Prealpi Lombarde

a small preliminary remark ...

a late fall view ...

the goal of this page is to introduce some starting knowledge of this wide area, sometimes underrated and often stridden by big quantities of tourists along some popular routes.

Out of those ones this area hosts and offers some very fine environments where nature looks uncontaminated and wild ... despite their nearness to a densely populated country.

Here you will find only the main geographic and logistic info: the complete description of the main summits should belong only to summit pages

Overview

With the name of Prealpi Lombarde is normally intended the big area between the Lago Maggiore (Verbano lake) and the Lago di Garda (Benaco lake).
All these mountains, subgroups, groups are quite near to some important towns of Northern Italy, so someone can think of them as tame mountains : nothing wronger than it !
There are a lot of villages, joined by good and bad roads, and a lot of paths, easy and well marked, but, out of them you can often find absolute wilderness and some real danger, first of all the risk to loose bearings and to find yourself in strange situations : the most frequent is the track ending over a big rocky wall.
Differences in elevation are often not small, 1000-1500 m are normal here ...
So, the best way to amuse these environments is well studying maps and tracks before starting or, better, go there with someone who well knows the area.

Geographic Overview

As previously said with the name of Prealpi Lombarde is normally intended the big limestone area between the Lago Maggiore (Verbano lake) on the west side and the Lago di Garda (Benaco lake) on the east side.
The norther borders are much more difficult to find : geologically it should be the Dinaridi limit (the border of the ancient Tethys sea)



google map

so we can define 3 different sections :

Western Lombardic Prealps
starting from Bellinzona the border arrives, along the Passo di San Iorio to Gravedona, on the western bank of Lario lake (Lago di Como)
north of this border the Lepontine Alps

• Prealpi Varesine
• Prealpi Luganesi-Comasche
  
  

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  Central Lombardic Prealps
  on the eastern bank of Lario lake (Lago di Como), the border starts from Bellano, goes along the Valsassina, the Piani di Bobbio and gets down to Piazza Brembana, goes on to the Passo della Marogella to come down to Val Canale, on the bottom of Val Seriana, then after Valbondione and Passo della Manina, the Val di Scalve and the Passo del Vivione goes down to the Valcamonica
  north of this border the Alpi Orobie range
• Prealpi Lecchesi
• Prealpi Bergamasche
  
  

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  Eastern Lombardic Prealps
  here the geological borders are not so easy to find, but geographically we can easy find the northern border : the valley leading to the Passo di Croce Domini
  north of this border the Adamello group
  then the sourh border of Giudicarie till the Benaco lake (Lago di Garda)
  north of this border the Brenta group
• Prealpi Bresciane
  

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  Getting There

  I can't hope (believe) that someone can cross the ocean to come here to hike and/or climb :)
  So this page can be used by those ones that live or work
• in Milan (or neighbouring towns : Varese, Como, Lecco, Sondrio, Bergamo, Lecco, Brescia) and in the whole range north of Po river)
• in Lugano, Bellinzona (or even beyond the Gotthard tunnel)
  starting from these towns the approach to the main valleys leading to the various subgroups is easy and (often) fast along the motorways or SS leading to the closer places wherefrom start the roads entering in the groups along the below quoted valleys.
  Just to make an example, I live few km N of Milan and used to start from home on saturday at 2PM to climb the Cassin Route to the Medale (400m of pure rock - D) or at 10AM to climb the other routes on the same wall :))
  
  So, starting from Padana plan these are the main starting points :
• for Prealpi Varesine : Varese - Lugano
• for Prealpi Luganesi-Comasche : Lugano - Como
• for Prealpi Lecchesi : Como - Lecco - Bergamo
• for Prealpi Bergamasche : Lecco - Bergamo
• for Prealpi Bresciane : Brescia
  

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  Prealpi Varesine

  with the only exception of Campo dei Fiori, on whose N side there's a wide rocky wall hosting many short (2-3 pitches) routes of traditional and sport climbing, the whole area looks made for fine sweet hiking and, in winter, after the first snowfalls, a good training ground for ski-mountaneering
  
  

  a 6504 x 651 pixels pano of the Alps from a minor summit in Varese Prealps main summits Monte Nudo (1235m) Campo dei Fiori (1226m) Monte Lema (1621m) Monte Gradiccioli (1935m) Monte Tamaro (1961m) Monte Paglione (1594m) main valleys - clockwise from S Val Travaglio Val Tresa Val Veddasca Magadino Plan Val d'Agno meteo - google map Prealpi Luganesi-Comasche easy hiking range for family trips in spring, avoid summer ... too hot main subgroups and summits Gino group : sweet mountains in summer, very good and somehow engaging ski-mountaneering, especially on the summits starting from Pizzo di Gino toward East Monte Bar (1916m) Monte Garzirola (2116m) Monte Grande (2136m) Cima Verta (2094m) Monte Albano (2027m) Pizzo di Gino (2245m) Cima Pianchette (2156m) Monte Tabor (2079m) Monte Bregagno (2107m) the S border of this group is the Monte Grona (1736m), a rocky structure with an interesting ferrata Camoghè group sweet mountains, fine for spring easy hiking Cima di Medeglia (1260m) Pizzo di Corgella (1703m) Pizzo Camoghè (2226m) Fiorina group Denti della Vecchia is a locally well known rock climbing training ground, with all kind of difficulties on short (2-4 pitches) routes Denti della Vecchia (1500m) Cima di Fiorina (aka Foiorina) (1810m) Monte Prade (1607m) Monte Bronzone (1434m) Pizzoni (1303m) Generoso group very fine sweet easy hiking here in all seasons Monte Generoso (1701m) Monte Crocione (1491m) Sasso Gordona (1418m) Monte San Bernardo (1348m) Colmegnone (1383m) Monte Bisbino (1325m) North of the Generoso, on the N side of the Val d'Intelvi, a small group, made of sweet mountains (with very steep slopes on their flanks) : Monte Galbiga (1698m) Monte Tremezzo (1700m) Monte Crocione (1641m) and some minor ones a 7000 x 650 pixels pano of the Alps from Sasso Gordona main valleys - clockwise from S Val Solda Val Colla Val Morobbia Val Albano Val d'Intelvi Triangolo lariano The Triangolo lariano is the range between the 2 branches of Como lake It is divided in two very different parts by the valley of the Lambro River (Valassina) San Primo group here the main summit of the area, this is the most frequented, in all seasons, by tourists and hikers and is divided from the Lecco Prealps by the Valassina Monte San Primo (1686m) Monte Palanzone (1438m) Monte Bolettone (1317m) Monte Boletto (1236m) this chain can be a good site for a hike, following the main ridge along good and sweet paths, starting from Como (funicular to Brunate then on foot) and arriving to Bellagio - it normally takes 2 days (many resorts along the trail) monte Boletto monte Bolettone monte Palanzone Monte San Primo from SW Monte San Primo from NE Monte San Primo from its E ridge

