Sasso San Martino from Griante

Overview

This is the most popular route to Sasso San Martino, normally walked by the ones who want to visit the San Martino shrine and decide to walk up to the summit of the big overhanging rock.
The path is well tracked and not tiring but somewhere, in the part ascending by the side of Pilone, not so suitable for tourists with casual shoes.

Difference in elevation from the car parking (end of paved road) = ~ 600m
Time required ~ 2h+ (without a visit to the Shrine)

Getting There

Milano --> A9 Como --> exit Como North --> SS340 Regina for Menaggio --> Griante

Once passed Cadenabbia, just after a bend to the left, a narrow steep (mark San Martino) road allows to arrive (turn to the right at the first bend), after some houses, to a fork where the paved road turns to the left (toward Rogaro)
You can park the car near a stone fountain or along the unpaved road.
You are now at Carsolina, a very old cluster of Griante.

Route Description

At your right side (arriving) you can see a small valley run by a small stream crossed by a small bridge (all small here) : this is the starting point of the path.
A few steps down lead you to the small bridge and there you start walking up through fields and woods.

The first part of the path is the wide stony muletrack of the "Via Crucis" (with the tiny chapels depicting the last hours of Jesus Christ).

Half the way up you’ll find the Alpini’s Chapel dedicated to Saint Charles and, little beyond it, a fork (yellow mark on the left of the chapel): don't go to the left, better follow on the muletrack till a channel (cement guard).

Going on along it you arrive, crossing to the right, to the Shrine

Turning to the left, along a small but well marked pah you arrive to a house and to the start of the higher part of the path.
The path is wide and comfortable for a short piece than becomes a real path ascending (many zigzags) the left border of a channel left (S) of a rocky pillar (il Pilone).
Once above the Pilone (some exposure: slopes are steep) you get some houses and, turning to the right, above them, the Forcoletta (small pass)
Here you find a very good path that, crossing above a rocky wide ledge, leads to the woody summit (strange summital mark).
A path allows to descend some tens metres to the E (without trees) summit : you're kindly invited to give a look where you put your feet :)

there are few marks on the path :

at the start up - steps down to the bridge

at the fork after the Alpini's chapel

at the houses above the Pilone

at the Forcolette pass

Essential Gear

Normal gear for hiking

mamo ... RIP

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.

Images

View Sasso San Martino from Griante Image Gallery - 3 Images