Hiking – Strà Granda: from the Monte Moro Pass to Saas-Almagell
Difficulty
Medium
Period
Summer

If you didn’t stay at the mountain refuge after the third stage, the route of the fourth stage begins in Macugnaga, from where you reach the Monte Moro Pass via the comfortable cable car, accompanied as ever by the unmistakable outline of the extraordinary east wall of Monte Rosa.
The unique view of the Canton of Valais chain of 4,000 m (13,000 ft) peaks can be enjoyed by climbing to the top of the statue of the Madonna. Descending to the Swiss side, you’ll walk along some sections of the old mule track that still smell of ancient history. You reach the base of the Mattmark dam, an imposing barred reservoir, and then descend towards Saas-Almagell, where imposing peaks frame small Walser settlements.

Description

In 1553, the Anzasca Valley was visited by nobleman Joachim de Annono, an official of the Spanish governor of Milan and a man of power, who came to verify whether the inhabitants of the valley were able to pay the exorbitant Mensuale tax. He remained in the Anzasca Valley for 14 days and on his return drew up a precise and documented report: it’s the first description of the Strà Granda that links Piedimulera to Macugnaga and then climbs up the mountain ridge of Monte Moro and leads into the Valle di Saas.
The Strà Granda is still passable today, following in Joachim de Annono’s footsteps 400 years later. The valley’s history has been passed down through this worn pavement. Not Great History, but the humble and hidden history of smugglers going to Switzerland or of valley dwellers who went down to Vogogna market to get their supplies of grain. The shiny pavement of each bend has witnessed furious village wars and the passage of loads of gold descending to the cities.
Walking on the Strà Granda in the Anzasca Valley means travelling back in time: you’ll find oratories, recesses in the walls to load mules, ancient coats of arms, community ovens, community presses, mills and millstones.
Along the road that goes up to Macugnaga, between the towns of Vanzone and San Carlo, you can see a stream that descends along rust-coloured rocks, called Crotto Rosso. The water comes directly from the Cani mines, already in existence at the beginning of the 19th century and now the object of rediscovery and enhancement.
The history of the Anzasca Valley is inextricably linked to mineral resources: its gold mines (the “Cani” mines in Vanzone and Macugnaga) were exploited from the Middle Ages until the 1900s. In Borca di Macugnaga you can visit the Guia gold mine, (the only example of a mining museum in Italy).
In Macugnaga, a Walser village where some great alpine excursions start, you can visit three unmissable museums and the entire old town has the air a past full of unique charm.
The Strà Granda in the Anzasca Valley allows you to get to know the alpine civilisations that have lived in these mountains, to admire the grandeur of the east face of Monte Rosa, three thousand metres (9843 ft) of rock and ice; the only wall of Himalayan dimensions in the Alps. A unique valley, with two cultures, the Walser and the Romantic, which retains unspoilt nature and an ancient harmony between man and environment.

DISCOVER THE OTHER STAGES OF THE STRÀ GRANDA:
Stage 1 – From Piedimulera to Pontegrande
Stage 2 – From Pontegrande to Macugnaga
Stage 3 – From Macugnaga to the Monte Moro Pass

Useful info

Italian Alpine Club (CAI) site identification code

Sector B “Historic Routes” B00

Places visited

Alpe Bill, Alpe Sonobierg.

Points of interest along the route

  • Sections of ancient Walser mule track
  • Alpine landscape with views of the 4,000 m (13,000 ft) peaks of the Valle di Saas
  • The Mattmark dam
  • Waterfalls and flowers
  • Ancient Walser settlements
  • The old centre of Saas-Almagell with its Walser houses, hotels and the old church that still houses works by the Antrona sculptor Giulio Gualio dating back to the 17th century

Accommodations

The stage ends in Saas-Almagell, where you can get a bus to Stalden, which is on various train routes to Briga. From Briga, you can get the train back to Domodossola.
Accommodation: if you’d like to stay in Saas-Almagell, there are several accommodation facilities offering high quality hospitality. Saas-Almagell Tourist Information Office tel. +41 (0) 279581888 info@saas-fee.ch

Useful info

Transport: Domodossola FS International Railway Station (from Bern and Milan). From the bus station, take the bus for Macugnaga-Valle Anzasca and from there, the cable car up Monte Moro.
Refreshment areas: at the Mattmark dam

Difficulty

Medium difficulty. The first sections is along rocky stretches, the second on footpaths; the landscape is typical of high mountain terrain, where weather conditions can change suddenly.

Lenght

12 km

Ascent/descent

90 m ascent – 1195 m descent

Time to complete the route

4 hrs 40 min

Recommended equipment

Walking boots and poles

Signage

Yellow signs and white/red markings (it’s a section of the GTA and the TMR)

Best time of year

From July to September

Reference map(s)

Map no. 5 scale 1:25,000 of the Geo4Map/CAI
Digital maps on the following apps: ViewRanger – PDF Maps

Historic, artistic and cultural value
Natural value
Ideal for
Everybody
You will discover
Nature
Sport
Guide to itineraries and useful info
Ideal for
Everybody
You will discover
Nature
Sport
Guide to itineraries and useful info
Choose your
mountain guide
IAT di Macugnaga
Piazza Municipio, 6
28876 Macugnaga (VB)
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