hike to the ravines of uriezzo and the

WARNING: trekking is not like walking! If you can't overcome a passage, go back!
Some of the tracks presented here are set along mountain trails where some passages may require holding to ropes or climbing short ladders, and may have exposed passages without safety protections. These tracts can be a serious danger if faced without the right equipment, awareness and physical condition.
ITINERARIUM® has no responsibility regarding the tracks presented here, their dangerousness, accessibility, praticability and safety. Who decides to take these tracks does it at their own risk.

Discovering the southern and north-eastern ravines until the sanctuary of Don Lorenzo Dresco

Val D'Ossola - Valle Antigorio

Download GPX track

Length:
4.7 Km

Our time:
2h15' walking

Total climb:
480 mt

Min and max height:
530 mt - 790 mt

Type of track:
ring track

Surface:
trail - dirt road

Panorama:
ravines - marmites

Cell network coverage:
excellent

Traced in winter:
no

Traced by bike:
no

The “Orridi di Uriezzo” (ravines of Uriezzo) are the amazing and sculptural results of the erosion caused by the waters that ran through Valle Antigorio following the last of the four glaciations of the Alps: the Wurmian Glaciation, which happened thousands of years ago when the Toce Glacier was more than 1000 mts thick.
The melting of the glacier gave birth to many rivers that, by vigorously flowing, generated many powerful waterfalls that managed to carve the rocks with their energetic and swirling motion.
The flow rate of Toce gradually reduced, leaving these deep ravines at sight. In Italian they are called “orridi”.
The ravines of Uriezzo can be visited today because they are no longer crossed by the waters, while the Arvèra ravine is still active and crossed by the water of Toce which, after going through the ravine of Balmasuda, visible from the Balmacorda bridge, flows towards the Verampio plain.
The itinerary leads to the discovery of the southern and north-eastern ravens, and leads to Maiesso where the spectacular and suggestive “Marmitte dei Giganti” (marmites of the giants) are present. Here the waters coming from the melting of the ancient glacier of Toce gathered forming currents and vortexes that carved through the rocks eventually eroding and showing the deepest layer called “Element 0”.
From this point starts the ancient mule track that climbs up to the town of Crego, known for its oratory built on a rocky bump by the “stonecutter priest”, Don Dresco. The priest, with the help of a few parishioners, has built in more than 20 years an amazing architecture using the local stone: the serizzo, or "Antigorio’s gneiss".