Alpe Baranca – Rimella

Alpe Baranca 1566 m – S. Maria di Fobello 1094 m – Alpe La Res 1419 m – Rimella 1176 m

A short section during which you pass over the ridge that separates the main valley of the Mastallone from the Rimella valley. It is gentle and meadowy on the Fobello side, more rugged and wooded toward Rimella.

From Alpe Baranca the mule track passes near a group of beech trees, runs halfway along the stream, to which you then descend with a wide curve, to cross it on a platform and then leads to Alpe Lungostretto 1291 m. After this mountain pasture the route becomes almost flat up to Alpe Catolino 1252 m. to become steeper up to the hamlet of La Gazza 1175 m; 0.50 hours From this agglomeration, itinerary 157 departs which goes up to Bocchetta di Strienghi while, continuing the descent, you reach Santa Maria di Fobello 1094 m, 0.15 hours

There are various routes that go up to the Res 1419 m alp from the valley floor, both directly on paths and using the carriage road that ends at the ski lift in the Belvedere hamlet 1208 m.

From S. Maria 1094 m, follow the carriage road that descends to the hamlet of La Piana 1032 m then, after passing the houses of Catognetto 978 m, just before Boco Inferiore 948 m, take the road that goes up towards the hamlet of Belvedere, soon reaching the village of Riva 1007 m; 0.30 hours

To the north-east of the Riva area, an unmarked path climbs to Boco Superiore 1089 m across meadows, to continue towards the small church of S. Antonio 1181 m from where the path, with some turns, reaches the hamlet of Ronco 1229 m . From Ronco the route becomes steeper, passes through tall trees and reaches the Res 1419 m alp; 1.15 hours.

Another possibility is to travel, from Catognetto, the entire road to the Belvedere hamlet, touching Riva 1007 m, Campelli 1061 m. It coasts 1119 m, from which you quickly reach the village of Belvedere 1208 m among cultivated fields and meadows. A good mule track (trail sign 160) passes by the small ski resort and with a moderate slope, among birches, beeches and alders it goes up to Alpe la Res 1419 m (2 hours from S. Maria).

This mountain pasture is located on the coast that from Pizzo Nona 2241 m descends to the Ponte delle Due Acque 774 m and divides the Imbritero basin of Fobello from that of Rimella. From Alpe la Res you leave the route (trail sign 160) which continues with a slight climb in a northerly direction to reach Colle della Dorchetta, to take the path which heads with a slight slope to the north-east on the Rimella side, this route passes through in the middle of a forest of tall trees, it crosses two streams, after which, near a house, it leaves another path on the left and with a steeper slope it passes a small chapel to shortly after reach Alpe Roncaccio superior 1179 m ; 0.40 hours

With an almost flat route you reach the small church of Roncaccio inferior 1124 m, you cross this agglomeration and with a steep descent you reach the Landwasser stream which you cross on a brick bridge (1010 m altitude), to go up the opposite side and join the chapel of S. Rocco 1063 m on the mule track (signpost 175) which connects Rimella to Colle della Dorchetta 1818 m. (If you want to lengthen the stage you can in fact go up from la Res to Colle della Dorchetta 1818 m along path 160 and then go down to Rimella along path 175). Going down the valley, still halfway up the hill, the mule track comes out on the road that from “Ponte delle due acqua” goes up to Rimella 1176 m and which leads to the town; and at Stopover, Hotel Ristorante Fontana; 0.50 hours

Val Mastallone

From Lake Baranca located in Val Anzasca, the Mastallone stream originates and bathes the valley of the same name. There are three catchment basins that form its heads and which belong respectively to the towns of Fobello, Rimella and Cervatto. The first is located along the Mastallone stream, the second of Walser origin is located between the Landwasser and Enderwasser streams, finally the third is located in the Cervo stream valley.

Towards the valley the Mastallone torrent is enriched by the waters of the Valbella torrent, which touches the villages of the same name, then continues eastwards, parallel to the main Sesia valley, and receiving from the north the Sabbiola torrent and the Nono torrent, which run through the valleys of the same name; finally, in Varallo, it flows into the Sesia, at the end of a tortuous and recessed path. The GTA therefore touches only some of the numerous valleys and locations that characterize this complex valley.

Fobello’s puncetto school and the exhibition of some of this lace work in a room of the municipal house should be noted. Valsesian women adorn their costume (shirt) with this handmade lace with needle and thread, without the help of drawings and made up of many knots: it is an artisanal work that requires skill, time and patience. Each Valsesian village has its own costume, but that of Fobello is the most characteristic of the valley thanks to the puncetto.

Rimella is characterized by the Walser culture, with a speech that differs from other Walser dialects especially in terms of cadence, and with the presence of some rare houses built in wood, a little different from those of the adjacent valleys. It is believed that the people of Rimella were the first inhabitants of Campello Monti, a town in the Val Strona which until 1816 was part of the Municipality of Rimella