  
  main valleys - clockwise from S
  Val di Gaggio
  Val Giurada
  Valassina
  
  

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• corni di Canzo group
  this subgroup has a minor extension but is quite different from the previous one, rocky structures come out of the meadows and woods, southern and eastern borders are steep and hiking is limited to few paths. Many hunters paths somewhere dangerous ... careful
  Its south border is a wonderful place for paragliding
  Corni di Canzo (1373m)
  Moregallo (1276m)
  Corno Rai (1261m)
  Cornizzolo (1211m)
  
  

  main valley Valassina Meteo - google map Prealpi Lecchesi This range has all a hiker and/or a climber can ask to the mountain : fine hike, fine rock climbing, extreme and long rock routes, from this range came out some famous climbers : two above all Cassin and Bonatti main subgroups and summits Campelli group Zuccone di Campelli (2161m) Corna Grande (2089m) Cima di Piazzo (2057m) Monte Sodadura (2010m) Monte Araralta (2009m) Zuccone di Campelli from East ridge of Grignetta (W) Monte Sodadura   :Monte Sodadura in winter Grigne group Pizzo della Pieve (2257m) Grigna Settentrionale (2410m) Grigna Meridionale (2184m) Monte Coltignone (1479m) Resegone group Monte Due Mani (1666m) Resegone (1875m) Corna Camozzera (1452m) Lo Spedone (1104m) Monte Tesoro (1432m) Monte Albenza (1392m) Resegone from Valmadrera (West)   Monte Due Mani from Monte Barro main valleys - clockwise from S Valsassina Val Torta Val Taleggio Val Brembilla Valle Imagna Meteo - google map Prealpi Bergamasche The same as for the previous section, but even a little wilder, mountains are well detached from each other and in their small surrounding valleys we can think to live in another world Arera group Pizzo Arera (2512m) Cima di Menno (2300m) Corna Piana (2302m) Cima di Fop (2322m) Cima di Grem (2049m) Cima Foppazzi (2097m) Cima di Valmora (2198) Monte Secco (2267) from Val Canale it rises for over 1000m with a huge rock wall   Pizzo Arera NE side   Pizzo Arera N face   Arera and Corna Piana   Cima del Fop     Alben group Monte Alben (2019m) Cima della Croce (1978m) Cima di Spada (1952m) Monte Suchello (1542m) Cima di Claviera (1320m) Monte Alben from its North ridge

  
  

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• Presolana group
  Monte Vigna Soliva (2356m)
  Monte Vigna Vaga (2333m)
  Monte Ferrante (2426m)
  Pizzo della Presolana (2463-2521-2447m)
  Monte Visolo (2369m)
  Cima di Timogno (2173m)
  

  Presolana North side while ascending to Rifugio Albani

  
  

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• Formico group
  Pizzo Formico (1637m)
  Monte Grione (1380m)
  Monte Torrezzo (1376m)
  Monte Bronzone (1334m)
  

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• Camino group
  Cima di San Fermo (2356m)
  Pizzo Camino (2492m)
  Monte Sossino (2396m)
  Cima d'Ezendola (2174m)
  
  
  

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• Concarena group
  Cimon della Bagozza (2409m)
  Monte Campione (2174m)
  Cima della Bacchetta (2460m)
  

  Cimon della Bagozza

  
  

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  main valleys - clockwise from S
  Val Brembana
  Val Secca
  Val Seriana
  Val di Scalve
  Val Camonica
  
  Meteo - google map
  

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  Prealpi Bresciane

  wild, wild environment ... to be discovered and better known
  
  
• Western chain
  Punta dei Setteventi (2250m)
  Monte Guglielmo (1949m)
  Monte Muffetto (2060m)
  Dosso Alto (2065m)
  
  
• Central chain
  Dosso Alto (2006m)
  Corna Blacca (2096m)
  
  
• Eastern chain
  Monte Tremalzo (1975m)
  Monte Cablone (1977m)
  Cima Tombea (1947m)
  
  main valleys - clockwise from S
  Val Camonica
  Val Caffaro
  Val Trompia
  
  Meteo - google map
  

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  When To Climb

  all year long
  

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  Red Tape

  no fees no permits required
  

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  Camping

  almost all the trips can be done in one day starting from the neighbouring towns
  

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