Como & Valtellina
Date: June 27, 2025
Region: Como & Valtellina, Lombardy, Italy
Overview
In June 2025 we decided to make the jump to mountaineering/hiking travel with the specific objective of passing the 3,000m ‘ceiling’, an elevation which does not exist in Greece. To accommodate this project, and Terry who was super interested, we decided on attempting a hikers summit of 600+ prominence near Milan, the clear option is the rather unknown Monte Sobretta (3,296m), a beautiful glacial massif located between the giants of Ortles and Bernina.
As per usual we planned and did the trip fully unguided, figuring out itineraries online and dealing with problems as they came up. Our limited prior knowledge of Italian, but a good attitude and a drive to reach the different planned summits proved to be enough on our first international “expedition”.
🎯 Summit a peak 3,000m or more with 1,000m gain or more.
Arrival
Leaving the office a little earlier than I should on account of great colleagues, we were able to make it to Athens International Airport (LGAV) with time to spare. Settling with a snack and a drink it was not long until we were airborne and headed towards Milan. Terry quickly put to good use her new neck pillow and went to sleep; as for me, I went through the pages of Herzog’s “Annapurna” and maybe I was hoping to meet my own over the following days.
Approaching Milan Malpensa Airport (LIMC) at sunset after a quiet 2 hours, I caught a glimpse of Monte Viso (3,841m), an exquisite sight and true eye candy for a wide eyed “greenhorn”. This excitement was quickly dashed against the “Italian reality” as a the bag-conveyor-belt broke delaying our exit and car pick-up by an unnecessary 30 minutes. Soon however, we were wasting time at the Hertz desk — as usual these things take soooo long — and ended up on our 20 minute drive to the hotel at almost midnight. Luckily speedy proceedings at our accommodation, the “Stay Hotel” meant we were quickly deep asleep.
Lecco & Driving
The plan for Saturday would be to drive from the airport (or Varese, which we were at) to Santa Caterina in Falfurva Valley, at the NE end of Valtellina. We would aim to stop and hike around the Lecco & Lake Como area in order to see as much as possible.
Our day started with a lovely breakfast at “Stay Hotel” in Varese Province before hitting the road at 09:00.
The city of Lecco, situated on the S shores of Lago di Como was the birthplace and home of mountaineering pioneer Ricardo Cassin, and has since then formed a solid tradition in rock and ice climbing on its native limestones.
Monte Barro (922m)
As planned well in advance, we were on our way to Monte Barro (922m), a small but prominent peak just above Lecco and Lake Como, offering exceptional views of the surrounding area. Unluckily for us, the temperature was well over 30C at these elevations and the humidity extreme. It took us roughly 1 hour to drive to Erremo Monte Baro, an old monastery from where we would hike to the summit. To learn more about the ascent of Monte Barro (922m) read the individual peak report.
Monte Muggio (1,799m)
Successful summiting Barro in the heat gave us enough drive to continue towards our second pre-planned objective Croce de Monte Muggio (1,799m), an imposing but easy peak. Our drive took us along the E side of Grigna Settentrionale (2,410m), through Valsassina, and as a result we avoided the best part of the weekend traffic. With the time well past mid-day and the sun at its apex, we pulled into Alpe Giumello (1,550m) after an hour of driving. Our little Skoda Fabia proving its worth on the winding steep roads of Lecco. If you are interested in Monte Muggio (1,799m) read the following peak report.
After my ascent I returned to Giumello to join Terry at Ristorio Genio (⭐ 4.5 | 1,400+ ) who was beating the heat with non-alcoholic beers (designated driver). I was exhausted so I joined in and ordered a Moretti, unbeknownst to me it was an unconventional 0.66cl, but it was not wasted. An assorted plater of local cheeses and cured meats as well as a polenta wrapped up our excellent lunch. Eating at Ristorio Genio was an incredibly pleasant experience, with the staff speaking some English, great food, and prices. Not to mention the amazing views of the Lecco Pre-Alps.
The Ristorio Genio building as seen from the trail.
An extensive spread of local goodies.
Bellano
After our hard earned lunch and a general good impression of the area we drove down towards the town of Bellano on the Eastern lake-shore of Como. We were able to find a parking area with little hassle and went on a quick walk; but not before I wrote and placed a “time of arrival note” on the car windshield. We then walked around the quay and ended up for a coffee and water at Bellano Bistro (⭐ 4.6 | +100 ). The refreshments were surprisingly cheap and the views excellent and so we found little reason to rush. The lake ferry and local sailing clubs making good use of the calm waters of the day. We took a loop back to the car taking in the limited sights of the town; an admittedly scenic but boring place. To our surprise upon our return to the car we found out we had been fined, as apparently the paper had slipped far forward under the windshield. A bunch of discussing with locals in mixed Italian and English we left about €30 poorer. A steep price for such a boring town. Alas our road would now take us to more familiar ground, the mountains.
Lago di Como from the Bellano Quay.
The Lario river passing through Bellano and springing from Valsassina
You can find time-disks at local Cafes, costing around €2 and avoiding being fined.
