano, skirting the lake. And here we had to give up concluding the tour: at the lake, the path passes under the steep wall of a mountain which, after abundant snowfalls, can download avalanches. Since there is a snow on the slope there was still so much, we wisely decided to stop to make a picnic on the dam, and then return to the starting point.

For information, the refuge is located at 2015 meters of altitude, between the lake of fregalbangia (what a beautiful name, worthy of the Lord of the rings) and the Rotondo Lake. In all, the ascent from Carona takes two and a half hours/three, while the descent (following the same itinerary) about a couple of hours.

In short, both in summer and in winter, this itinerary is comfortable and absolutely recommended (with due prudence after abundant snowfall). Prepare yourself adequately and matches ... good trip !!
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