Today we return to Piedmont, within the Alpe Veglia and Alpe Devero Nature Park, to do a new trail starting from the Devero Plain. The goal is to reach the west end of the plain and here take the Sentiero H11, from this point onwards a long climb will begin that will take us to the Alpe Misanco and then to the beautiful Black Lake.

The beauty of this simple trek will then be enhanced by the fantastic autumn setting, with its warm colors, fresh air, the first snowfalls on the highest mountain peaks and, of course, the phenomenon of foliage, which in this area manages to really put on a show thanks to dense larch forests that turn completely orange.

The Alpe is visitable virtually year-round, with landscapes and treks varying somewhat depending on the season and the presence of snow on the ground. The network of trails is very dense, ensuring suggestions for any type of hiker. Over the years we have begun to discover the main trails in this area and through specific articles and videos I have begun to tell you about some of them.

Below you will find a list of other hikes that can be done on the Alpe Devero in the fall:

Trekking Lago Nero in autunno – Foliage Alpe Devero

Short Description: Black Lake Trekking in the Fall.

The proposed trail is an Escursionist (E) type with, however, no exposed or dangerous sections. The entire hike is to be done on a classic mountain trail, first inside a forest and then on some rocky sections. The total length (A/R) ofthe 7 km and the elevation gain of a little more than 400 m do not make it a complicated trail, although some training and appropriate footwear is still required (especially if you face the trek on a wet trail).

You start from one of the many parking lots at Alpe Devero (most of which you have to pay for) and reach the plain and its characteristic hamlet. Some parking lots are a long way from the plain so this first stretch may be longer or shorter depending on where you are able to leave your car.

Here you begin to make the simple loop around the plain, taking a westerly position and reaching the hamlet of Piedemonte: another small cluster of stone and wood cabins. Just before the hamlet, just beyond a small wooden bridge, the signposts indicating Black Lake will begin to become evident, following the H11 trail.

The trail immediately starts with a steady incline, on a well-trodden surface, and after a few minutes enters a dense larch forest, skirting a rushing stream. The ascent presents no particular difficulty and the beautiful colors of the forest alternate with sporadic glimpses of imposing waterfalls, snow-capped peaks and some wide clearings where small pools of water form.

Coming out of the vegetation, a short, fairly steep climb leads to Alpe Misanco, where the landscape opens up a bit, allowing a better view of the mountains surrounding this area.

Per raggiungere il lago mancano però ancora 100m di dislivello, si supera quindi l’alpe e si piega a destra lungo un nuovo tratto boschivo in forte pendenza. Da qui si arriva presto ad una sezione rocciosa che fa guadagnare rapidamente gli ultimi metri di quota.

When you reach the level, continue along the trail, passing a stream and a small pond, and then turn left over rocky terrain to finally reach the banks of Black Lake.

The return is along the same stretch as the outward journey.

Per avere maggiori dettagli prosegui nella lettura…

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour

Summary: BLACK Lake trekking in autumn starting from the Devero Plain

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour

Dati tecnici – Trekking lago Nero in autunno

DifficoltàE – Escursionistico
Duration3:00 (A/R)
Ring tourno
Length7.0 Km
Elevation gain400 m
Trail numberH98, H11. H11b
TypeTrekking
Date13/10/2024
Technical data

Mappa: Lago Nero dall’Alpe Devero

Hiking Map: map

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Best offline map app for trekking: Review Mapy.cz - The best app for trekking (stefanopoma.it)

Dove Parcheggiare sull’Alpe Devero

There are many parking places to reach Alpe Devero, but almost all of them charge a fee.

When you reach the locality of Goglio, take a paved road about 7km long that is quite steep and leads quickly to the plain. At a certain point you will encounter a bar displaying the updated prices of the various parking lots and where you will have to pick up a paper ticket. The bar is at about this location (https://maps.app.goo.gl/PYCMTQ6KARQZ9toq8) and as soon as you pass it all the parking lots will be metered.

Just before the barrier there are a few clearings and lay-bys where you can leave your car free and during the busiest periods it will certainly not be uncommon to find hikers leaving their cars in this location as well.

