Hiking

Italiano

Six years after the birth of my Grignone in the slope of Pasturo, thanks to a longer time spent in Barzio because my mother doesn't want to know about going down to the city after she has been locked in the house for a whole year to avoid contracting Covid-19, reworking some pages, I realize that an article is missing on the activity I practice, walking or running in the mountains, which is the origin of my blog. Whenever a motivation pushes me to go to the mountains on foot, I mentally go through a series of instructions so that my excursion can be possible, pleasant and less risky. Norms come from common sense and accumulated experience. The last question I ask myself is whether it is right to go there.

As I am about to write them, I document on the Internet by browsing with Google, which is also a good way to compare my knowledge with the experience of others who have in common a passion for the mountains. I find many interesting pages. Two references were more important and frequent. One is the salomon.com Hiking stories & guides.[^] The other is the Qui Montagna blog by Andrea Dianin (in Italian only),[^] who since 2020 has explored the vast field of hiking and mountaineering with passion and competence. It can also be taken as a reference for those who write blogs for economic sustainability. His income comes from Google Ads advertising (minimally invasive) and the Amazon EU Affiliate Program, an affiliate program that allows sites to earn an advertising commission by advertising and providing links to the Amazon.it site.

Definition

Hiking is a long and intense walk on a predetermined path,[^] along trails and roads closed to traffic, in a natural environment, such as the mountains, practiced for various reasons: leisure, health benefit, discover and get to know the territory and nature, getting away from the city or inhabited center and from the noise; it includes admiring the view, stopping in the most beautiful places, observations, photographing. An excursion can be a day long, or just a few hours, or last for several days, practiced in a group or alone. Walking is perhaps the most common of the activities that are practiced in the mountains, among others I list running, mountaineering, climbing, ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and many others, booming is cycling on trails; of these activities sports competitions are organized.

Walking, hiking or trekking?

The activity of walking outdoors is called in different ways, walking, hiking, trekking; are they the same activities, are there small differences or are they truly distinct?[^]

Walking is a way to stay outdoors, generally in quiet and pleasant places. The concept of walking is associated with a gait. Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals, by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step.[^] The movements of the lower limbs, which consist of alternating flexions and extensions of their segments, are accompanied by movements of other body sectors. Walking is typically slower than running because at least one limb is resting on the ground while in running there is a suspension phase, in humans neither foot is in contact with the ground. Walking is indicated for improving or maintaining general health, at sea level or at high altitudes. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.[^]

Hiking refers to the program and the itinerary, to move on foot from one point to another according to an established route. An excursion requires some preparation, even if the outing is only for a few hours. A short loop near your home can be defined as a hike, just like crossing a mountain range over several days. When an excursion takes place in the high mountains and lasts several days it is a trekking; Wikipedia redirects trekking to backpacking,[^] and disambigues the term into hiking and walking. On the Grigne, the excursions last a day, or two, with an overnight stay in one of its refuges, generally Refuge Rosalba, Refuge Brioschi, Refuge Bogani, Refuge Bietti. Personally, I say of my predetermined route that I went in the name of the place or the refuge, or generally I took a walk in the mountains, or a trip to the mountains, thus devaluing the length and difficulty of the route and the pace of my journey.

Education

Walking in the mountains means having an impact on the environment, the greater the number of people who frequent it, the greater the pressure exerted. The economic exploitation of the mountain takes place mainly with the construction of houses, which almost always remain empty, and roads, even by concreting the existing ones, with parking lots at higher altitudes. Uncontaminated nature with its beauty invites us to respect the environment and behave correctly, to love it, we keep this teaching for when we return to the city. We keep the mountain clean, taking waste downstream, we do not gather flowers, plants and herbs, minerals, we do not move or soil stones and signs, we do not disturb animals, we do not shout, we do not light fires. And what could be nicer than greeting those you meet on the trails?

