Cicogna - Alpe Pra - Pogallo Loop Trail

Have you ever driven for miles on a very narrow road??? Kindergarten 🧸!!! The road to the starting point in Cicogno is so narrow that I held my breath for seven kilometers uphill and seven kilometers downhill on the way back 🙈 Believe me 😅 It's really not for the faint-hearted. But the hike to the almost deserted village of Pogallo was well worth it! The way back through the valley, always along or above the river, was sometimes spectacular. Overall rating: very good 👌

A beautiful circular tour through the wild Val Grande, including a visit to the now-abandoned village/alpine pasture of Pogallo, followed by a challenging climb to Alpe Pra, where, surprisingly, the Rifugio Amici delgi Alpini was open. Lunch followed by a descent to Cicogna, first along the beautiful stone mule track, then along the steep trail. The route is 5-star, because the paved road from Cicogna to Pogallo is a 120-year-old work of art, absolutely worth experiencing. Autumn has already arrived in Val Grande! https://youtube.com/shorts/i4VWPLoPjUg?feature=shared https://youtube.com/shorts/phmar6_yLVU?feature=shared

The tour was really adventurous. Actually even the drive to the starting point. The tour even pushed me to the limits of my physical condition (which is currently not ideal). Admittedly - I underestimated the tour when planning it. And if the hiking guide already says - black tour - then there is something to it 😅. I should have taken longer breaks. But let's talk about the tour: The tour in the Val Grande starting from Cicogna via the Cima Sasso to the remote mountain village of Pogallo is a continuous marked hiking trail. Just getting to the starting point - the half-abandoned one in Bergedorf Cicogna - was adventurous. The further you drive into the forest and up the hill, the narrower the road becomes. Halfway you pass through the village of Rovegro, after which the road becomes single lane. When you finally arrive, you have to take a deep breath. Parking spaces are very scarce in Cicogna itself. There are parking possibilities if you drive along a path to the left in the village - the underground is more suitable for SUVs - with a turning possibility at the end. You should actually find a parking space along this path. This means a spot on the slope where the car is safe. After the car was finally parked safely, we started. In Cicogna, the route of the hiking trail is well marked - in the middle of the village it goes up the slope between the historic stone houses on stairs and forest paths. The first third of the route is also the climb from 723 meters to a maximum of 1310 meters. The route here alternates between forest paths, steps made of rock slabs and gravel roads. The higher you get, the more a gigantic panorama opens up. For that reason alone, the ascent was worth everything. The nature of the hiking trail up to here can be described as good. Arrived on the Aple Prà you can't get enough of the gigantic panorama. In the background the still snow-covered Alps. In the south directly on Lake Maggiore. The view of the valley – simply gigantic. Info on the side - the mountain hut was closed. From here the hiking trail turns into an adventurous hiking trail. From here I had to get used to the fact that for most of the rest of the hike, one side of my path was always right on the abyss 😱. Further on in the shaded mountain slope to a narrow crevice through which I got to the other side of the mountain. A bit further between the abyss and the mountain slope, I finally came out on a small ridge, which opens up a gigantic panorama again (see my two selfies - photographed from the same point of view). Directly below are the ruins of the mountain village of Alpe Leciurt. On the route you will come across the remains of the ruins of the stone houses typical here. From here the path to Pogallo goes down again. Again, it's just a mountain trail - with varying textures. Of gravel, rubble, large boulders, branches or still confusingly dense with leaves. Again and again you have to cross waterfalls and mountain streams. The route is absolutely demanding and requires experienced sure-footedness on an alpine hike - but it was still extremely impressive. The goal and turning point of the hike is the "half-abandoned" mountain village of Pogallo. (which can only be reached on foot) From here it goes back to Cicogna through the Rio Pogallo gorge. The entire path runs in the rock face - left abyss right rock face. Again and again the view of the Rio Pogallo. All I can say is absolutely impressive. Nevertheless, I really underestimated the challenge of the tour (maybe my condition too 🙈). But I think I would take the challenge again 😅. R.i.P. My hiking shoes 🥾

Wonderful tour with a steep climb through the solitude of the Val Grande Nature Park. Breathtaking views and back along the water and the rocks.

The part of the path that goes from Mount Spigo to Alpe Leciurt are traces of a path that are sometimes difficult to identify.

Mountain road long and narrow, hardly any alternatives. 11:15 Start 17:15 Arrival Final drink(s) in a local bar