RIMELLA – Alpe Pianello – Bocchetta di Campello

This is the historic trail that connects Rimella to its ancient hamlet of Campello Monti in the Strona Valley.
This route is part of the Great Traverse of the Alps (GTA), the Via Alpina, the Cai Italia Trail, the Great Walser Traverse and with a Resistance Route.

From the village of Rimella, 1176m, follow the paved road up to the hamlet of Sella, 1287m. You pass the village by continuing on the road that arrives just before the hamlet of San Gottardo, parking your car in a parking lot on the right, just after the Chapel of the Madonna del Rosario. From here take path No. 548, which comes off to the left and proceeds uphill, briefly, thus reaching the locality known as “Posa dei Morti,” 1395m. Here stands a small church beside a rocky balm, under which is located a cross.

Continue moderately uphill through the woods passing Alpe Selletta, 1461m, located on the ridge above San Gottardo. Continue over a vast meadow that covers the entire western side of the valley.

The trail passes high above the hamlets of Wan, 1470m, and Verch, 1525m, and past several rivulets descending from Pizzo or Blatte to reach an elevation of 1780m near Alpe Pianello (in about 1h30/2 hours). In this alpine pasture, the Rifugio CAI Città di Borgomanero is located.

The trail continues uphill and reaches Bocchetta di Campello, 1924m, (in total about 2h30). A rock altar dedicated to the memory of Father Giovanni Gallino, priest and teacher, founder of GRIM, has been built nearby.

For those who want to continue, you can follow the path that climbs the Strona Valley side and leads first to the Alpe, then to the Lake and then to Cima Capezzone, 2421m.

Going down the valley instead, one reaches Alpe Scarpia and then Campello Monti, an ancient hamlet of Rimella..