Benefits

The article What are the benefits of hiking? 5 great reasons to get started![^] of the Salomon website in Home > Stories & Guides > Hiking > Skills & Advice offers interesting insights into the physical and mental benefits of walking. The five excellent reasons are: accessibility, because you can practice close to home, discover and enjoy nature, to disconnect and take time off, be in the company of yourself or spend time with others, do good for your health. Walking constantly at your own pace, without forcing it, gently puts you back in shape, without impact or trauma, generating numerous positive effects on the musculoskeletal (bones, muscles) and cardiovascular system. In addition, regularly practicing the physical activity of walking outdoors strengthens our immune system, decreases the risk of diabetes and hypertension, lowers the cholesterol level.

How much does it cost?

Walking for hours in a natural environment on a scheduled basis is not an expensive activity, even if you pay for quality shoes, clothing and equipment. It is advisable to register with Club Alpino Italiano, the historic organization that protects the mountains in Italy and helps by offering accident insurance; every year the card must be renewed, the cost is between 50 and 60 euros, I am a member of CAI Milan. Finally, there is the cost of the trip, which often is little or nothing because the excursion is close to home.

Where I have practiced hiking

If it is true that as a child I liked to walk along paths in Valsassina with the organized tours of the Barzio parish, later on I only went to the mountains during the holidays, in the company of friends. Then, from 2003 to 2015, I practiced hiking at least once a week for all four seasons of the year on midweek days, choosing a day with good weather, alone, even staying overnight in shelters. I planned the itinerary with a Multigraphic Firenze map Map of trails and shelters, scale 1: 25000, a Global Map or Kompass 1: 35000, to continue exploring from the previous arrival in that area. I left by public transport from Milan to the north with my backpack on my shoulders, inside a one and a half liter bottle of water, some sweets, the clean sports clothes taken from the drawer, a pocket camera. I have traveled almost all the paths of the CAI or the main marked paths for a radius of 70 km from Milan, clockwise:

• Varese and Varese Valleys. Campo dei Fiori, Monte Rho, Monte Minisfreddo, Poncione di Ganna, Monte Piambello.
• Canton Ticino. Lake Lugano, Monte Generoso, Monte San Giorgio, Monte Brè, Monte Sal Salvatore, Monte Garzirola.
• Como, shore of Lake Como, Triangolo Lariano, Valle d'Intelvi, Val Cavargna, Alpi Lepontine. Monte Cornizzolo, Monte Bolletto e Monte Bollettone, Monte Palanzone, Monte San Primo, Monte Nuvolone, Sasso Gordona, Monte Generoso, Monte di Tremezzo, Monte Bregagno, Monte Garzirola, Monte Cucco, Pizzo di Gino.
• Lecco, Brianza, Valle San Martino, Valsassina, Valvarrone, shore of Lake Como. Monte Linzone, Monte Tesoro, Resegone, Monte Due Mani, Monte Sodadura, Zuccone Campelli, Gruppo delle Grigne, Pizzo dei Tre Signori, Monte Colombina, Monte Rotondo, Monte Legnone.
• Bergamo, Valle Imagna, Val Taleggio, Valle Brembana (Lower, Middle and Upper Valley), Valle Seriana (Lower, Middle and a part of Upper Valley), Val Cavallina, Lago d'Iseo. Castel Regina, Monte Zucco, Monte Sornadello, Monte Cancervo, Corno Zuccone, Monte Torcola, Cima Cadelle, Monte Alben, Monte Poieto, Monte Cornagera, Monte Farno, Cima Blum, Monte Madonnino, Monte di Grone.

My experience is therefore all in the Lombard Prealps, mountains that reach a maximum altitude of about 2600 meters.

Since 2016, I have greatly reduced my activity, walking only from Barzio towards the Grignone and the Piani di Bobbio. The economic cost is zero because I am a guest in my brother's vacation home. My CO₂ emission remains zero as when I moved with public transport because the round trip starts and ends at home. Thanks to hiking, which gradually trains muscles, cartilages, bones and the mountain air, I was able to practice physical activity that I would no longer be able to do with sport after a fall on my butt.