Leaving your car here, however, you will be forced to add 2 km to your hike (about 50 minutes), to be hiked partly on asphalt and partly on a trail that cuts some hairpin bends.

In the summer period a bus service (to be booked by phone) also passes on the road, which might allow you to save them the drive up or avoid a piece of walking up the road, should you decide to park in one of the more distant parking lots. I leave below the link to the details about the service, take care of course to check that it is present in the period you decide to go.

Baceno municipality transportation (Prontobus service): Transportation - Municipality of Baceno

Continuing past the bar there will begin to be a variety of places where you can leave your car. The first ones encountered along the road will still oblige you to face a certain piece of road on foot, the last ones (Silos and Balmavalle), on the other hand, will be very close to the beginning of the hike. Depending on the period you choose and the influx of tourists, you can then park more or less close to the starting point.

I also report the possibility of booking a parking space at a cost of 5€ in the “Silos” parking lot only. All the details to manage the reservation and also the updated parking prices can be found on this site:Parking Alpe Devero - Area Di Parcheggio alpe Devero (deveropark.it)

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour

La piana dell’Alpe Devero

Leaving the car in one of the last parking lots, we quickly slip on our boots and get dressed quite heavy. The day is particularly cold and thick clouds moving all around us almost completely cover the surrounding mountains, hinting at possible downpours in the coming hours.

The trail we will have to tackle is relatively easy and, as unpleasant as it is to make the entire ascent on wet ground or with the presence of rain, it should be absolutely no problem to tackle it even in such uncertain weather.

As we ascend the last stretch of paved road we are immediately immersed in the particular setting of the Piana del Devero, a vast grassy plain mostly devoted to pasture, squeezed between imposing rocky mountains and dotted with small clusters of mostly expertly restored stone huts.

The cold air of the early morning seems to have frozen the whole landscape: the roads are deserted, the windows are closed, and along the entire plain the only sound to be heard is that of the slow flow of the stream.

Trekking Alpe Devero in Autunno - Crampiolo
Trekking Alpe Devero in Autunno – Crampiolo

Taking the H99 trail, which allows us to travel the entire loop of the plateau, we approach the first hamlet. Here and there, signs of a restaurant, a convenience store and even a dairy appear, all facilities still closed at this time of the morning. The only sign of anyone's presence is the thin smoke rising from chimneys and the soft light filtering through closed windows.

Here it would be possible to start the very simple tour of the Plain, and then reach the village of Crampiolo and Lake of the Witches. I told you about it in depth in this article: https://stefanopoma.it/trekking/trekking-alpe-devero-in-autunno/

Our goal today, however, is a different one, so we aim straight along the H99 trail, pass the huts and reach a grassy area where there is a campsite. Here the trail deviates briefly into the woods, skirting a stream and within a few minutes leads us to locality Piedemonte.

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour

Ascent to Black Lake along the H11 trail.

Upon reaching a second group of huts, significantly smaller than the first, we stop to observe the trail markers. Here the trail to reach Black Lake is clearly marked, with a walking time of just under 2 hours.

Looking at a map, you will notice that the main trail (H11) climbs toward Black Lake keeping to the orographic right of the stream that we have been following so far. An alternative trail tackles the same ascent while remaining on the left. From what I have read in a variety of articles, it would be possible to ascend along one section and descend along the other, thus completing a loop. As a matter of timing and because of the weather that was only getting worse we decided to climb and descend along the same section. It is therefore not possible for me to bring back information on the full loop tour.

Before starting to climb we stop briefly along the edge of the plain, to take some photos of the group of isolated huts and the beautiful autumn setting that loads the whole landscape with beautiful warm colors. The particularly cloudy day and the first drops that are already starting to fall are somewhat ruining the colors of the landscape, which on a normal sunny day would now have already exploded into a thousand shades of orange, yellow and red. Little matter though, the setting is very striking even so and I don't see them seeing what the view will be like once we reach Black Lake.

