Garzirola

Overview

Absolutely petty in summer and autumn, this summit gets its well deserved moment of glory in winter after a snow fall : all the ones that drive along the highway from Como to Lugano are suddenly amazed by a white sweet ridge that rises (it looks so) directly from Ceresio (Lugano lake).
The skiline of Monte Bar - Moncucco - Garzirola looks like (and really is) made for a fine skimountaneering trip !!!


(If you look at them from the S border of the lake you can be fooled by the summit of Pizzo Camoghè that rises above the Moncucco but belongs to a further behind ridge.)

From its top you have also a nice panorama on the west and central Alps , from Monte Rosa to Berner Oberland and to East to Valtellina.

The ridge Bar-Garzirola (aka Gazzirola) is the northern border of the Val Colla, a valley starting from Tesserete (~ 8 km N of Lugano) and going to the East, up to Colle di San Lucio, border with Val Cavargna (Italy)

So easy to reach both from swiss side (val Colla) and italian one (val Cavargna/val Rezzo); in any case 2/3 hour's hikings by signed trails.

In the whole area you can do also interesting MTB tour. For example it's possible going up by the route from Buggiolo (val Rezzo) and coming down to Cavargna route.
To come back to Buggiolo, from Cavargna take the "Passo della Cava" route (3 Km).

historical signals

At san Lucio oratory's in fall 2002

Saint Lucio's pass is on the South ridge of Garzirola ; in proximity of this pass there's the Saint Lucio's Oratory ( an nice ancient and little church ).
Saint Lucio, probably lived between XII and XIII centuries. He was shepherdesses and casaro (cheese maker) in Val Cavargna. According to the popular tradition he was killed for envies by his ex-master. The Catholic Church numbers him between the 22 Sains that have this name. He's in the knows's directory of the Biblioteca Sanctorum in the Catalogus Sanctorum Italiae and the Martirologio Ambrosiano.
Saint Lucio is patron of the casari (cheese maker) , the herds, the shepherds and the poor ones. Moreover the tradition wants Saint Lucio also patron of the good meterological conditions and is prayed to aim of obtain good weather condition . Therefore he's preyed against the siccità that against alluviums and the hail. Saint Lucio is commemorated on 12 July .

More historical news on wikipedia

Getting There

From Italy : Como - SS 340 Regina to Menaggio - Porlezza - Carlazzo - val Cavargna - Cavargna (1080m)

From Swiss : Lugano Nord - Tesserete - Roveredo - Val Colla - Bogno (961m)

When To Climb

from Map+ by TIDAC ch

Hiking and Biking from April/May to October/November ski-mountaneering usually from January to March with some cautions .. - no problems at all from Val Cavargna side (Italy) the lower part is in a wood that makes the trip safe) - some W slopes descending to Val Colla may be dangerous for avalanches in the lower parts (and crossing the channels is not always easy) in the map placed beside the Ski-mountaneering routes red dots - normal routes yellow dots = ski mountaneeing downhill once made the route Bar-Garzirola (requires safe snow) another downhill (requiring safe snow) is the spur descending from Moncucco to Scareglia

Accomodations

No need - hikes and ski-mountaneering trip can be done in 1 day starting from the road.

Rifugio San Lucio Val Cavargna is a nice and confortable hut (tel. +39 335476129 - was a Guardia di Finanza quarter)

Good accomodation also at val Cavargna's B&B

Mountain Conditions

To know condition , and for reservation and more : call Capanna San Lucio.

For weather forecast : meteosuisse

external link

link to val Cavargna

mamo ...

Me and Enfi on the Garzirola's italian summit dec 2005

Massimo Comotti, known to the SP community by his username mamo, died on New Years Eve 2009 in an avalanche during a ski tour to Rothorn / Corno Rosso di Trinitè. The avalannche, about 100m wide swept him onto the surface of a frozen lake at about 2700m of altitude. The iced surface broke and Massimo drowned in the lake. Any help came too late. His two ski touring partners survived the accident as if by miracle, one of them seriously hurt. Weather conditions were very serious with high winds and huge amounts of snow. Massimo grew up in Gressoney in Aosta Valley, the site of his untimely death. In recent years he had moved to Porlezza, near Lake Como, where he made his living as an architect. Aged 44, he leaves behind his wive and a young daughter. Mamo joined SP in April 2004 and took part in the community until ten days before his death. He contributed several mountains and routes, among them Rothorn / Corno Rosso di Trinitè, the mountain which was to be his last. This page will be kept in honour of mamo, an excellent ski alpinist.

meteo Cavargna

Weather Cavargna - Free service by Weather Webcam

Images

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