Gran Baita Refuge
28 May 2025
Photo Copyright © Maurizio Sala LLV
Rifugio Lecco is situated in a truly striking location, nestled in the upper part of Piani di Bobbio, right beneath the limestone walls of Zuccone Campelli, an ideal starting point for those venturing into the wild Vallone dei Camosci. It's a refuge that offers a taste of true mountain life, the kind you conquer step by step, far from lifts and creature comforts.
One of the most fascinating – and also least-travelled – routes to reach it starts from Barzio, precisely from the car park of the small cemetery, and develops along the Small Path. A route that, while not presenting mountaineering difficulties, requires a steady foot, good fitness, and, above all, caution on the descent, which in this case is best avoided. The smooth rocks, steep sections, and abundance of switchbacks make it decidedly more suited for ascent.
Exit the SS36 towards Valsassina and, after crossing the Balisio Pass, you'll easily reach Barzio. Following the brown signs for the cable car, turn towards the cemetery car park, where our adventure begins (800m). Here, the peace is absolute. You'll skirt the cemetery along a small road that slopes gently upwards between old stone walls and a fountain forgotten by time. The vegetation becomes thicker and thicker, you enter the woods, and the road, from asphalt, turns to dirt, more alive, more real.
The ascent soon becomes serious. Curves and hairpin bends follow one another, with some shortcuts that allow you to gain altitude more quickly, but at the price of a steeper gradient. You encounter old mountain huts, traces of a rural life that has endured for centuries, such as in Biancolina, a small pastoral hamlet where time seems to have stood still.
Rocks begin to appear beneath our feet, smoothed by years and the elements. Red arrows, scattered here and there on the rocks, become our visual reference. The air changes: more crisp, cleaner. The trees thin out in places, giving way to luminous clearings or views of the valley floor and the Grigna.
It is a continuous up and down between wooded sections and exposed passages on rocky slabs. Some are smooth, treacherous, to be tackled calmly and carefully. But it is precisely here, in direct contact with the rock and the silence of the forest, that one perceives the whole essence of the Lecco mountains: rough, severe but fascinating.
After a long stretch immersed in the beech forest, you reach the Baita Masone. A small grassy plateau is home to a stable and a watering hole, an ideal spot for a short break. From here the path continues to gain altitude through a dense wood of birch and laburnum trees. The ground becomes uneven, marked by roots and ancient landslides, but always well-signposted.
The climb, now more regular, offers unexpected views of the Resegone and Monte Due Mani. You feel small, yet deeply connected to this land made of stone, wind, and sky.
At an altitude of 1310 metres, you'll find the old intermediate station of the disused chairlift: a melancholic testament to an era when even the most secluded locations enjoyed a vibrant tourist season. Other paths intersect here, but we continue straight on, following the rusted pylons that guide us upwards.
The vegetation begins to thin out again. Rock appears more and more often underfoot, and the path occasionally becomes a small natural via ferrata, with steep and slippery rocks that require concentration. A yellow arrow invites us to turn left to overcome an inclined slab – one of the most spectacular sections of the route.
Having now reached over 1500 metres, a clearing opens up before us with the former Pequeno Hotel, By now in ruins but still full of charm. A suspended place, where time has truly stopped. A little further on, a photographic panel helps to identify the peaks that surround us: Grignetta, Grignone, Resegone... a real balcony over the Lecco Prealps.
From here, the exertion is now behind us. The path becomes gentler, gently rising through small woods and clearings. A wooden signpost indicates the final direction: Rifugio Lecco. Shortly afterwards, the silhouette of the refuge (1780 m) appears, framed by alpine meadows and, on clear days, by a sky that seems painted.
The entire route takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with a total elevation gain of 980 metres. An itinerary I recommend for lovers of more intimate hikes, away from the crowds. The Pequeno Trail is not for everyone: it requires stamina, attention and, above all, a desire to explore. But it offers, in return, a total immersion in the authentic heart of the Lecco mountains.
Avoid tackling it downhill: the combination of smooth rocks and the slope can become dangerous. But for climbing, it's one of the most rewarding experiences that Valsassina can offer.
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