The Colmegnone, also called Poncione di Laglio, is a 1,383-metre peak of the Lugano Prealps, very scenic over the Como basin of the Lario: the summit lies in the municipality of Laglio, but the mountain’s territory also extends into Carate Urio and Moltrasio.
What to see
From the summit, on clear days, the view takes in everything from the Swiss Alps to the Apennines, and towards the lake it dominates the basin below, from the First Basin to the central Lario. On top is a wooden cross placed by the CAI Moltrasio section; the ridge softens on the Val d’Intelvi side and to the south, while over the lake the typical limestone outcrops appear. A colony of chamois lives in the steepest zones and in the woods below the top. At Torriggia, in the territory of Laglio, is the Buco dell’Orso, a karst cave with spring water, which according to Wikipedia can be visited on request at the municipality’s secretariat.
Getting there
From here, or rather from just before, the Via dei Monti Lariani starts, the stage-by-stage walk of about 125 kilometres along the western ridge of the lake as far as Sorico, on average in six days. One climb starts from the road that goes up to Monte Bisbino: from Cernobbio you pass Rovenna and, after about 15 kilometres of narrow mountain road, follow the Via dei Monti Lariani towards the Bugone hut, then the Murelli hut and the Roccolo San Bernardo agriturismo, above which rises the last pull to the cross. For this route Cascate & Trekking, an unofficial hiking site, gives about 1 hour 30 up, 340 metres of ascent and about 9 kilometres there and back. Other routes are from the lake, from Laglio, Moltrasio or Carate Urio, and from the Val d’Intelvi, from the Alpe Cerano: old mule tracks in Moltrasio stone climb the east side among centuries-old chestnut and beech woods. Times, difficulty and trail conditions change with the season and should be checked before setting out (CAI, hut managers, weather forecast).
Practical information
- Height: 1,383 metres (Wikipedia, Wikidata); OpenStreetMap gives 1,378.
- The Colmegnone is where you leave the Bisbino road: Monte Bisbino is the previous stop, Section 1 of the Via dei Monti Lariani the route.
Sources
- myLakeComo, Hike to Mount Colmegnone
- Cascate & Trekking, Laglio: Monte Colmegnone
- Wikipedia, Monte Colmegnone entry; Wikidata and OpenStreetMap.