Vittorio Raffaele Leonesi Refuge

Introduction

Description

Lovely climb in a beautiful environment. On reaching Ceresole Reale, continue to the end of the artificial lake, then turn left and reach the opposite shore of the lake (orographic right). The road skirts the entire lake, but you must park at the beginning as it is closed to traffic. Follow the asphalt road for about 3 km. until you reach the signpost arrow indicating Rifugio Leonesi. Climb to the right into the wood along a beautiful path that alternates hairpin bends with flat stretches. Continue climbing in the forest until about 2000 m. when you leave the forest and reach the Trucco huts. From there, the trail becomes more strenuous, climbing first through a scree slope and then up a moraine. Having passed the first steep moraine, the terrain becomes steeper and more demanding. We walk on gravel and unstable stones until we reach the mouth of the snowy gully that leads to the Colle Perduto, every now and then a few stones roll down. Now the path runs between the rocky wall on the right and the snow on the left, continue and soon climb to the right on debris ledges that are slippery in places due to falling water until you reach the hut. The view from up here is excellent and amply repays the long walk. To turn on the light, do not use the main switch, it does not work, but the switches on the lamp holders. From the car park to the refuge about 5h. Beautiful climb in a lonely environment, very useful the poles for both the ascent and descent.