Today's destination is the Rifugio Cesare Benigni, a structure located at an altitude of about 2,224 m in alta Val Brembana and from which one can enjoy a fantastic view of a large section of the Orobie Mountains, but also of Mount Disgrazia and the Bernina massif.
To reach our destination there is a convenient trail that starts from the asphalt road leading to the plans of Avaro and that, in about 10 km and 950 m of elevation gain, leads to the refuge. This is not a complex or dangerous hike (the entire section is classified as E - Hiking), but the not inconsiderable elevation gain and some passages in slightly exposed and slippery areas oblige us to recommend the ascent only to hikers accustomed to walking for many hours in the mountains and with a firm step.
Reading a few articles I also note how at one point the trail forks, presenting two alternatives:
- A sinistra prosegue un sentiero abbastanza ripido, ma anche decisamente panoramico (il tracciato è segnato come 108A)
- To the right, the main section of the 108 climbs more gently, until you reach a rock gully where, via chains and well-marked footholds, you have to climb for a few dozen meters
We will decide at the moment which of the two sections to take, although opting for 108A, much more scenic and definitely less traveled, I think is the better choice. Also, towards late afternoon, in this area it should not even be complicated to see some ibex grazing, let's hope we get lucky!
Definiti i dettagli principali dell’escursioni non resta che partire!
Sommario: Trekking al Rifugio Benigni – Sentiero dei vitelli
- Sommario: Trekking al Rifugio Benigni – Sentiero dei vitelli
- Map: Trekking to the Benigni refuge
- Where to park to take the path to the Benigni refuge
- Beginning of the climb to the Benigni Refuge, along CAI trail 108.
- Alpeggio Casera Valletto
- Fonte di San Carlo
- Detour along the CAI 108A trail
- Benigni Hut
- Piazzotti Lake
- Descent and return to the parking lot.
- Galleria fotografica – Escursione al Rifugio Benigni
- Conclusioni e consigli – Escursione al Rifugio Benigni
- PRO and CONS and Evaluation
- Webcams Rifugio Hut
- Do you appreciate my work and want to support me?
- Where to follow me? Do you want to stay updated?
Dati tecnici – Rifugio Benigni sentiero 108A
| Difficoltà | E – Escursionistico |
| Duration | 5:00 (A/R) |
| Ring tour | No |
| Distanza | 10 Km |
| Elevation gain | 970 m |
| Trail number | CAI 108, 108A |
| Type | Trekking |
| Date | 19/08/2023 |
Map: Trekking to the Benigni refuge
Mappa dell’escursione: Mappa Wikiloc
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Best offline map app for trekking: Review Mapy.cz - The best app for trekking (stefanopoma.it)
Where to park to take the path to the Benigni refuge
The best place to park your car is località Sciocc, along the provincial road that leads to the Plani dell'Avaro. Upon reaching Cusio one must stop at this location to buy the ticket needed for access. The cost of the ticket is only €2 (Summer 2023) and is valid for the whole day. Should you decide to extend your stay for more days, the price will gradually increase.
Armed with the ticket you can now continue along the road for about 4 km until you reach a large dirt clearing at this location. The parking lot, though capacious, fills up quite easily in the high season, so I recommend that you go up fairly early in the morning or try to go further and park your car along some lay-by or hairpin bend.
Today's day is particularly sunny and it is mid-August, needless to say the main parking lot is completely full when we arrive in the area. Going further we find another 4 spaces along the next hairpin bend (also occupied) and then a very long line of cars parked close to the roadway for the entire next kilometer. We then have to effort a bit to find a hole, but in the end we fortunately do, leaving the car at the side of the roadway at a spot on the road that is not too steep.
I had already been to these areas to see the Ponteranica lakes (https://stefanopoma.it/trekking/escursione-ai-laghetti-di-ponteranica/), but the period was different and there were definitely fewer people. After today's day I realized that one wants to go up along this road in the middle of August one must plan to leave definitely early, in order to be sure to find a parking space without too much difficulty.
Beginning of the climb to the Benigni Refuge, along CAI trail 108.
The CAI 108 trail starts right side of the road just traveled and is clearly marked by a sign, which also indicates the possible closure of the Benigni Shelter. However, I will leave you with the precise location of the starting point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LVHbmXhFwFgQMbYa9
We then prepare our backpack, hat, sunglasses, lots of sunscreen and obviously lots of water. In fact, the day is particularly hot, no clouds are expected and there are very few drinking water sources along the trail.