Trekking Lago Nero in autunno – Foliage Alpe Devero

Taking the H11 trail we begin to climb with a not inconsiderable incline that quickly begins to make us sweat a bit. The trail keeps close to the creek in the first part, then veers a bit to the left and hides in a dense larch forest. The vegetation shelters us a bit from the sporadic downpours, and between muddy sections and sections on quite slippery rocks we continue on our ascent.

The scenery along this stretch is not particularly spectacular; tree foliage hides much of the surrounding view, while low, dense clouds form an almost impenetrable barrier that obscures the higher peaks surrounding this area. However, sharpening my gaze, I still manage to catch a glimpse of a few nooks and crannies worth capturing:

  • After about 20 minutes of ascent, a more open section through the trees offers a glimpse of a maestic waterfall, partially hidden by orange tree foliage. Its cascading water rests gently on a dark rock wall, creating a fascinating contrast between water, rock and vegetation. A truly singular image worth capturing.
  • After a particularly steep section, the trail flattens out slightly along a clearing, where it crosses a stream on a small wooden bridge. The flat section that follows allows you to get very close to a delicate waterfall. The ground here is literally covered with the needles of fallen larch trees from the previous days, which mingle with the now-dry grass, giving it a vibrant shade of color.

When we reach the clearing we take a short break for something to eat and take a few minutes to walk beside the creek. The weather just doesn't seem to want to know about getting better, and as we gain altitude the clouds only get thicker, so much so that now it almost feels like we are walking in a dense fog that hides anything already a few dozen meters away from us. Not exactly the context improves, but having come this far we certainly can't turn back.

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour – Alpe Devero in autunno

Alpe Misanco

Continuing along a path that becomes steeper and steeper we find ourselves in a grassy area, enclosed between the forest and high, almost vertical rock walls. The path, continuing through the grass, points straight ahead and in a few minutes brings us to a vast clearing where two huts are arranged. The muddy ground and obvious signs of grazing animals give us a hint that the huts were used until a few days ago, but with the cold weather setting in, the cattle have already been driven further down the valley**.

Non ci sono fontanelle, tavoli o panchine, solo un’ampia zona pianeggiante completamente bagnata, dove fermarsi diventa un po’ complicato. Decidiamo quindi di proseguire, attraversando un torrente e puntando dritti verso l’evidente sentiero.

Trekking Lago Nero in autunno – Foliage Alpe Devero

Shortly after, the trail deflects to the right and again enters a grove with a rather steep incline. Here the path becomes a little more uncertain, but continuing through grassy stretches and a few rocks, you can still easily follow the route. Moving slightly toward the stream, I notice a wider waterfall, less majestic than the one seen earlier, but still fascinating.

By now we are walking at the same elevation as the clouds, and the landscape around us becomes increasingly indistinct and uncertain. The colors seem to fade, replaced by a gray-white veil that envelops everything. As we continue the ascent, which becomes more and more strenuous, the almost surreal silence around us is abruptly interrupted by a long wail, which within seconds is again swallowed up by the fog.

Although the cry comes from far away, it is clear that it is a deer. Between September and October, in fact, it is quite common to spot these animals, which descend to low altitudes for mating season at this time. We stop, curious, trying to sense a response or movement in the trees, but unfortunately we see nothing.

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour – Alpe Devero in autunno

Arrival at Lake Black Lake.

The ascent is coming to an end and, after a short break through the rocks, the terrain finally becomes level again. Here the H11 trail veers left, but we continue right along the H11B section.

Continuing on flat terrain, we cross a small stream, flank a marshy area and a small lake, and then veer slightly to the left and enter the forest again. The path in this part becomes more uneven, with rocky sections, roots encroaching on the path and shrubs partially hiding the trail.

After a few minutes of slight descent, a widespread clearing among the trees opens before us. The boundary of this area is marked by a stony area with dark rocks arranged in a haphazard manner, while in the center is the body of water that marks the destination of our hike. We have finally arrived at Black Lake.

