I’ve been to Val Biandino several times, but I’ve almost always followed the same trail. Each time, though, I couldn’t help but notice the many other trails branching off around me. One in particular caught my attention—the trail leading to Rifugio Grassi, which I had heard good things about but had never visited.
After checking the weather and confirming that, despite the cloudy skies, it wouldn’t rain, I decided it was finally time to head to the rifugio. I chose a different route than usual, starting from Introbio.
The weather wasn’t great, and toward the end of the hike, I found myself completely enveloped in fog. Fortunately, with two phones and a Garmin GPS, I felt confident enough to continue without too much trouble.
I did lose the trail a couple of times, ending up on some unmarked side paths. Luckily, I managed to correct my course before straying too far from the main trail.
Rifugio Grassi was very welcoming. I enjoyed a delicious soup of legumes and vegetables before heading back down through Val Biandino and returning to the parking lot.
Hike notes
Il sentiero da Introbio al Rifugio Grassi è abbastanza semplice, non richiede particolare esperienza tecnica, ma ha un dislivello impegnativo per cui è importante avere un ottimo allenamento. Occhio solo a non perdere il sentiero come è capitato a me, ingannato da un sentiero secondario non segnato.
The descent along the Val Bona trail is beautiful and lightly traveled, though it does require some caution in certain spots. There’s nothing too challenging, but the trail narrows at times, and the moisture on the rocks can make them slippery, so it’s important to stay alert. A bit of experience and a steady footing are recommended. Once I reached the bottom in Val Biandino, since I was short on time, I opted to take the paved road to get back to the parking lot more quickly. However, there’s an alternative: you can stay on the higher trail that runs parallel to the road, a route I’ll definitely try next time.