A thrilling trekking adventure at high altitude — Sentiero Roma

The Sentiero Roma is one of the most challenging hiking routes in Italy and one of the first High Routes in the Alps. Exciting and evocative, this trek is perfect for a holiday at high altitude: it mainly runs at 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) and crosses mountain passes, such as the Ligoncio Pass, the Camerozzo Pass, the Cima di Zocca, and many others. You reach 2,940 metres (9,646 ft) above sea level by crossing the Cameraccio Pass, the highest of the whole trail. You cross Val Codera, Val Masino and Valmalenco and enjoy breathtaking views of the impressive surrounding mountains.

To walk the Sentiero Roma, it’s useful to have good fitness and mountaineering experience. Many parts of the route are exposed and equipped with fixed chains. The best months to tackle the route are June, July, August and September. You might still find snow along the route, so I recommend taking an ice axe and crampons, as well as a helmet, harness and via ferrata kit.

To complete the Sentiero Roma in its entirety, it’s necessary to divide the route into several stages. This Collection proposes five days with overnight stays at the Brasca refuge, the Gianetti refuge, the Allievi Bonacossa refuge and the Cesare Ponti refuge. As this is the most common way of dividing up the itinerary, it’s best to check availability at the refuges in advance. This itinerary takes you along the path in a clockwise direction, starting in Novate Mezzola and ending in Chiesa in Valmalenco.

You can reach Novate Mezzola by taking the train from Milano Centrale in the direction of Tirano, getting off at Colico. Here, change trains and catch another towards Chiavenna, getting off at Novate Mezzola. Then head for Mezzolpiano, where the route starts from the car park of the same name. If you arrive by car, you can leave it in the car park and buy a weekly ticket.

The Sentiero Roma ends in Chiesa in Valmalenco where you can reach the Sondrio train station by bus. Check the timetable on the website: stps.it (in Italian). To return to Novate Mezzola from Sondrio, take the train to Milan and get off at Colico to change trains in the direction of Chiavenna.