I’ve reached the summit of the Northern Grigna countless times, and on at least a couple of those occasions, I started from Pasturo, passing by Rifugio Antonietta, Pialeral, and following either the summer or winter trail, depending on the season, all the way to the top.
However, I had never recorded this route on Strava before, so with the opportunity of a summer day off, I decided it was time to tackle this climb again. With an elevation gain of about 1500 to 1600 meters, this is not a trek to be taken lightly. While the trail doesn’t pose any significant technical challenges, the elevation gain requires a fair amount of fitness. The risk is that it could take the entire day to ascend and descend the Grigna.
The first section of the trail leading to Rifugio Antonietta isn’t particularly exciting, as it follows a dirt road shaded by trees. The only real highlight is the chance to catch glimpses of both the Grignetta and Grignone peaks, the latter being the goal of today’s hike.
After a brief but necessary stop at Rifugio Antonietta, the trail resumes just a little further up, where it splits into the summer and winter routes. The latter is steeper and more direct. I decided to follow the season and took the summer trail, which led me on a gentle ascent through beautiful meadows. Before long, Rifugio Brioschi, located at the Grigna’s summit, became visible, although it was still quite distant.
As I got closer, the slope gradually steepened, and the final section was a challenging zigzag climb that led me up to the ridge, where the rifugio suddenly came into view. As always, the view from the top was stunning, and after regaining some energy, I retraced my steps to head back down.
About the trail
The trail is easy and, at least in the summer, presents no significant technical difficulties. You just need good physical conditioning to manage the 1600-meter elevation gain and several hours of continuous hiking.