Once ready we retrace our steps along the asphalt and take trail CAI 108. The trail immediately climbs very steeply inside a dense pine forest, the bottom is uneven and made up of steps created by plant roots, and the view is completely covered by the dense vegetation. Definitely not the best of starts, but in about ten minutes the trail interrupts this abrupt climb and begins to become flat, continuing half-hill along the slopes of Mount Avaro.
With short ups and downs, rock passages and crossings over a couple of small streams, in about twenty minutes we exit the wooded section, gaining views of the valley we just drove through, of Pizzo Baciamorti and Corna Grande. The day is not particularly windy, and the dense haze of the plains tends to reach even this area, spoiling the overall view a bit. We still have several hundred meters of elevation gain to make, however, and there will surely be areas with more panoramic views.
Alpeggio Casera Valletto
After about 30 minutes of walking we come out of the pine forest and find ourselves in front of a large grassy area, where stands the alpine pasture Casera Valletto (1782 m). The structure is right next to the trail, and passing by it you can see several grazing animals and some cheeses arranged in the interior rooms of the pasture. If you have room in your backpack, the advice is definitely to consider buying some local products (although you might want to do this on the way back).
Once past the small malga, we turn and right and quickly cross the pastures of the area. Soon the trail takes us across a stream, which makes a small waterfall here, and then to the opposite side of the mountain.
The landscape has now changed completely, and before us stand out on the horizon beautiful rocky peaks, framed by multiple pastures that stubbornly climb even the steepest slopes. Looking just below the tip of Mount Tribortoi (2309 m) several tongues of water, made to glisten by the sun's reflections, slowly descend, cutting the green slopes in two.
Fonte di San Carlo
After a brief pause for a few photos we head determinedly north, here the trail bypasses a small unnamed peak and then begins to rise very sharply along a depression in the ground, following quite faithfully the path indicated by the high-tension pylons.
Signs, placed at regular intervals, indicate that we are along CAI path 108 and that the Benigni refuge is still several hours away. We do not let ourselves be discouraged and with heads enough we set out to tackle probably one of the steepest datti of the entire hike. The trail becomes more and more rocky and with several small switchbacks climbs the knoll on which the high voltage pylon is located. This section, being just after a long practically flat section, is certainly not very pleasant, but in about ten minutes we still manage to gain the top of the small knoll.
From here the prosecution of the trail becomes much more evident, which, keeping to the side of a stream and zig-zagging up the mountainside, climbs another 100m of elevation gain until we reach a plateau. From here on, the trail also becomes decidedly wider and well-trodden, and the switchbacks ascend in a decidedly smoother and more gradual manner.
Proseguendo su questa successiva sezione la vista sulle montagne circostanti si chiude un po’, in compenso possiamo però concentrarsi su diversi scorci sul torrente che scorre alla nostra sinistra e su come abbia modellato il terreno e le rocce lungo tutto il suo passaggio.
About halfway up we also encounter a water spout marked as Saint Charles Spring (1775 m) from which it is possible to quench our thirst. Be careful because throughout the next part of the climb no other water sources will be present.
Detour along the CAI 108A trail
After another ten minutes or so of ascent, the trail becomes flat again and takes us inside a vast grassy plateau, characterized by the usual stream bisecting the meadows and several erratic boulders arranged all along the plain. In front of us stand out the beautiful rocky peaks of the Mezzaluna peak (2373 m) and the Western Piazzotti** (2349 m), looking to the right the fork of the Salmurano pass is instead quite evident.
Having reached this point a choice must be made:
- Continue to the right and keep the Cavi 108 trail, which climbs toward the pass and then veers left, bypasses part of the rocky peaks ahead, and finally climbs sharply toward the Benigni refuge along a rock gully.
- Turning left we instead take path 108A (calf path), which climbs the slopes of Pizzo and Torrione di Giacomo, takes us right above the grassy plateau where we are now and continues its ascent toward Cima Piazzotti occidentale, then turns onto path 101 and veers toward the Benigni refuge.
Both trails have some quite steep and challenging stretches, where steady stride and concentration are absolutely necessary. However, trail 108 has the major difficulty of having to deal with a rock gully, certainly not complicated, but requiring a minimum of climbing skills along rocky sections (perhaps even using your hands). 108A, on the other hand, hides no such difficulties and is also slightly more scenic, especially along all the sections that overlap 101.
