Trekking to Lake Nero

The track to Lake Nero (black Lake) starts from Riale plain, following the trail (or the dirt road) that climbs to Toggia alp. The path goes on until lake Kastel (or Castel), which was part of the hydroelectric plan that characterizes the Ossola mountains since the beginning of the last century.

The first dam of Kastel, nicknamed “of papier-mâché”, was built in 1923 in clay. During a November night, with a great rumble, the dam gave in and released an astounding amount of water that flooded the town of Riale and destroyed bridges and embankments until Ponte. A new dam was built in 1927, 17 meters high and with walls made of dry stones. But in 1955 the dam had a cave in, following which some geological studies were done and it was discovered that the reservoir of the dam had a karstic nature and was extremely permeable, so the project for an hydroelectric basin was abandoned. Today there is not a dam but two huge detached walls to channel, if necessary, the water of the lake. But the level of the water, to this day, does not even reach these walls. The conduit that carried the water is still visible, taking the water to the power plant of Sottofrua. The water of Lake Nero was directed to the same plant.

The climb to the lake crosses the Scelp creek, which, under certain circumstances, could be quite uneasy.
From the lake the Corno Talli can be seen, and the trail goes on until Basodino and Tamierhornm, the mountain that separates Val Formazza from Switzerland.

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