References

1. "Hiking stories & guides". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
2. "Qui Montagna [Here Mountain]". (in Italian). qui-montagna.com. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
3. "Hiking". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
4. How to prepare for a trek". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
5. "Hiking vs trekking vs walking". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
6. "Walking". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
7. "Walking for good health". Better Health Channel. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
8. "Trekking". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
9. "What are the benefits of hiking? 5 great reasons to get started! ". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.

Site of Community Importance IT2030001 Northern Grigna

Northern Grigna (Grigna Settentrionale) is a Site of Community Importance (SCI), in Italian Sito di di Interesse Comunitario (SIC), of Natura 2000, encoded into IT2030001.
Natura 2000 is a network of Sites of Community Importance and Special Protection Areas, a European Union project that stretches for 28 union countries. The Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora aims to promote the maintenance of biodiversity, taking account of economic, social, cultural and regional requirements. It forms the cornerstone of Europe's nature conservation policy with the Birds Directive and establishes the EU wide Natura 2000 ecological network of protected areas, safeguarded against potentially damaging developments.

SIC IT2030001 "Grigna Settentrionale" was identified with D.G.R. n. VII/14106 of 12 September 2003; later, with D.G.R. n. VIII/1876 of 8 February 2006 borders with minor variations have been adjusted.
Its management was entrusted entirely first to Valsassina, Valvarrone, Val d'Esino and Riviera Mountain Community, with D.G.R. VII / 18453 of 30 July 2004, then by the Regional Law 2 March 2005, n. 11 institutive of the Regional Park of the Northern Grigna, to the administrator body of the protected area for the portion included within its borders, while for the remaining liability has been attributed to the Administration of Lecco Province. They have thus identified two areas, sufficiently distinct also geographically, one of 990 hectares located north of Cresta Piancaformia, the other of 630 hectares that lies to the south of the same.

1. Natura 2000, en.wikipedia.org
2. The Habitats Directive. EU Nature Law. Nature and biodiversity. Environment. ec.europa.eu

Grignone

Italiano

Grignone is the highest mountain of the Grigne's Group, or Grigne, measuring 2409 meters above sea level; it is located in the Prealps of Lecco, between Lake Como and Valsassina. «The Grignia is the highest mountain these towns have and it is bald», noted Leonardo dal Vinci in the Codex Atlanticus, these towns are in the western Lombardy plain. Grignone is the name with which, commonly, is called the Northern Grigna (in Italian Grigna Settentrionale).[^][^] A few meters below the summit, on which there is a cross, welcomes hikers the Rifugio Brioschi from every town and one can admire a fantastic panorama, from the Po Valley with Milan to the Alps. The joy of having walked in the mountains made me fall in love more with the nearby Grigne.

The Grigne Group consists of two main mountains, Grignone and Grignetta, or Grigna Meridionale, 2184 meters high; each of the two has numerous peaks, in Grignetta there are real spiers, the top has a pointed shape. And before proceeding, I thank my language that allows to measure the two mountains with terms of endearment, accretive one (Grignone), diminutive the other (Grignetta).

By writing, I remember and learn, reasons that push me to return, which becomes my third activity, in addition to sport and photography. To indicate the mountain, I privilege, as in the title, the popular name, Grignone, to the formal one, Northern Grigna. I do not neglect the shortest, Grigna, which comes from omitting the cardinal point, Northern, and because Grignone is the largest of the Group. In the first way, i.e. without the main direction, Grigna Meridionale or Southern Grigna and Grigna Settentrionale have the same name, Grigna, or, wanting to specify the nature of the place, Monte Grigna. But it is also not uncommon to call the whole mountain group Grigna or Monte Grigna. Many cities and towns in Lombardy have celebrated the mountainous relief with a street, by means of the odonym via Grigna or in a rarer extended form via Monte Grigna.

