Glaciological Trail in the Alta Valsesia Nature Park

The Valsesian side of Monte Rosa is undoubtedly the least glaciated of the four Italian sides of this magnificent mountain, the true guardian deity of the Lombardy plain. In fact, it does not feature large valley glaciers such as the Verra or the Lys, located in the Val d’Ayas and the Valle del Lys respectively, nor imposing ‘black’ glaciers such as the Belvedere in the Valle Anzasca. The route nevertheless offers the chance to observe glacial landscapes of great environmental and scientific interest, such as the vast valley cirque that forms the head of the Valsesia, the varied array of glacial landforms resulting from erosion and accumulation of very different ages, and the present-day glaciers on the southern face of Monte Rosa, bearing clear signs of their rapid retreat. All this is accompanied by the understated architectural and linguistic charm of Walser culture.

The glaciological trail – one of the few of its kind in Italy – winds its way through part of the Sesia Valley before heading into the Vallone di Bors, along an easy route taking a maximum of 2 hours, starting at 1,500 m at Acqua Bianca and reaching Alpe Fun d’Ekku at an altitude of 2,070 m. The route offers spectacular views of the south face of Monte Rosa; along the way, a series of information panels guide walkers, explaining glacial processes and their effects through short, easy-to-understand texts accompanied by numerous images.
At each stop, you can discover the features of a glacial valley, seeing cirques, hanging valleys, waterfalls and glacial gorges up close. You can see potholes and rocks smoothed by the action of the ice, whilst there is also plenty of information on past climate change and developments over the last million years, during which the great ice ages took place. 
The final stretch of the route is a spectacular walk along the crest of a lateral moraine, leading to Alpe Fun d’Ekku, the route’s destination and a splendid vantage point overlooking the glaciers on the southern face of Monte Rosa.

Information material: 2023-Depli-Glaciologico-1.pdf
Link: Alta Valsesia Park: Glaciological Trail