We decide to turn left and thus take 108A, mainly because we trust that along this less traveled section it is easier to encounter some wildlife, but also because from the few photos seen the views along 108A seem decidedly more spectacular.
We descend immediately to the green meadows of the plain, remaining on the orographic left of the small stream that runs through it. We continue on level ground for a few hundred meters, then cross the creek and start climbing up the slopes of the mountain. Here the trail becomes decidedly narrower and more disconnected, but no particular difficulties are ever present.
After a few tens of minutes of climbing we find ourselves just above a rocky outcrop that seems to have been put here on purpose to allow us to admire from above the grassy area we have just crossed. The sun is lightening the plain more and more green, and the beautiful branches created by the stream running through it create a really distinctive view.
The trail now bends to the left and runs for a few meters along the depression generated by the course of the Ornica stream, then crosses it via a convenient crossing. From this point on, a very long climb on rocky and not always stable terrain awaits us, to go from the 2000 m altitude of this area, up to about 2200 m where the trail crosses with CAI 101. I admit that this section is probably the most monotonous and least enjoyable of the entire hike, as we continue the ascent however all the mountains around us become more and more visible. Looking east, the tip of Mount Salmurano is now very evident, as is the path leading to the pass of the same name. Turning our gaze to the south the beautiful rocky peak of Piazzo Arera appears, while a little further down we can make out perfectly the vast plateau of Avaro.
The pauses to catch our breath a bit and to snap at this magnificent view are then numerous, after about 30 minutes of ascent however the trail flattens out and we find ourselves stepping on the grass again. From here we point in a northerly direction and after a few more meters of elevation gain we reach a small lake and then join CAI trail 101, at a point where a sign has also been placed clearly indicating the direction to follow to reach the Benigni refuge.
Benigni Hut
From this point on, all one has to do is follow 101, which continues with a series of ups and downs over rocky terrain until it brings us near the refuge, which soon becomes perfectly visible on a rocky plain.
Nei pressi della struttura il sentiero perde un po’ di quota e si ricongiunge con il 108, il quale sale in questa posizione tramite il canalino di roccia menzionato prima. Effettivamente quello che abbiamo appena percorso non è affatto il tracciato più frequentato e se durante la salita abbiamo incrociato solamente un paio di altri escursionisti, solamente in questo tratto stiamo incrociando diverse decina di persone che stanno salendo per raggiungere il rifugio.
From the junction with 108 all that is left to do is to continue for a couple more minutes, until we find ourselves on the vast rocky area where the hut stands. We find ourselves at an altitude of 2222 m along a truly privileged natural balcony, which allows our eyes to embrace all the central Pre-Alps, the Orobie and even go as far as the highest peaks of the Valtellina, from this position on the clearest days the Disgrazia and the Bernina massif are in fact perfectly visible.
It is almost noon and there seems to be quite a full house; inside the hut there is no more room, while outside there are several tables set up where you can eat. The many rocky, dry areas are also perfect for simply sitting with your own towel and having a picnic. Since we did not bring too much food for this time we decided to get something at the shelter, sit at one of the outside tables and have lunch while enjoying the beautiful day.
I did not have a chance to take a picture of the refuge's price list, however, I would like to inform you that the facility also has 20 beds and it is therefore possible to decide to spend the night here, externally, however, there are bathrooms and also a fountain. For more information and possibly to book lunch (which we forgot to do) I invite you to contact the hut manager directly: https://www.rifugi.lombardia.it/bergamo/ornica/rifugio-benigni.html
Piazzotti Lake
As much as the Benigni refuge can be a very valid starting point for numerous ascents leading to the various peaks of the mountains around us, we decide not to go any further today.
After lunch I take two steps along the rocky plateau where the structure stands, passing some marshy areas and heading further north. Pushing my gaze forward I see some small lakes, the small village of Gerola Alta and even a piece of Valtellina. Several other tracks are evident among the meadows, including CAI path 144, which allows to reach the refuge starting from the village of Pescegallo (SO).
Before retracing our steps, we decide to make a quick deviation to see Lake Piazzotti, which is just a few minutes from the refuge. To reach it we walk back a short section of 108, then turn immediately right. The path in a couple of minutes leads to the shores of the small body of water, now literally invaded by other tourists like us who are having a picnic enjoying the sun.
