Nature Holiday: Val Nambrone
Between Carisolo and S. Antonio di Mavignola, at a wide bend in the state road 239, take the road to Val Nambrone which, after a stretch along the valley floor, climbs up the right slope as far as Cornisello.
Among the cool waters of Val Nambrone
Rich in waters and woods, Val Nambrone extends for about 9 kilometers in the south-eastern sector of the Presanella Group, between the Presanella massif and the Monte Nambrone – Monte Serodoli ridge, which separates it from the Campiglio Valley. Of glacial origin, but without the characteristic “steps”, Val Nambrone is crossed by the Sarca di Nambrone river, which originates from the solitary lake of the same name located at the head of the valley below Cima Baselga; for a stretch, these waters flow hidden beneath a belt of moraines before emerging further down the valley.
The Nambrone Pass connects the valley with the Nambino Basin (trail marker no. 217). A clear asymmetry characterizes the two orographic slopes of the valley: the left one is steep and narrow, while the right one reaches deep into the heart of the Presanella Group with the two valleys of Amola and Cornisello.
The lower stretch of the valley
Rugged and wild in its upper section and side valleys, the environment in the lower stretch of Val Nambrone is characterized by lush vegetation and an abundance of water, the presence of settlements (such as the rural settlement of Pimont at the mouth of the valley), and numerous alpine pastures.
It is by walking along the numerous trails that one can appreciate the wild beauty of the valley even in its lower stretch: the area of marshes and small lakes at the confluence of the Sarca d’Amola (do not miss an excursion along the “Amolacqua” trail set up by the Adamello Brenta Natural Park) and the Sarca di Nambrone, and, further up, the surroundings of Mandra dell’Ors, where you can catch suggestive glimpses of the spectacular Cornisello waterfall.
The main lateral valley, Val d’Amola, is a hanging valley that stretches for 6 kilometers in a westerly direction up to the heart of the Presanella massif and its highest peaks. In addition to hosting numerous glaciers in its upper part (Camosci, Nero, Quattro Cantoni, and the large Amola glacier at the head of the homonymous valley), it is rich in morphologies of glacial origin such as moraines, lake pools, erratic boulders, and roche moutonnée formations. On a rocky outcrop of this type, between Mandra dell’Om and Vallina d’Amola, stands the Giovanni Segantini refuge (2373 m); built in 1900, it was the third refuge built by SAT.
It represents the best base for climbing to the summit of Presanella from the Val Rendena side. It can be reached (trail marker no. 211) in about 1 hour from the ruins of Malga Vallina d’Amola (2020 m), which can be reached by car following the road to the Cornisello lakes. A second path to the Segantini refuge starts from the Cornisello refuge (trail marker no. 216), through the Bocca dell’Om, passing by Lake Nero.
Running almost parallel to Val d’Amola is the second hanging lateral valley of Val Nambrone, Val Cornisello. At its head are the two Cornisello glaciers which originate the Sarca di Cornisello, which flows into Val Nambrone forming the spectacular Cornisello waterfall, clearly visible from various points along trail no. 238, which climbs from the valley floor towards the upper part. Many small lakes in just as many glacial basins dot the upper valley (Vedretta, Bon, Scarpacò) enclosed by the Ginèr, Scarpacò, Bon, Amola, and Cornisello peaks.
In a wide glacial basin almost devoid of vegetation lie the two Cornisello lakes, Inferiore and Superiore. This part of Val Nambrone, currently the subject of an important restoration project, still bears clear scars of past hydroelectric works. On the rocky spur overlooking the lakes is the Cornisello refuge at 2120 meters.
