Leave your vehicle at the car park of Fondighebbi and immediately cross the bridge over the Loana River, arriving at the chalets and the agriturismo Ettore Besana in the hamlet of Cascine. From here, a farm track follows the course of the stream and crosses the entire length of the grassy basin. Further ahead it becomes a trail which inclines slightly until reaching the recently restored, characteristic lime kilns which are now an integral part of the ecomuseum dedicated to soapstone and stone-cutters.
From here, the trail turns into a pretty mule track known locally as le scalate (the ascents) and then, with a few steep yet manageable stretches, it leads to Alpe Cortenuovo and Scaredi (1,841 m / 6,040 ft). Alpe Scaredi is the “eastern gate” to the high plateau of Val Grande, most easily reached from the national park. Here you’ll find wide panoramic views, beautiful mountains and Mount Rosa off in the distance. There is also a bivouac in the mountain pastures belonging to the National Park equipped with 12 beds (plus another 15 in the adjacent shed).
On the way back, from the kilns you can head downhill and cross the Loana River, which flows unseen beneath the rocks, then continue on along its right bank by taking the wide, recently tended-to trail which passes by Alpe Loana and eventually returns to Fondighebbi.
Last update: 06/03/2018 ore 16:10:14