The Sentiero Rusca, a toponym attributed by the Comunità Montana Valtellina di Sondrio, traces in large parts the secular itinerary which, in historical archive documentation, is called the valley road and known as the ancient route of Valmalenco or the via del Muretto. It starts from Sondrio at 306 meters above sea level and touches the villages of Ponchiera, Arquino, Torre di Santa Maria with many of its hamlets, Chiesa in Valmalenco, Chiareggio and, after a ride of about 32 km, it reaches the Muretto Pass at 2,562 meters above sea level. From the pass, it is possible to continue towards the Maloja Pass and then to Chiavenna or in Switzerland towards Saint Moritz. In this itinerary, the second part is illustrated: CHIESA IN VALMALENCO-CHIAREGGIO-MURETTO PASS. One returns to follow a classic trail of medium and high altitude with breathtaking landscapes. Immediately after crossing the inhabited area of Chiesa in Valmalenco, a short stretch on an asphalt road is covered up to the Museo del Giovello, moving to the right hydrographic side of the Mallero stream (therefore going uphill keeping to the left) and reaching the locality San Giuseppe, venturing deeper and deeper into the valley until reaching Chiareggio, a renowned tourist location of Alta Valmalenco. Always follow the signage (yellow signposts and trail identifier no. 304). From here begins the most demanding stretch that will take us to the Italo-Swiss border of the Muretto Pass. It is advisable to split the route into two stages given the length of the itinerary (about 18 km) and the management of the return exploiting the numerous accommodation offers of the locality Chiareggio.
Sentiero Rusca second part
Itinerary details
Trekking
7:18 h
18.36 km
1685 m
70 m
Moderate
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