Hiking in Vallecamonica - Varadega Pass and Lake Mortirolo

A day out in Mortirolo: Val Varadega and Lake Mortirolo

If you’re staying for a week or a fortnight in the mountains there’s always the temptation to do too much. So much to see and just a few days. But maybe you’re not up to doing a difference of height of 1000 metres and 15/16 kilometres with just a ‘panino’ for sustenance every day. This is a day out for relaxing and enjoying the mountains and landscape but also for taking it easy and tasting local food and it’s one of our favourite trips.

We take the SS42 and follow the signs for "Monno" and "Passo Mortirolo". After Monno, we continue on the road for Mortirolo. It’s a good road but it’s wise to be cautious on the bends because it’s popular with bikers and cyclists. Once nearly at the top of the road, just beyond the Albergo Alto Passo Mortirolo, there’s a very sharp hairpin turn to the right to take the tarmacked road that leads to Pianaccio and Col di Val Bighera. The road is narrow but there’s hardly any traffic because most motorbikes, bikes and cars continue up to the Mortirolo Pass. Our road winds along the mountain, mostly level, passing through larches and rhododendrons. After just over two kilometres, you reach the point where the Varadega torrent intersects the road. The military mule track forks on the left with signs for Monte Varadega and La Croce dell'Alpe (refuge). However, the car must be parked a little further on, on the left of the road. 

The valley in front of us is Val Varadega. The wide dirt track starts climbing quite gently. Just as well. It’s already about 1900 metres a.s.l. and when we get out of the car we don’t feel like running. On the right a path leads down to some stone agricultural buildings and a picnic area whereas on the left a track reaches the Malga Vardega which in season sells butter, cheese and ricotta. We continue upwards on the main track, not fast, partly because we are acclimatising but partly because there’s always something to admire, from the views towards Monte Pagano and the valley below and a spectacular array of alpine flowers in particular in June and July. The rhododendrons are usually in flower at the beginning of July.

After a while, our pace picks up, I’m not sure if because the trail levels off a little or because we are now used to the height. A little further on, the path signed red and white number 73 takes off on the right towards a saddle in the crest which makes a good hike if you don’t want a relaxing walk (and then continues towards Seroti Lakes. You can see it in the photo below - this is not the Varadega Pass where we're going today)

We continue on the military road; this with gentle bends leads to the panoramic Varadega Pass (2288 m). From here there are views of the Valtellina and in particular the mountains north of Tirano are spectacular. It takes about an hour to get to the Pass but we usually take longer and continue a little towards monte Varadega or along one of the other paths until we realize it’s getting late and remember we have booked lunch in a restaurant. The Mortirolo Pass area has a good choice of restaurants. All serve good quality local food at reasonable prices but we (there are always three of us on our days in Mortirolo, this is the tradition) always go to Albergo San Giacomo by the tiny church of the same name.

The menu, too, is a tradition, first courses of local casoncelli (ravioli) of potatoes, or pizzoccheri, or ‘piode’ local gnocchi of Monno so called because their shape resembles that of the flat slates used on roofs in the area, or tagliatelle con ragù di chinghiale, or spinach gnocchi. All homemade. We alternate. Instead we always make the same choice for the second course: capriolo in salmì. It’s delicious and melts in the mouth. Coffee to finish and no hurry to leave.

We finally drag ourselves up and make it back to the car (or you could go on foot because there’s a shortcut to reach lake Mortirolo on foot just past the hotel) and return towards Mortirolo Pass to go to the Lake. You can park on the side of the road or just a few metres along the dirt track to the lake before the no traffic sign where there’s a parking area. It’s possible to continue by car as far as the lake but you have to pay. We want a relaxing day but we also consumed a large amount of calories for lunch and anyway it is only a relaxing walk of 15 minutes to the lake so we proceed on foot. Lake Mortirolo is a natural lake and is also a fishing reserve. We walk all around the lake and sit and contemplate for a while (digestion and a nap are also possible and conversation tails off in this phase). If the Lake Mortirolo ‘refuge’ (more like a hotel/restaurant) is open, which it isn’t always if it’s not high season, we have a coffee or a beer. Otherwise we just sit and stare. One of our favourite places.