Passo Branchino-Mezzeno and Twin Lakes - VALCANALE

Type: Interesting

Description:
Never such a prolonged absence of snow on our mountains! For this excursion, we aimed only to cross passes, not trusting the ice - abundant and insidious - that freezes the rocks. However, a nice loop came out, joining the known Branchino and Laghi Gemelli with Passo di Mezzeno. We start from Valcanale di Ardesio (Bg) at 8:00, taking the dirt road to Rifugio Alpe Corte which we soon leave, deviating onto path (no. 218) towards Alpe Ne.Vel. The landscape is foggy and evocative, dry grass and firs covered in rime that - upon reaching Passo Branchino (9:50) - we pause only a moment as a cold icy air blows there. The path (no. 219) descends into the valley, we pass Casera di Mezzeno (1598 m), then resume uphill shortly after (CAI no. 215), with the sun's blessing holding the fog below. Daylight highlights and gives melancholy to the barren landscape: it doesn't seem true that snow is missing. It appears on Passo di Mezzeno (2142 m – 11:50), the stretch to Passo Laghi Gemelli is snowy, so we send Walter ahead. Checking feasibility and putting on crampons we reach the noted pass at 12:50. Along the path (no. 216) descending to Valcanale we linger lazily in the sun at times... the fog awaited us even before reaching the cars (15:00).

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Video length: 06:58