Ceppo Morelli: Trails, Peaks and Mining History

Ceppo Morelli between high-altitude trails and mining history

In Ceppo Morelli, trails begin that explore the upper Valle Anzasca on very different scales. The Itinerario B25 starts in the village at an altitude of 759 metres, while the Sentiero dei Minatori begins in the hamlet of Campioli. There is also a historic sacred building in the hamlet of Croppo, a cross-country skiing track in Località Case Sturi, and peaks in the surrounding area. The range therefore extends from alpine elevation differences to local and regional history.

The Itinerario B25 as an alpine day hike

The Itinerario B25 ends at Passo del Laghetto at an altitude of 2,472 metres. The ascent is expected to take about five hours, while the descent takes about three hours and 20 minutes; the elevation gain is 1,713 metres. The final section reaches the rocky ridge of Passo del Laghetto and is recommended for experienced hikers with good orientation skills and suitable equipment. For your planning, both the long walking time and the substantial elevation difference are therefore important factors. When planning the B25, the return journey should be considered from the outset, as the ascent and descent together make for a long day on the trail with several hours of walking.

Other trails and winter activities

The „Luigi Corti“ Sentiero della salute is an approximately 8-kilometre-long intermunicipal trail. It connects Ceppo Morelli with Vanzone con San Carlo and Bannio Anzino. A comfortable trail from Borgone to Alpe Laveggio takes about two hours and offers views of the Valle Anzasca and the Monte Rosa massif. On the route from Mondelli to Alpe Cortenero, a short detour leads to the waterfalls on the Rio Mondelli. There is also the „Lucia Pizzi“ cross-country skiing track in Località Case Sturi.

Landscape around Ceppo Morelli

The peaks in the vicinity of Ceppo Morelli include Monte Poncastello, Pizzo Tignaga, Cresta delle Lonze and Pizzo Torrigia. These four mountain names complement the trails around Borgone and Mondelli and the B25 with further distinctive points of reference in the landscape of the Valle Anzasca.

Churches, alpine pastures and traces of mining

Alpe Cortenero was built entirely from local stone, stood abandoned for several years, and was conservatively restored in 2004 while preserving the original building techniques. The Santuario del Croppo, a historic sacred building dedicated to the Virgin Mary, stands in the hamlet of Croppo. It was built in the second half of the 17th century, probably between around 1650 and 1670. The Sentiero dei Minatori leads from Campioli to Crocette. Crocette is also known as „Città Morta“; the route passes through places connected with the mining history of the upper Valle Anzasca. In the wider regional surroundings of Ceppo Morelli, there are also Gmeinalp as a ruin, as well as the Chiesa Parrocchiale della Beata Vergine del Rosario, the Parrocchia Ss. Gervasio E Protasio and the Parrocchia San Pietro Apostolo as churches.

Getting there and choosing accommodation

A scheduled bus service from Domodossola stops at the Ceppo Morelli bus stop. When planning your accommodation, you can take the different starting points into account: The B25 begins in Ceppo Morelli, the Sentiero dei Minatori in Campioli, while the trails to Alpe Laveggio and Alpe Cortenero start elsewhere.

More places for your trip to Italy

Arizzano, Varzo, Trarego Viggiona, Cannobio, Cursolo-Orasso, Formazza, Ghiffa, Domodossola

To the higher-level travel overview: Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.