Agario Pass, from Ponte di Piero

Access

From Milan to Varese by motorway; then take the Valganna, continue to Marchirolo and Lavena-Ponte Tresa; without crossing the Swiss border bridge, head towards Cremenaga and Luino. From here you go up to Dumenza, Due Cossani and Curiglia; continue through the narrow valley and park at Ponte di Piero in the cable car forecourt.

Introduction

After passing the well-known village of Monteviasco (already described in an excursion on this site), the route enters an isolated and wild valley culminating in Swiss territory on the route of the popular Monte Tàmaro - Monte Lema traverse.

Description

Despite the presence of a convenient cable car, the ascent to Monteviasco 924m along the beautiful, stepped hairpin bends through a forest of chestnut trees is environmentally advisable. The ascent is regular and continues up to the Madonna della Serta church, within sight of the first houses in the village; it is interesting to linger on the balcony near the parish church, where the view extends as far as Lake Maggiore. Monteviasco can be traversed without a precise route, exploring alleys and small courtyards, converging on the main trail heading east-northeast. The trail continues to climb without possibility of error (the few forks are signposted) through coniferous and then birch woods; it passes above the ruins of Alpe Polusa, where a fine trail heads down to Curiglia; then the trail steepens and, winding through the pastureland, climbs to Alpe Corte 1346m, in a beautiful and panoramic position. From here, the trail becomes more impervious and proceeds along the slope towards a large visible cairn of dry stone; shortly afterwards, the junction for the Capanna Merigetto (Merigetto Hut) about 1500m branches off to the left and soon afterwards imperceptibly crosses into Swiss territory. The path, which has become grassy and barely visible, soon leads to the vast basin of the Agario Pass 1556m. You are on the wide path of the traditional (for the Swiss) Monte Tàmaro-Monte Lema high altitude traverse, which is very popular due to the convenient cable car access at both ends; at the pass - to the south - you can find shelter in a bivouac of the border gendarmes that is open to the public. Great views towards Piedmont and the Swiss Val d'Agno. For the return - basically on the outward route - you can make a short diversions (indicated) to the Capanna Merigetto, recently (late 2007) subject to maintenance work.