The MONTORFANO is a single block of granite, pure rock, marked by centuries of granite quarrying, embraced by Lake Mergozzo, Lake Maggiore and the River Toce, solitary in the alluvial plain of the Toce.
The Montorfano sport climbing itinerary allows you to “touch” this rock, spending an unforgettable day of sport climbing on the adrenaline-filled MONTORFANO VIA FERRATA and on the MONTORFANO CLIMBING CRAG (link to the GPX file available in the attachments).
Along the itinerary you will find detailed explanatory panels, but we advise you to start the itinerary from the lakeside of Mergozzo, following path A58, which takes you in an hour to the via FERRATA MONTORFANO.
The via FERRATA MONTORFANO is classified as “D:DIFFICULT” and has very exposed sections that require not only a via ferrata set but also a special mastery of the void. Along the route you will find four climbing sectors and two spectacular thirty-metre Tibetan bridges that cross the void.
Once you have completed the via FERRATA MONTORFANO, you can continue the itinerary reaching the summit of Montorfano, and then descend on the opposite side reaching the CLIMBING CRAG MONTORFANO (FALESIA), a granite terrace on Lake Mergozzo, with three climbing sectors of varying difficulty.
From the climbing crag you go down to the village of Montorfano, where you will find the ancient Romanesque Church of San Giovanni Battista dating from the 11th-12th centuries, which is well worth a visit.
Close the loop by following the Blue Trail along the lake of Mergozzo, discovering suggestive panoramic views and the fresh water source called “del Vescovo”.
On Mergozzo’s lakefront, you can finally enjoy a moment of rest in a restaurant overlooking the lake, concluding an unforgettable day.
ADVICE FROM THE MOUNTAIN GUIDE
The Montorfano sport climbing itinerary is spectacular and fun.
However, it is necessary to pay the utmost attention to safety: on the via ferrata you must have a set (helmet, harness, energy dissipator) and you must be used to the void.
Photos: Archivio Fotografico del Comune di Mergozzo
