Valbodione >P.Coca > M.Azzaredo > P.Tre Signore (Ridge Hike)

[goro]

I got the 2 gas cartriges today, after 3 stores (including the ones you phoned already) without them, I finally found them at Leroy Merlin. They are in size as the picture you send, they also had bigger ones (750ml.) but I got the smaller (420ml) , 9 bucks total, is it right for you?

Exactly what we want, thank you very much!
We will probably arive by the last tram on saturday (21.37 from Bergamo --> 22:07 in Albino. We'll try to be there earlier, it depends on our flight..) Please let us know, how can we make handover. If we could meet there, or we should pick it up somewhere?

On sunday morning, we'll leave to Valbondione by 8.35 bus. I found the information that ticket are not sold on the bus, but in BAR TABACCHI INSONNIA
Via Marconi, 2A - Albino or BAR TABACCHI SORRISO. Is it correct? Will it be open on saturday evening or on sunday morning (before bus departure)?

Although there is quite cold, we are looking forward very much!

Do you know, if Rifugio Coca will be closed on sunday evening (10th october)?

And is there a coverage for cell phones upthere in the mountains? (we want to arrange sending weather prevision from our friends)

[Paolo]

Do you know, if Rifugio Coca will be closed on sunday evening (10th october)?

According to the Italian Alpine Club web site (http://www.caibergamo.it/ --> Rifugi ), october 10th should the last opening day for rifugio Coca, so it will close on sunday late afternoon/evening.

And is there a coverage for cell phones upthere in the mountains? (we want to arrange sending weather prevision from our friends)

It's hard to tell in advance where you will find coverage, but usually during the day, as you walk, you'll be sometimes able to connect.

I'll let the other answers to Franchì, as he's a "local" in Albino

[goro]

I will check the places for the tickets and report if they are open when you got here. Otherwise I can buy the tickets before and give 'em to you together with the cartridges; even if I think that you can buy the tickets in Bergamo, together with the ones for Albino, you just get tickets from Bergamo to Valbondione, I'm not sure though, I'll check this also.

We have read that tickets for 'Airport --> Bergamo FS --> Albino' can be purchased at airport.
For tickets Albino --> Valbondione we don't know, of course we'll ask at the airport.
http://www.bergamotrasporti.it/rivendit ... erca=cerca
Here we found the informations about bars in Albino, which should be opened.

Saturday and Sunday there is a street fair in Albino (October 9th anniversary of Madonna della Gamba), the whole village is closed to traffic and lots of people will be around so hopefully also the bars will be open to collect some money on their own

village will be closed to traffic? Tramway and morning bus to Valbondione will go as usual? Or there will be some extra place, where bus stop will be relocated?

While we will be arriving to Albino, how shall we contact you?
my email is goro@email.cz, cell phone +420 777 111 058,

And one another question about mountains:
What is the best route from Bivaco Pedrinelli to Passo Dordona?
1) sent. 201 (passo tornale, baita pessoli, paso di valbona..)
2) sent 209, 209, 203 (baita della vecchia, passo della croce)
3) ridge hike (no numbered route - Corno Stella --> M.Toro --> Passo Dordona) Is possible to go this way?

[goro]

I had problems with my cell phone and need to get a new number so I will contact you or you will see me at the tram station Saturday night, don't worry

ok, see you at tram station on saturday 22:07 (last tram). If we will arrive earlier (21:33), we will look around Albino and wait for you at tram station.
Is any shop open in Albino on sunday morning (before 8am)?

What is the best route from Bivaco Pedrinelli to Passo Dordona?
1) sent. 201 (passo tornale, baita pessoli, paso di valbona..)
2) ridge hike (no numbered route - Corno Stella --> M.Toro --> Passo Dordona) Is possible to go this way?
3) sent 209, 209, 203 (baita della vecchia, passo della croce)

Can we go by route 2 - on the top of the ridge? How difficult it is?


Maybe we will descent to Cusio (localita Sciocc). How far is the nearist bus station? There is no numbered route; Is it difficult to find it?

Yes, you can go from Monte Masoni to Pizzo Zerna. You have to descend inside the (?)channel on the NW side of Masoni, just beyond the small wooden cross on the top, then you can try to reach Pizzo Zerna along the ridge (but be careful, the rock is very brittle); otherwise you can walk on the rocks just below the summit of Pizzo Zerna, and reach the path which will take you to bivacco Pedrinelli in 5 minutes.

i hope we will find right way. is this blue marked route good?


