The route begins in the village of Vezza d’Oglio, the start and finish point for all the main Adamello Ultra Trail events. From an altitude of approximately 1,000 meters, the first ten kilometers lead up to Cima Rovaia, at 2,600 meters above sea level, with a final fascinating stretch along the trenches of the Great War. A long traverse along the Sentiero del Soldato (Soldier’s Path) then leads to the Porta Muralta pass, at 2,600 meters above sea level; from here, the trail descends past the Tor di Pagà archaeological site and into Val di Canè.
From here, the trail climbs up the opposite slope to the Bocchetta di Val Massa trench, at 2,500 meters above sea level. A depression located between the Cima Bleis di Somalbosco and the left ridge of the East Peak of Mount Coleazzo, the Bocchetta is one of the best-preserved examples of military architecture in the entire Alpine region. It was the point that the military commanders, in accordance with the overall strategy of possessing the ridges, had fortified as a rear line of the Italian defense system, also because it commanded the Gavia road. Built even before the outbreak of war, over a hundred years later the trenches are impeccably preserved, partly because during the war they were never affected by any military events and were not even manned except by a few scattered sentries.
After the Bocchetta di Val Massa, a circular route follows a military route and then descends, still on a military road, to the underground trench that leads to Malga Prisigai. From here, a long traverse with several ups and downs leads to the Monticelli Lakes, and a subsequent, rather exposed section—requiring utmost caution—leads to the Linge Bivouac, before descending into the Valle delle Messi to the Valmalza Refuge.
From the refuge, at nearly 2,000 meters above sea level, you descend along a comfortable dirt road to Sant’Apollonia, at 1,580 meters. From there, you continue toward the Graole Pass, and from there—across a hillside traverse—you reach Malga Forgnuncolo. The traverse then becomes a road that descends toward the Alpine village of Case di Viso.
The military sites traversed thus far were part of the second line of defense. From here on, on the road that ascends toward the Bozzi Refuge and then to the 2,681 meters of the Contrabbandieri Pass, you pass through areas where the front was on the front lines. The Smugglers’ Pass is the highest point of the route and marks the border between the provinces of Brescia and Trento, between Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige.
From the Smugglers’ Pass, the route continues to the 2,244-meter Malga Valbiolo refuge, then climbs to the foot of Mount Tonale to reach the “Dead City” at 2,536 meters above sea level, an Austrian military fortification from the First World War that was almost completely dismantled at the end of the conflict.
The descent continues first towards Vescasa and then Ponte di Legno, from where the ascent resumes towards the Petitpierre Refuge at Corno d’Aola, built on the ruins of an old military fort and located at 2,000 meters above sea level: at the foot of Corno d’Aola (2,648 meters above sea level) and overlooking one of the Adamello Group’s peaks, Monte Salimmo (3,115 meters above sea level).
From the Corno d’Aola Refuge, a military trail climbs to Bocchetta di Casola and then descends to Temù. From here, a new ascent begins towards Monte Calvo and Piana dei Morei, from which a trail and military road descend to the Cascata Refuge, followed by a stepped path towards the Aviolo Refuge and its beautiful lake. Another 400 strenuous meters of elevation gain lead to the Gallinera Pass, with a picturesque passage through the Festa Bivouac.
The subsequent descent to the Malga Stain Refuge, in one of the wildest areas of the Adamello Park, requires great caution. From the Malga Stain Refuge, the trail and then the road descend towards Edolo, the lowest point of the route at 650 meters above sea level. This is followed by a dirt road and steep trails that lead to Malga Mola. Passing through pastures and Costa Bella, the trail then descends towards the Mortirolo Refuge, located next to the beautiful lake of the same name. After crossing the Mortirolo basin, at 1,800 meters, the climb continues until it reaches the foot of Monte Pagano, with a long traverse that leads to Pianaccio, a large, semi-flat elevation located northwest of Vezza d’Oglio. From here begins the long descent that leads from Val Bighera to Val Grande and, finally, to Vezza d’Oglio.
https://www.wikiloc.com/trail-running-trails/adamello-ultra-trail-2024-170-km-185198017