14 Mar 2024

EXPLORER TIP: ORTISE'_ VIA DELLE MALGHE

THE "VIA DELLE MALGHE" STARTING FROM ORTISE', OUR BELOVED PLACE

Ortisè is our heart's place: the backdrop of our childhood memories. Here lived our maternal grandparents with their stories, the crispy Sunday baked potatoes, the red currants to pick in summer, the chimes of the bells just outside the window.

A small village clinging to the mountain (1447 m), surrounded by perfectly cut meadows just above the forest that fades before the peaks. What a wonderful view from up here! The gaze stretches from the Adamello Presanella Glacier to the Brenta Dolomites, glimpsing the peaks of the Val di Fassa.

The Malga Route: Ortisé (1,477 m) - Malga Stabli (1,814 m) - Malga Bronzolo (2,084 m) - Bait degli Alpini (2080 m) - Malga Valenaia (2112 m) - Malga Pozze (2100 m) - Ortisè.

This is a medium/easy itinerary that starts from the small village of Ortisé, along a scenic route with a spectacular view of the entire Val di Sole, reaching Malga Stabli and then continuing to Malga Bronzolo, Baito degli Alpini, and Malga Pozze.

The itinerary we propose is a loop trail that starts from Ortisè, a characteristic mountain village at 1,477 meters above sea level. Leave your car in the parking lot near the little church, climb a little higher than the village to take the road indicated towards Alpe Pozze. Once past the village, the trail ascends to the right, next to a characteristic farmhouse on the right of the first bend. At this point, you will enter the forest, and the path will become decidedly steeper, skirting the stream above, then it will turn left onto a road immersed in a dense forest of fir trees. Continue further, and slowly the forest will thin out, offering you a spectacular view of the upper Val di Sole and the peaks of the Presanella. Stop and enjoy the breadth of this panorama. From here, next to the road, you will pass by some beautifully renovated mountain farms, not far from Malga Stabli (1,911 m), a beautiful renovated mountain dairy turned into a bar/restaurant. We recommend a stop for a coffee and a slice of "torta tenerina" to be enjoyed outdoors.

After a refreshing stop, continue towards Malga Bronzolo: after passing the Val del Molinac, you will enter a fragrant forest of firs and larches, to then cross a winding and very scenic stretch, which will lead you to the wide pasture around Malga Bronzolo (2,084 m). The dairy is a summer dairy farm, only open in summer, but it's worth a break to give eyes and heart a full and suggestive panorama. Return downhill to the bend where you find the sign "Bait degli Alpini," follow it until you reach this small "baito" perfect for admiring the panorama and filling your water bottle with very fresh water. Continue towards Malga Valenaia along a slightly sloping path that crosses very green pastures. In summer, you will find very beautiful flowers such as the Morettine (a flower with dark red/brown petals that smells like chocolate) and the Genzianelle. They are protected species, do not pick them!

Once at Malga Pozze, you can take the forest road back and reach the junction before Malga Stabli.

For the explorers, there would also be a variant to the "Lake of Ortisè," a hidden gem among the rocks. The trail, which starts from Malga Bronzolo, is poorly marked, so with a map in hand, come to us, and we'll give you some tips.

ROC moments: the "torta tenerina" from Malga Stabli, the view from "Bait degli Alpini," Lake Ortisè (only for the most tenacious explorers).

Difficulty: easy/medium trekking

Km for the soft variant: 14 km

Duration: 4:45 hours

Elevation gain: 700 meters