Excursion to Fratelli Longo da Carona
Lombardy, Bergamo, Refuge Brothers Longo
Despite the extreme ease of access, the Fratelli Longo Hut is much less frequented than the other refuges in the area, probably due to the fact of being, even at equal altitude, in a far more alpine, lonely, unsuitable for children, almost perched on the steep slopes that close the austere and slightly gloomy Valle del Monte Sasso.
The trip takes place entirely on a comfortable dirt road, wide and regular in the first section, narrower and more uneven in the second part. In addition, in certain seasonal periods and time slots, the first stretch of the road (up to the junction of Lake Prato) is open to private vehicle traffic, even if it requires the utmost attention and prudence: it is therefore essential to ask for detailed information on the spot on the actual viability.
From the town of Carona, in the upper Brembana Valley (altitude 1116 meters, 52 kilometers from Bergamo) you start to follow the steep dirt road that leads into the valley, cloaked with suggestive forests. After passing the ancient and rustic village of Pagliari, you will arrive at the spectacular waterfall of Val Sambuzza, which precipitates loud and bubbly at the side of the road.
Continue along the road again, reaching a crossroads at a pond, now beyond the forest: Lake Prato, at an altitude of 1650 meters.
The journey continues taking the steep road on the left, which with some hairpin bends quickly gains altitude. Then the route becomes more smooth and linear, until you reach the head of the valley, where the small building of the Fratelli Longo Hut is clearly visible: altitude of 2026 meters, 3 hours from Carona.
The return takes place along the same path as the climb and takes about 2 hours.
From the hut, inaugurated in 1923, we recommend that you continue briefly along the mule track (about 15 minutes) until you reach the above Lake Devil (altitude 2141 meters), at the base of the powerful rock face of Monte Aga, in a severe and suggestive high mountain environment. Although smaller in size, the lake already existed before the dam was erected, completed in 1932 and 26 meters high, which created a basin containing 2,560,000 cubic meters of water.
A little upstream of the junction of Lake Prato you can also notice the obvious entrance of an abandoned mine, reminding us how these mountains were exploited for mining purposes since times. more remote.
Technical sheet:
Travel time: 5 hours
Starting altitude: 1116 m
Elevation gain: m. 910
Difficulty: T -Tourist
Recommended period: May - November
Region: Lombardy
Province: Bergamo
Valle/area: Valle Brembana
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scritto da Mark Dutton - ultima modifica il 05/09/2021