After we will return, we'll place some photos here

[Paolo]

What is the best route from Bivaco Pedrinelli to Passo Dordona?
1) sent. 201 (passo tornale, baita pessoli, paso di valbona..)
2) ridge hike (no numbered route - Corno Stella --> M.Toro --> Passo Dordona) Is possible to go this way?
3) sent 209, 209, 203 (baita della vecchia, passo della croce)
Can we go by route 2 - on the top of the ridge? How difficult it is?

Hi Goro,

I've never walked along route 2, but it should be not too difficult to reach the top of Corno Stella; then you will have no problems going to Dordona.

Maybe we will descent to Cusio (localita Sciocc). How far is the nearist bus station? There is no numbered route; Is it difficult to find it?

You can either walk up 5 minutes to Piani dell'Avaro, where you will find a path which descends into the woods (but there quite a lot of detours), or walk down along the road (which would be not too bad: there are almost no cars around, and it's surrounded by woods).
The village is at about 3-4 km, and I expect the bus stop to be easy to find once you'll be there (but I've never gone there by bus, so I cannot tell you the exact location).

i hope we will find right way. is this blue marked route good?

Yes, that's the right route.
From Monte Venina you should have no problems in finding a way to descend towards Pizzo Zerna (moving a little to the West); then you can either walk on the ridge (but it's not too safe, as the rocks are crumbly (see trekking-escursioni-valle-brembana-orob ... %20publino - they're walking in the opposite direction), or move a little to SW, walk below the top of Pizzo Zerna, and reach directly Bivacco Pedrinelli and Passo di Publino.

After we will return, we'll place some photos here

I took it for granted

Have a nice walk

[goro]

you can either walk on the ridge (but it's not too safe, as the rocks are crumbly ... or move a little to SW, walk below the top of Pizzo Zerna, and reach directly Bivacco Pedrinelli and Passo di Publino.

Thank you! So the second route (SW bellow top of Zerna) is safer?

it should be not too difficult to reach the top of Corno Stella; then you will have no problems going to Dordona.

so the most difficult should be reaching the top of Corno Stella, and next route (over M.Toro) is easeier?

[Paolo]

Thank you! So the second route (SW bellow top of Zerna) is safer?

Yes, it's a simple walk on small rocks, with no need to climb anything.

so the most difficult should be reaching the top of Corno Stella, and next route (over M.Toro) is easeier?

Once you are on top of Corno Stella you will find a clear path to descend to Lago Moro, then climb to Passo Valcervia - Monte Toro and Passo di Dordona are then clearly visible, and you should have no problem in reaching them.

[goro]

So the time has come to go, we're just leaving to Slovakia to airport and in the evening we will be in Italy.

Franchi: we hope to see you there! If anything was wrong (plane delay,...) and we will not be there, please contact us on +420777111058 or +420776711886 (alternative, back up number). Or if you alredy have new cell nr., write us and we will contact you.

And once again thanks to everybody who had helped us! bye...

[goro]

So we are back!
Thanks to Franchi for cartridges and advices, everything was great!

Day 1
Valbondione – (sent 305) – Rif.Curo, oficial time 3,00 our time 2,50
Waterfall was nice, but there was too much fog.
Rif.Curo is very nice hut, good presso and chocolate :) Beautiful view on Lago di Barbellino.
From Rif.Curo – (sent 303) to Rif. Coca, oficial time 3,00, our time 5,00 (!!!)
And we were the last guests on Rif.Coca!! We came there on Sunday 10th oct after 20pm (in the dark night) because we expect to get there in 3hrs. We had 18kgs backpacks, so our time was very poor. Although on other routes we reach time properly. We got tea, talked about mountains.. and in the morning a helicopter came to transport equipment and Coca was definitely closed for winter!

Day 2
Rif. Coca – Rif. Brunone, sent 330 (baso)
I wanted to go via Simal, but rifugists on Coca told us, that this route is very difficult (if our time for 303 was 5hrs), so we decided to go 330 instead.
Official time was 5hrs, we got there in 4.40!!
Unfortunately there was very much fog, so we didn’t try to reach Pizzo Redorta either Coca, there would be no view in such fog.
At brunone we played Bang! all the evening :))

Day 3
Nice morning, 0°C but no fog!!! Clear sky!! We decided to reach Rif.Longo by 225 and 248. It was the most beautiful part of our journey, probably because there wasn’t fog and we have seen beautiful sceneries! In 5hrs we reached Rif. Longo. Nice sunset, dinner on benches in front of hut.

Day 4
The last day in the mountains. We have choosen sent 224 and 208 to Foppolo, and we all wish to could stay here longer!! Nobody wants to descent Foppolo, but our plane is waiting :( We got bus at 16pm to Piazza Brembana, next day to Bergamo, visited Citta Alta, got great pizza (really much better in Italy!!) and flew home.
It was amazing trip, we will definitely come back again!