Trekking Lago Nero in autunno – Foliage Alpe Devero

The trail skirts only the northern shore of the lake, but with a little care it is still possible to get off the trail and approach the vast rocky beach. Deviating from the trail we then begin to look for a spot where we can stop for something to eat. The light drizzle is soaking the whole ground, but after a bit of searching we still manage to find a couple of rocks slightly sheltered by the branches of a tree.

From this point, the view of the lake is almost total: with one shot I manage to capture the entire expanse of water, the black rocks in the foreground, the dark blue of the lake, and, in the distance, a frame of orange larches, partially hidden by the fog. It's not exactly the ideal day to appreciate the fall colors and beauty of this place, however, I am still satisfied with the trek I just completed.

Trekking Lago Nero in autunno – Foliage Alpe Devero

Return to the Devero Plain along the same trail.

We quickly eat a sandwich and some fruit, pity we didn't think to bring a thermos with hot tea. A slight breeze begins to pick up and the perceived temperature drops rapidly, while the rain becomes more and more insistent, prompting us to retrace our steps back to our starting point.

As mentioned above, continuing along the H11B trail would make it possible to reach the Buscagna Alp and complete a loop back to the plain. However, given the limited visibility and rain, we prefer to opt for the shorter route, following the same trail as the outward journey to return to the starting point.

The descent does not present any particular difficulty, I simply point out to take extra care in case of rain and slippery ground. After about 1:00 of walking however, we are again at the edge of the Devero Plain and here we start walking along the wide mule track that goes all the way around this plateau.

Having completed the paina loop (about 20 minutes) we are again exactly where we started the trek.

Other autumn excursions

Galleria fotografica – Foliage Alpe Devero – Trekking al lago Nero

All shots from this outing can also be seen in high resolution on my Facebook page: **Photo Gallery - Trekking at Lake Nero Alpe Devero

Conclusioni e consigli – Escursione lago Nero in Autunno

The proposed trail does not present any special difficulties or exposed points, it is a hike on a classic mountain trail thus classified as E (Hiking). The non-excessive elevation gain, as well as the short duration and numerous spots to take a break make it suitable for virtually anyone (as long as they have minimal training).

Appropriate footwear and clothing are absolutely necessary especially if you will face the section with unstable weather conditions (as in our case). Heavy rains can indeed make some sections slippery and fill other areas with mud, so it is absolutely necessary to undertake the trek with mountain boots and trekking poles.

The autumn period is certainly fascinating, a time when the woods of Alpe Devero become laden with color, the larches begin to drop their needles and in the distance you may even hear (and perhaps see) deer. Obviously, the proposed trail can be safely faced even in spring and summer, however, hikers are urged to always carefully assess the possible presence of ice and snow, and in case of possible dangers postpone the outing.

The network of trails throughout Alpe Devero is really quite dense and there are of course many variants to the proposed trail, as well as additional sections that can further lengthen the hike allowing you to see other places as well. On my blog you will find other proposed hikes in this area.

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour – Alpe Devero in autunno

Water along the trail

Le uniche fonti d’acqua si trovano nel primo nucleo di baite che si incontra sulla Piana del Devero, proprio accanto agli ultimi parcheggi.

I recommend using this app to quickly view all the water fountains around your location: Review Mapy.cz - The Best App for Hiking (stefanopoma.it)

Recommended period

  • Primavera: Carefully assess the presence of snow and ice.
  • Summer
  • Autunno: Carefully assess the presence of snow and ice.
  • Winter: Carefully assess the presence of snow, ice, and the feasibility of the proposed hike. Some sections may be exposed to avalanche risk.

Links and useful references

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour – Alpe Devero in autunno

PRO and CONS and Evaluation

👍Pro:

  • Easy trail
  • Spectacular in autumn
  • Potentially extendable with other sections

👎Contro:

  • Salita nel bosco un po’ monotona

Rating

Rating3.5/5
Signage4/5
Difficoltà2/5
Landscape3.5/5

Webcam on the Devero Plain

There is a webcam on the Alpe Devero plain: webcam

Trekking Alpe Devero - Lake Pianboglio and Alpe Forno loop tour – Alpe Devero in autunno

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Some of the photos you see in this article were taken and post-produced by @stefanodosselli (Instagram page).

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