Mont'Orfano Loop from Mergozzo

From km 3 to the top there are some very steep sections, with high steps. Absolutely varied uneven ground. In some places not well marked. From the viewpoint you can look out over Lake Mergozzo and Lake Maggiore. Nice walk.

The hike from Mergozzo up to Montorfano proved to be a delightfully varied one! Montorfano stands quite alone in the middle of the Toce Valley as a relic of the last Ice Age, when the ice flow from the Monte Rosa/Simplon area was unable to carve out the hard granite of Montorfano as deeply as the rest of the valley. The mountain itself is a steep but rounded cone a good 500 meters above the valley floor. From Mergozzo, follow the Sentiero Azzuro, initially almost flat on the southern edge of Lake Mergozzo until you reach the village of Montorfano. From here, the climb becomes very steep, first past the abandoned granite quarries of earlier times. The hiking trail is already very difficult in sections, and the climb is quite sweaty. On the way, there are wonderful views towards Golfo Borromeo and Lake Orta. You should also enjoy this, because the summit itself offers less of a view, as it is completely wooded due to its low altitude. But there are old military positions here, whose fortifications and bunkers can still be visited in amazingly good condition. As you continue your descent, you will repeatedly pass relics of these facilities, which were planned as a fortress at the beginning of the 20th century, but were never completed. Nevertheless, the Polveriera in particular offers exciting exploration, the warehouse was built into the mountain and the dark passages and chambers extend astonishingly far underground - you can do it with a cell phone light, a headlamp is not a bad idea. There are also exciting views of the Via Ferrata Montorfano, whose route boldly runs through a 400-meter-high vertical rock face - garnished with long Tibetan bridges at the beginning and end. Great for via ferrata hikers who are not afraid of exposed passages! The rest of the descent is easy and you reach Mergozzo with a few more experiences under your belt and can end the hike with a nice coffee or ice cream on the lake shore.

Very nice hike full of wonderful views of the lakes of Mergozzo and Maggiore. Climb with gradients from 20 to 30% but with a minimum of training suitable for everyone. Highly recommended 👍

Convenient parking in Mergozzo. Initially a very easy route that proceeds along Lake Mergozzo, then you climb towards the top of Mont'Orfano and things change (almost 600m of altitude difference on a typical hiking path). Advice: in this stretch do not follow the directions of the Komoot app (in the middle of the woods the GPS signal is weak) but rather those well indicated on the path. Before the top there are a couple of panoramic points with benches while at the top there is a beautiful view towards Monte Zeda. Going down, at a certain point, keep right and take a poorly traced path only about a hundred meters long that leads to a wide mule track (Cadorna?) and therefore avoid the path that goes down to Gravellona. At the Polveriera (point 4), be careful not to take the Ferrata Montorfano but go back along the mule track (S1) mentioned above

We started the tour at the little campsite by the village of Mergozzo. There is a public parking opposite the campsite.

A standard hike on Lake Mergozzo: Monte Orfano. From my absolute favorite place Mergozzo, I first go along the Sentiero Azurro to Montorfano - a small place with the beautiful Romanesque church of San Giovanni Battista from the 12th century. The previous building dates back to the 7th century, the foundation walls of the old baptismal font can be viewed in the church. Up to this point it is very pleasant to walk, although it mainly runs through the forest, there are always wonderful views of Lake Mergozzo and Lake Maggiore. The old path used to be used to transport the granite from the quarry higher up. Interesting information with photos and drawings can be seen along the way again and again. https://www.ecomuseogranitomontorfano.it/ From Montorfano it gets a bit more strenuous and steep. Part of the path leads along the old quarry. At the summit of Monte Orfano there is a panorama with a great view of Lake Orta and the Ossola Valley. The way back is then much easier - and there was an exciting discovery: relics of the military architecture of the First World War. Numerous bunker drawways that were used by the military in the past, defensive lines that were never used against a feared German invasion. And via one of these pull paths you can also get directly to the former powder store, where you can even walk far into the tunnel (but it's a bit spooky 😳) We continue on the former military road down to a disused quarry, where green granite was previously mined. Back in Mergozzo, of course, there was a glass of vino bianco by the lake. We have earned ourselves 🥂🤗

The climb is partly very steep and you have to overcome some fairly high stone steps. Be sure to do the steep climb first. The descent is a beautiful path.

Very scenic and historical tour, difficulty in the climb equal to zero, as regards the descent a little more challenging if you have children, many steps and in some parts very steep but nothing that can not be done. Rating 7/10