Cima Lariè

Introduction

Excursion suitable for spring and, even better, autumn, where the colours of the woods and, if possible, the first snow that falls at high altitudes make the views suggestive. The views become wider and wider as we climb, offering us, at first, the splendid basin of the upper Val Bognanco and then, from Alpe Campo, the nearby "Simplon triptych" (Weissmies, Lagginhorn and Fletschhorn) as far as the east face of Monte Rosa. At the summit, the view is even more enriched by the sight of Monte Leone and the peaks of the Antigorio, Formazza and Vigezzo valleys, and the host of pre-Alpine peaks that crown the Domodossola plain. The ascent, despite having a fairly significant difference in altitude, is easy and of no difficulty, being well marked even in the woods; there is a risk of possibly losing the track beyond Alpe Campo depending on the height of the grass but, even here, you can head straight for the ridge just above it, shortening the ascent route.

Description

From the car park, go up the tarmac road until you reach the nearby houses of the hamlet and, turning right, you will come to a post indicating the ascent; you then pass by a fountain and continue until you come out of the hamlet where the mule track turns into a path. This begins to climb up the grassy slopes above, passing through a sparse wood, almost immediately coming across a small hut that you leave to the left (932 m); the climb continues with a regular gradient and with many hairpin bends, increasing the panoramic view of the upper Bognanco valley, arriving at a small stone crucifix immediately after which you reach the beautiful Alpe Reso (1274 m). Here there is a signpost that directs us to climb directly above the huts, entering a beautiful beech wood, never too thick, in which the trail winds its way up with numerous hairpin bends to reach Alpe Spino (1550 m), which is located on a small, more open plateau. Now pass between the two huts to continue the ascent, heading towards a small larch wood, at the exit of which we soon arrive at the beautiful and panoramic Alpe Campo (1876 m), from which there is a magnificent view of the Simplon triptych (Weissmies, Lagginhorn and Fletschorn) and the east face of Monte Rosa. Here too, the signposts point us in the right direction to take the final ridge leading to the summit, but if you want to shorten the time and distance a little, you can go directly up the open grassy slopes, aiming for the marked and clearly identifiable ridge. When you reach it, you will find the trail markers that run along the ridge, which is rocky in places, passing first by a small iron cross and, after a few minutes' walk, you will come in sight of the summit cairn, which is also topped by a metal cross that you will soon reach.