While walking, mountaineering or rock climbing in the Adamello mountain range, ones mind goes back to the historical events that took place in this region: the Neolithic rock engravings, the strategic importance of this frontier land during the First World War, the resistance during the Second Wold War and the more recent pilgrimage of Pope John II to the glacier.

The hike that we are about to take you on is a magnificent trip to the centre of the Adamello mountain range and the Pian di Neve glacier (the largest in Italy with over 18 square kilometres). Due to global warming and the consequent rising temperatures, the icepack has been shrinking steadily over the last 100 years. The itinerary begins at Passo Tonale, a place that also gave the name to the volcanic rock of these mountains: Tonalite.

4 day programme example:
Day 1 – Sentiero dei Fiori
We take the cable cart from Passo del Tonale to Passo Paradiso (2585 metres). From here we follow the trail on the large boulders of the moraine to Passo Castellaccio (2963 metres). Here the “Sentiero dei Fiori” (trail of the flowers) starts, a Via Ferrata equipped with a wire cable that runs along the First World War front line. From Corno Lagoscuro (3166 metres), where we find a little bivouac, the trail continues down to Passo Lagoscuro and then up to Cima Payer (3056 metres). After a rest and time to admire the views of the Adamello glacier in front of us, we descend to the Rifugio Città di Trento lodge (2449 metres), where one can often spot Ibex and Chamois.

Day 2 – Cresta Croce
After breakfast, we head towards the Vedretta del Mandrone, part of the Pian di Neve glacier, the largest in the Italian Alps. The scenery is unique: a desert made of ice, crevasses, icefalls, streams, peaks and ridges surround us for kilometres and kilometres. We continue up hill on the icy terrain towards the Rifugio Caduti all’Adamello lodge (3040 metres) from where one can admire a 360° view of the Adamello mountains. We leave some of our equipment at the lodge for the night, and after a cup of tea and a slice of cake, we head to Cresta Croce (3276 metres) where we can visit the Cannon 149G that was positioned here by the Italians during the First World War. Back to the recently renovated lodge in time to enjoy a beer while watching the sun set over the ice field.

Day 3 – Pian di Neve
On the third day we cross the Pian di Neve (“Snow Plain”) from East to West until Punta Venerocolo (3323 metres). This is the route that the Italian soldiers used to drag the cannon to its current position in one night. From the peak, we descend towards Lake Venerocolo at the foot of the massive Adamello North face. The Rifugio Garibaldi lodge (2550 metres) is located here and during the War was part of an Italian military camp, placed here to defend the routes that crossed the glacier. The small church is all that remains of that period.

Day 4 – Adamello North face
The last day takes of right under the Adamello North face across the Passo del Lunedì (2650 metres), along the initial part of the Alta Via dell’Adamello (Adamello haute route), until the Pantano dell’Avio artificial dam, built to generate hydroelectric energy. From here, the trail heads down the Avio Valley towards the village of Temù. Our journey ends here but our eyes and our mind are enriched with historical memories and magnificent views.

The programme will be custom made according to the participants level, needs and according to the weather conditions.

When: mid June to mid September (when the mountain lodges are open).

Ability: you are a good hiker, with experience on all types of terrain. No mountaineering experience is required but you should not be afraid of heights. You are in good physical shape, able to walk 1000 metres up and down hill and for 8-10 hours per day. 

Group size: max. 5 persons per guide

Price per person per day:
1 person                 300 euro
2 people                   160 euro
3 people                   115 euro
4 people                   90 euro
5 people                 75 euro

The price Includes: private guiding, liability insurance. Does not include the Guides lodge costs, transfers, food and accommodation. Half board in mountain lodges costs approx. 50 euro per person per day.

Equipment

• Technical equipment: harness, via ferrata set, helmet, poles, crampons, 1 screw gate carabineer (we can rent this equipment if you do not have it).
• Personal equipment: rigid mountaineering boots, 30-40 litre backpack, 1 litre thermos, provisions (energy bars, chocolate, dried fruit, sandwiches…), first aid kit, sun glasses (protection factor 3 or 4), goggles, gore-tex jacket and overpants, windstopper vest, gaiters, mountain pants, fleece jacket, breathable base layers, lightweight gloves, thick gloves, warm hat, bandana, sun screen factor 50.
• For the lodge: sleeping bag liner, change of socks, headtorch and spare batteries, mountaineering club membership, toothbrush & toothpaste, small towel, wipes, i-pod.