Mount Cancervo and Mount Venturosa, from Pianca

Access

Highway A4 exit Dalmine. Follow signs for Val Brembana, then San Pellegrino and San Giovanni Bianco. Upon entering the village, turn left for Vedeseta. Follow the signs for Pianca until you reach the village. Car park on the right near the church.

Introduction

The rocky bastion of Mount Cancervo (1835 m) and Mount Venturosa (1999 m) is located in the Taleggio Valley northwest of the village of San Giovanni Bianco. The limestone structure of the rock that characterises the entire area creates a spectacular environment of towers, pinnacles and dolinas that rise above green meadows and beech woods. This hike is particularly impressive if carried out in late autumn or in the presence of snow. The route here offers the possibility of completing a two-loop tour, never retracing one's steps except at the Grialeggio pass, located between the Cancervo and Venturosa.

Description

Parking the car in Pianca, we continue briefly on the tarmac road, soon finding the signpost for path (on a rock, and rather faded) on the right. The path is also marked with red-white-red flags. You walk up the meadows above the village, past a few huts and come to a large canopied rock. Continue on the path, which climbs under the steep ramparts until you reach a viewpoint with a wooden cross. You now enter a narrow, steep valley, first bypassing a rocky keep and then continuing on a strenuous ascent to reach a section of rocky cliffs, somewhat exposed but well secured with chains (Pass Catif). Continue upwards on a steep zigzag path and finally reach the upper pastures in a pleasant environment of meadows, limestone rocks and beech woods. A fork in the path marks path no. 102 to the Cancervo hut on the left and the direct path on the right. Both paths lead to the destination. Turning right, slightly uphill, one enters a beech wood and then slight ascents and descents on grassland lead to the Cancervo hut. Following the traces of the path, climb up the meadows and rises covered with mugo and limestone rocks until you catch a glimpse of the summit cross on the right, among the trees. 1835 metres, 2:45 hours. From the summit of Mount Cancervo, follow the track that descends to the north-west, skirting the mountain pines and reaching the marked path that zigzags down to the Grialeggio pass (1707 m). From here, trail no. 102 starts out again, heading for Monte Venturosa, a beautiful pyramid to the north of Mone Cancervo. Following the faded but visible red signs, we follow the ridge on steep but easy terrain. At a certain point, just before the Venturosa hut, follow the red marks (102 written on a stone) and go to the left of the ridge, towards the direction of the Baciamorti pass. In a lonely and wild environment, you reach a stone building on which are indicated the directions for the Baciamorti pass to the left and for the Venturosa mone straight ahead. Continue up the steep hollow below the summit and you will come to a pass below the ridge. Turning right, follow the ridge first on an exposed and then increasingly rocky path to the summit cross. 1999 metres, 45 minutes from the Grialeggio pass. The descent is made in the direction of the Venturosa hut, whose green roof is clearly visible from the summit. The path is easy on grassland and with a moderate gradient. From the hut, descend until you reach the junction with trail no. 102 and then descend to the Grialeggio pass. From here, descend into the valley to the left on a well-marked path that enters a beech wood and with wide bends descends until reaching the Baita della Vecchia (1380 m) and shortly afterwards the tarmac road. It is now necessary to cover almost three kilometres of asphalt road, passing through the village of Brembella, to return to Pianca.

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