From Aprica to the Belvedere

Itinerary of good scenic and ethnographic interest, which due to its brevity can also be done with little time available or extended to Pisce' and Pian Gembro. The mule track (sign no. 352) slightly ascends through small terraced meadows, now gradually colonized by ash trees. While the economic importance of all the available hay was once significant, as it was used to feed animals during winter, it is clear how things have changed today; thus, now the forest is reclaiming the spaces that man once arduously conquered. Further ahead, the path carves into the rocky side of the mountain, and on one side you notice large structures supporting the roadway and, on the other, a vegetation peculiarity: the forest mostly consists of Turkey oak, a thermophilic plant unusual at this altitude. But the presence of rocks, southern exposure, good sunlight due to the wide horizon, and shelter offered by the mountain from north winds create a certainly favorable microclimate in this area. With some hairpin bends, you gain altitude until you reach near the watershed. Above the path, the entrances of some small tunnels can be seen. Don’t have a flashlight? Don’t regret it, your exploration would soon have ended since the tunnels are only a few meters deep. What were they for? During the 1915-18 War, this area was prepared with an additional defensive line against a possible Austrian invasion. Perhaps the tunnels served as shelter… This explains the width of the mule track we have followed so far, very different and better constructed than most paths found in woods. The path continues quite steeply among Scots pines. The reduction in steepness, together with the first fir trees, indicates approaching the end of the ascent. After passing a marked fork, you reach the summit of the Belvedere (1499 m), where the view spans the middle Valtellina and the Tirano mountains. Continuing for a few more tens of meters, you encounter the ruins of a military barracks, called ''Dicat'' here, which used to be a machine gun post. DIRECT DESCENT TO APRICA. Briefly returning to the marked fork, paying attention to signs, take the left path marked no. 351, which with a very long traverse to the left, first nearly flat and then descending steeply, leads to the Dosso di Aprica hamlet, just a few steps from the center.