Although not particularly obvious, there is a section that allows us to wander around the pond, allowing us to move a bit from the more crowded area, until we reach a small relatively secluded and decidedly quieter beach. We then decide to stop here for a while, dipping our feet in the water and eating the fruit we brought from home. This is certainly not a particularly spectacular lake visually, but it is certainly nice to be able to rest a bit lulled by the pleasant sound of the water, after spending quite some time among the huddle of the lodge.
Descent and return to the parking lot.
In the early afternoon we decide it is time to return, put on our boots again and retrace our steps. Walking beside the lake I am attracted by a slight movement to my right, looking up along the rocks surrounding the body of water I notice that a small ibex (at least it seems so from this distance) is watching us. The animal seems to be quite shy and after a quick glance into the basin of the lake decides that the area is not of its interest and disappears back into the rocks.
The ibexes then are there, we have to try to make as little noise as possible during the descent and perhaps we will be lucky enough to have a somewhat closer encounter.
Back in the vicinity of the hut we turn right and from here we start to retrace the route taken on the outward journey. Just past the detour to the rock gully we make a slight turn to the right and a small ibex appears on the rock face in front of us, walking poised on an almost vertical slab of rock. Trying not to startle him I immediately pull out my camera and attempt a few shots. However, the animal does not seem particularly bothered by our presence and even as we continue on the trail, which passes practically next to it, it does not move even a meter.
Continuing our descent along CAI 101 trail we make numerous other encounters, here the animals walk among the boulders in the area and move along the meadows to find the best spots to graze, almost completely ignoring our presence. I didn't bring my telephoto lens today so I have some trouble getting particularly close-up shots, partly because I want to avoid spooking them by getting off the trail and approaching them excessively on foot. In any case, the breaks are numerous and we continue very slowly.
Reaching the junction with 108A we turn left and on the meadows just below our position two males appear, definitely bigger than the specimens seen so far and with two beautiful antlers. In this case one of the two animals flees immediately, the second one stays grazing on the meadow but gradually moves further and further off the path. I therefore fail to get any particularly noteworthy shots, but I am nevertheless very glad to have had this encounter.
Trail 108A now continues in constant descent following the section previously described. I don't report any major differences in riding the trail downhill, other than the obvious advice to be a bit more careful, especially along the steeper sections.
In a little less than 2:00 h however, our boots are back on the asphalt and we are soon back to the car.
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Galleria fotografica – Escursione al Rifugio Benigni
All shots from this outing can also be seen in high resolution on my Facebook page: **Photo Gallery - Trekking to Benigni Refuge
Conclusioni e consigli – Escursione al Rifugio Benigni
The proposed trail is undoubtedly very appealing and scenic and hides no particular difficulties. The almost 950m of elevation gain and some fairly steep sections, however, make it advisable only for those who are sufficiently trained and accustomed to moving in an alpine environment.
Come già detto nel testo, la variante proposta che segue il 108A consente di percorrere un tratto meno battuto ed evitare il canalino di roccia, il quale (per quanto sicuramente non complesso) potrebbe risultare difficoltoso per qualcuno.
The large spaces next to the hut, the many outdoor tables and the shores of Piazzotti Lake also make the point of arrival a perfect place to rest, possibly have a picnic and enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of all the neighboring peaks.
Water along the trail
Along the trail the only water source is the St. Charles fountain. Here is the exact location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aTzYSGD1X3pUpJLP8
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
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- WinterConsider whether snowshoes or crampons are necessary and whether the trail is free from hazards.
Links and useful references
- High Brembo info point: https://www.altobrembo.it/info-point-altobrembo/
- Visit Brembo: https://www.visitbrembo.it/it
- Benigni Refuge: https://www.rifugi.lombardia.it/bergamo/ornica/rifugio-benigni.html
- CAI trail 108A: https://www.caibergamo.it/geoportale/sentieri/108a
- CAI trail 108: https://www.caibergamo.it/geoportale/sentieri/108
PRO and CONS and Evaluation
👍Pro:
- Panoramic trail
- Excellent views once you reach the refuge
- Punto di arrivo molto ampio e panoramico, possibilità di raggiungere anche un lago
- Possibilità di vedere gli stambecchi
👎Contro:
- Alcune sezioni in forte pendenza e un po’ monotone
Rating
| Rating | 4/5 |
| Signage | 4/5 |
| Difficoltà | 3/5 |
| Landscape | 4/5 |
Webcams Rifugio Hut
There is a webcam right next to the Benigni Shelter: Webcam Benigni Shelter
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