Santa Caterina di Falfurva
Roughly 2 hours from Bellano, at the NE end of Valtellina Valley lies Falfurva, a smaller valley off-shooting from the Bormio ‘cross-roads’ to the SE. That’s where our major objective Sobretta (3,396m) lays and the furthest from Milan we would get. As we left the lakes behind and entered the wide and steep Valtellina, with the Rhateian Alps to the N and the Orobic Alps to the S — highest point is Pizzo di Coca (3,050m) —, the wild and massive nature of the range made itself known at once. Towns and villages settled in the bottom of the valley, or clung low on the cliffs, far above dense forest of pine and finally alpine de-glaciated rock faces dominated the scenery. Even our quick stop at Lidl to re-up on supplies (and lots of water) proved to be scenic, situated beautifully within the surrounding mountains. It was thus a pity to leave the views behind and drive over 25km in long dark tunnels along the upper Adda River.
Serottini 2,967m as seen from the Adda bridge around Frontale.
Past Bormio and up into Falfurva the scenery discards all feeling of well-trodden, a true small mountain town feeling, even if Santa Caterina is itself a ski-town. The narrow roads of the intermittent villages, the lush forests, and endless slopes rising into the clear blue sky could not feel more freeing after a day of driving in steep valley bottoms and lakes.
Pizzo Tresero 3,594m, part of the Cevedale-Forni Group of Ortles.
The Frodolfo ravine fed from Forni & Gavia at Santa Caterina.
Arriving at our accommodation in Santa Caterina in the late afternoon, we quickly re-packed and showered before heading for dinner. We chose to book and eat at Ginger Bistro, the nicest restaurant in the village, and one which did not disappoint. Lovely appointed, with great staff, and exceptional food at a reasonable price. My main of fatty venison was perfect to power up my own uphill journey of the next day. Sadly our dinner was capped off with bad news, those of the closure of Stelvio Pass that morning due to a large landslide. We finished our dinner and went off for an early night at the passable Regina delle Alpi hotel-residences at the upper reaches of the village.
This remote village of Santa Caterina was the birthplace and home of infamous mountaineering legend and the first ascensionist of K2, Achile Compagnoni. He was the leader of the summit party of the 1954 Italian expedition and was embroiled in controversy surrounding Walter Bonatti’s famous “Death Zone Bivouac”.
Sobretta & Bormio
Our original plan for Sunday was to summit Sobretta and then make our way to Stelvio Pass where we would eat and attempt an easier 3,000m summit, however, the closure put a damper on our plans. In that sense we centered around spending the post-hike time either at Gavia Pass or in Bormio; depending on how we felt. The day’s main business would still be our ascent of Monte Sobretta (3,296m).
Sobretta (3,296m)
Our day started at 05:00 as is prescribed with such endeavors, but a chill attitude and the morning cold delayed us slightly. We arrived at Ponte del Alpe (Alpine Bridge) sometime past 06:30, and quickly got into gear for our highly anticipated hike. Find out about our journey to climb above 3,000m for the first time in the Monte Sobretta (3,396m) trip report.
Bormio
Following our successful but incredibly tiresome summit of Sobretta (3,396m) we returned to Ponte del Alpe later than expected and with the sun beating down on us we avoided driving to Gavia Pass, instead we made our way directly to Bormio where we could relax at the Bormio Therme Spa facilities. Indeed we arrived around 14:45 and enjoyed a few Sauna and cold-plunge sessions, as well as a brief stay in the outdoor thermal pool. However, the incredibly intense sun of the day, coupled with an ongoing migraine meant I suffered from extreme light sensitivity and thus, generally avoided the outside. Having sweat, relaxed, washed, and rehydrated during our 2 hour visit, we took some time to stroll in Bormio.
The N of Valtellina from the roof of Bormio Therme on a sunny Sunday.
The town center of Bormio & the S wall of Cima de Riet 3,049m.
Here we had a chance to buy gifts for friends and family as well as get me a caffeinated energy drink, and Terry a gelato which she was craving (admittedly a very tasty pistachio flavour). Unlike Bellano the day before, the narrow cobbled streets of Bormio and the beautiful buildings did not disappoint. After a quick look into the church, at the inconvenient time of mass, we rushed to leave and continue our return towards Sondrio.
Sondrio
Driving down and through the tunnels of upper-Valtellina once again we ‘popped out’ close to Tirano taking it easy on this final scenic drive through the Alps. We would quickly say goodbye to the familiar sights of Ortles, Sobretta, Pietra Rossa, and Orobie, as we came nearer and nearer the Bernina Group. We admired the quaint town of Tirano while driving through, and soon we arrived at our B&B “Valtellina Mon Amour” just 5 mins outside Sondrio. There after settling in with the assistance of the very friendly hostess and owner, we headed into town for dinner.
The town center of Sondrio during sunset.
Torrente Mallero flowing from the Bernina Group and joining the Adda.
