Refuge Rivetti – Refuge Val Vogna

Rifufio Rivetti 2201 m – Colle della Mologna Grande 2364 m – Colle di Lazoney 2395 m – Passo del Maccagno 2495 m – S. Antonio di Val Vogna 1381 m

After a pleasant hike in Val d’Aosta, in the wide valley of Niel and the plains of Loo, you enter Valsesia and cross its long Val Vogna, among mountain pastures, grazing lands, streams and the first Walser houses.

From the refuge you go up to the helicopter pad, and take the E6O path which passes in front of the ruins of a hut and then climbs up among boulders and debris first towards the West and then to the North: you thus pass downstream of a rock face with a cavity in which a small chapel (Madonna della Pace) is set and then, zigzagging on meadow land interspersed with rocky spikes, the path leads to Colle della Mologna Grande 2364 m. 0.30 hours. On the hill, which opens to the south-west of Punta Tre Vescovi 2501 m, the route now takes place for a stretch in Valle d’Aosta, skirting halfway up the slope on a good path the Niel basin and then the Loo valley (Valle di Gressoney): the trail sign, in order not to cause confusion with those of the Valle d’Aosta, consists exclusively of the GTA flag. From the hill you descend somewhat and pass through debris for a few tens of meters before reaching the place called “donkey fountain (Just below the hill, leave the path on the left that touches the visible Grétie lake 2221 m, the farmhouses of the mountain pasture of the same name 2207 m, before passing through Niel 1535 m and then ending at Gaby 1047 m). the path climbs a little to reach a plateau above which there is Lake Zuchie 2313 m. The route now continues almost flat to climb again to Colle di Lazoney 2395 m, from which you look out into the valley of the Loo plains. You cross this large valley full of pastures passing under the pass of the same name (Colle del Loo 2452 m, through which passes the path that connects the Valsesian municipality of Rassa with Loomatten in Val di Gressoney: (be careful not to follow this path!) You cross two streams, whose waters give rise to the Loo torrent, and steeply uphill you reach the Maccagno Pass 2495 m, a depression located between Cima Morticci 2710 m and Punta Cornaccio 2534 m: 2.00 hours. From this pass the GTA route it returns to Piedmont and enters Valsesia, Val Vogna.

From the Maccagno pass, the route following trail sign 5 descends, between boulders, to Lago Nero 2322 m, near which the itinerary (5c) that leads to Passo del Laghetto 2535 m is left on the right. From the lake the path becomes more marked, crosses the Rio Maccagno, leaves the itinerary (5d) on the right which goes up to Colle della Meia 2649 m and reaches Alpe del Maccagno 2188 m; 0.45 hours

This mountain pasture is located between two lakes, near one of which a spring flows. The route, always following trail sign 5, crosses the stream again and with a short climb reaches a plateau, where you leave the itinerary (5b) on the left leads to Lake Camino or Caudrola 2306 m. Maintaining altitude, our path follows the course of the stream that comes from this lake for a short stretch, then with a slight descent it crosses a landslide near the confluence with the Maccagno stream. The mule track now develops to the left of the stream, runs along the plain of Alpe Camino 2016 m, passes at the foot of Punta Pater and, shortly before reaching the pasture of Alpe Pioda above 1877 m, goes to the right bank of the watercourse. As soon as you pass this popular mountain pasture, you come across the crossroads that branches off to the right with the trail sign (5a), an itinerary that leads to the visible Cortese mountain pasture at 2060 m, to the lake at 2185 m and to the Bocchetta of the same name at 2562 m. Keeping to mule track 5, you leave Alpe Pioda below 1830 m and with a steeper slope you descend to the plateau below where often, even in summer, you cross the remains of an avalanche. The mule track then reaches the upper Alpe Buzzo 1718 m, almost immediately crosses the bed of the Cortese stream, passes upstream from the lower Alpe Buzzo 1698 m, crosses the Tillio stream and descends along a staircase to reach the plateau below, where a bridge of wood allows you to cross the Maccagno stream which here flows into the Solovo stream, thus forming the Vogna, the stream which gives its name to the valley. The mule track now joins the one with trail sign 1 and which must be followed as indicated by the sign: 2.30 hours.

And this is the old road to Aosta, the road that connects Riva Valdobbia 1112 m with Valdobbia 1373 m (fraction of Gressoney S. Jean), through the hill of the same name. Anyone following the itinerary in the reverse direction must leave mule track 1 here to im mouth the 5.

You immediately pass over a brick bridge over the Solivo torrent, after a few minutes you pass the Oratory of S. Grato and then the hamlet of Peccia 1529 m. In this cluster of houses there are the first examples of Walser houses. (To the right of the route that crosses this group of houses there is the branch (7) which leads to Bocchetta del Fornale 2531 m). The gently sloping mule track crosses the Cambiaveto river, leaves the road to the Corno Bianco on the left (trail sign 2) and reaches the hamlet of San Antonio 1381 m; 0.45 hours and at the Valle Vogna Refuge Stopover