For Grignetta, I mention its wild character, which comes from the rocks and the spiers reaching out to the sky. Wonderful and attractive place, Grigna Meridionale is one of the favorite destinations and training ground for many rock climbers and mountaineers. The main route to the summit, which from Piani dei Resinelli follows the Cresta Cermenati, can be covered by trained hikers without great difficulty, if not for the slope.

Slope of Pasturo, slope of Mandello and slope of Cainallo

The Grignone's slope of Pasturo, in Valsassina, is a large east-facing slope that rises from the country of Pasturo from an altitude of about 650 meters. From the name of the town, this side of the Northern Grigna is also called the mountain of Pasturo or Monti di Pasturo. It adapts perfectly to hiking and more generally to activity in the mountains, with long paths and considerable differences in height, whose difficulty increases in winter. The shape of the mountain is a massif that extends in width without particular variations in the height of the top. Up to a quota of about 1800 meters, for centuries its fertile and fat meadows are grazing livestock, with the presence of numerous mountain huts.

The opposite side of Pasturo, facing west with Lake Como and the town of Mandello del Lario in the background, has a completely different shape. There are impressive rocks, such as the famous Sasso Cavallo, which was drawn in a sheet by Leonardo da Vinci. In this part of the Grigna there are two shelters, Rifugio Bietti at 1719 meters, in the basin of Releccio, and the smallest Rifugio Elisa, at 1515 meters, in Val Meria.

To the north-west, there is the basin of Moncodeno, of glacial origin and closed by the vertical walls of Pizzo della Pieve, where at 1816 meters is Rifugio Bogani. Monte Coden was the name of Grigna or Monte Grigna Settentrionale in the past centuries. Here, there is Via Ganda, which starts from above the Cainallo, in the area of Esino Lario, and climbs up to the top of the Northern Grigna, between Cresta Piancaformia and Cima del Palone, which is a path with lower difference in level compared to the ascent from the side of Pasturo.

The mountain is protected by regional laws through the Northern Grigna Regional Park, established in 2005 with the aim of preserving the environment and the animal and plant species. Grigna is a mountain much studied by naturalists for the diversity that has, and probably, due to its proximity to the densely inhabited plain.

Main trails on the slope of Pasturo

Almost every mountain has a more important path, and it is usually the path that goes to the summit or to the shelter closest to the summit, and which can be traveled without too much difficulty.
For Grignone in the slope of Pasturo, the most popular trail is easy to spot: it is the path that leads to Rifugio Luigi Brioschi, the refuge owned by the CAI of Milan. There are two main sections, in the middle of which there is the Pialeral locality at 1400 meters high, where there is also a shelter, Rifugio Antonietta al Pialeral. Pialeral can be reached from Pasturo and Colle di Balisio, the two paths join at Alpe Cova, just below Pialeral. The shortest path and with less difference in height (about 200 meters) is from Colle di Balisio, and therefore preferred by the majority of hikers, who leave the car a little further on, at the little church of the Sacred Heart; it follows the Valle dei Grassi Lunghi along Pioverna torrent. From Pialeral to Rifugio Brioschi there are two ways, summer and winter route. Colle di Balisio - Rifugio Brioschi requires at least three hours of walking, with a difference in height of more than 1500 meters.

Two other relevant trails are: Traversata Bassa, a long and comfortable walk through the woods, Piani dei Resinelli - Pialeral - Church of San Calimero, and Traversata Alta, equipped with chains, beautiful and panoramic, which joins the two peaks of the Grigne in about 2 hours and a half.

References

1. "Grigna settentrionale". Wikipedia: L'enciclopedia libera (in Italian). Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
2. "Grigna Settentrionale". lavalsassina.com. (in Italian). Retrieved 6 April 2018.