Originally we had planned to eat at PETRUS 1935, an up-scale restaurant which however we found out to be closed, due to the holiday of St. Peter (?) on the day. Instead we sat down at the nearby and busy (with Italians) Restaurant Il Locale, with its tables nicely placed on an off-center plaza. We ordered a couple of pizzas and beers and enjoyed a restful and quiet evening. We didn’t walk much around Sondrio and instead soon found our way back to bed, for a well deserved long snooze.
Valtellina, Como & Monza
For our final day in Italy our plan was to drive towards Milan Malpensa (LIMC) and try to link up a final ascent, however, we were highly concerned about the expected weather conditions which were forecasted as very stormy. This was not the case when we awoke that morning at Sondrio and thus, we were taken a bit by surprise. Our extra long rest meant it would not be possible to make an ascent of Monte San Primo (1,682m) near Bellagio, instead we tried to slowly tick-off stops nearby expecting the rain at any moment.
Ponte nel Cielo
Leaving Sondrio we headed W towards Lake Como and decided to visit Ponte nel Cielo (The Bridge in the Sky) at the village of Campo, a 250m long and 150m high Tibetan bridge. While the fee is somewhat expensive at €8, the exceptional care taken by the locals to set-up the surrounding park and trails made the visit very worth it. Overcoming my acrophobia we crossed the bridge and enjoyed visiting Maggengo Frasnino across it, where traditional Valtellenese farm-buildings can be seen, alongside bird-watching huts, and butterfly areas. The extreme heat continued and as such we went on our way with a lowered expectation of rain.
The Ponte nel Cielo Tibetan bridge and the village of Campo.
The Valtellenese farmstead upkept for cultural learning events.
The Italian word for “Butterfly” is “Farfalla” and is the source of the “Farfalle” term for pasta!
Monteechio Sud (334m)
We drove another hour towards the town of Colico on the NE edge of Lake Como, right at the entrance of Valtellina Valley. There we wanted to visit the WW1 fortification of Monteechio Nord (280m) which is however closed on Mondays’. As such, we decided to attempt a hike on the nearby Monteechio Sud (334m), a small granitic outcropping right above Lake Como and below Monte Legnone (2,609m). To learn more about our hot but short ascent of Monteechio Sud (334m) check out the following report.
Colico Beach
After our successful final summit and a very eventful 100m of reversing out of the trailhead we decided to drive towards the nearby Colico Beach (Lido) where maybe Lake Como could sort our sweaty selves out. At the beach building we paid for parking and expensive waters and decided to also order a pizza as our lunch; especially important on travel days with questionable time for food. Far across from us to the N the clouds played with the sharp limestone summits of the Pizzo Ligonico (3,033m) group.
Yours truly stretching in Lake Como.
A busy sunny Monday at Lido Colico.
Due to the heat and sweat I was easily convinced to enjoy a swim in the relatively warm lake, my first swim of the year, and the first time I had this first swim outside of Greece. Refreshed, and smelling a little better, we enjoyed our light pizza before hitting the road again for our final stop of the trip.
Monza Circuit
From a silly mention of Terry we willed a visit to the historic Monza Circuit into reality, given that we had just 1 hour or so to drive there and look around. We drove past Lecco and into Monza making our way to the center info point in 37C heat! A quick look around revealed that there is very little of the track that can be easily seen (unless via guided tour). We refilled our water bottles at a water station which also had sparkling water! Bought some overpriced souvenirs for friends from the stores and took a few photos before leaving towards the Airport.
The Monza back-straight from the walking path.
A few visitors waiting for the tour by the Manuel Fangio memorial.
Logistics
This trip was (as we like it to be) unguided and self-organized. We rented a car and drove ourselves around as well as gathering information and summiting with our limited Italian. All in all it went pretty well in regards to logistics.
Stay Hotel
On Friday we stayed at “Stay Hotel” in Varese about 25 minutes from the Milan Airport, a motel-type accommodation perfect for late arrivals into Milan. The staff was quick in getting us ready and there was easy parking available. Additionally, the room was alright although small, but the breakfast was extensive and tasty, perfectly setting us up for a long day of hiking and driving. No complaints.
Regina delle Alpi
On Saturday we stayed at “Residences Regina delle Alpi” a slope-side accommodation in Santa Caterina. The room was quite large but the bed was a relatively stiff pull-out couch. Otherwise the room was perfectly adequate with a small kitchenet and well appointed bathroom. The staff was friendly and the views exceptional. Parking at the hotel underground lot costs €5 while parking at the village center would have cost €1.50. There is no breakfast served and thus, we had planned and brought food from our Lidl stop for Sunday morning. A perfectly adequate hikers accommodation especially given that it was cheaper than staying at Forni Refuge.
Valtellina Mon Amour
On Sunday we stayed at “Valtellina Mon Amour” a small B&B very near Sondrio in the center of Valtellina. The B&B was extremely quaint with the owner and proprietor being very friendly and accommodating of our needs and questions. The normal bed was a lovely change from the previous nights’ situation and the sleep was quiet and restful, even though the B&B is essentially road-side on SS36 Passo di Stelvio. There are few words I can write to describe the amazing quality of the breakfast that was served, filled with tasty local produce such as yoghurts, cheeses, and cured meats. This accommodation is extremely recommended!
