Webcams in Valmasino
The Val Masino webcam looks at the Sasso Remenno, the great granite boulder in the plain below San Martino: the most visited climbing crag in Lombardy.
A side valley of the Valtellina, narrow, green and without an outlet.
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The valley
Val Masino is a side valley of the Valtellina, in the province of Sondrio, about twenty kilometres from Sondrio and ninety from Milan. It branches off the Adda valley at Ardenno and climbs north-east to the two branches at San Martino: the Val di Mello, a nature reserve nicknamed the little Yosemite, and the Valle dei Bagni, which leads to the thermal baths of Bagni di Masino at 1,170 metres. At the head of the valley, Monte Disgrazia (3,678 m) is the highest peak. Granite explains everything: it gives the smooth walls that have made the valley one of the most famous places in Europe for climbing, from bouldering to long routes, and the Sentiero Roma, the 54-kilometre high route created in 1928 that links the huts at around 2,500 metres, passes through here. The municipality has fewer than a thousand inhabitants, spread between Cataeggio, Filorera, San Martino and Bagni di Masino.
Getting there
- By car
- From the SS 38 of the Valtellina, at Ardenno, take the provincial road into Val Masino: it climbs through Cataeggio and Filorera to San Martino. The Sasso Remenno is beside the road, past kilometre 11.5 of the Cataeggio–Filorera road, with parking nearby. It takes about half an hour from Sondrio and a couple of hours from Milan, depending on traffic.
- By train
- The nearest station is Ardenno-Masino, on the Milan–Lecco–Sondrio–Tirano line. From there a local bus continues up the valley: timetables change with the season, so check them before you leave.
- Alpine passes
- There is no road pass: Val Masino is a dead-end valley and the road ends at San Martino and Bagni di Masino. All the passes are on foot, for experienced hikers and mountaineers: the Sentiero Roma crosses towards Val Codera in the west and Valmalenco in the east.
When to go
The valley is busiest from spring to autumn, when the walls are dry and the valley floor is cool. In summer people climb to the huts, such as the Allievi at 2,395 metres. In autumn the woods on the valley floor change colour. The Melloblocco, the big international bouldering meeting, brings climbers here from all over the world. In winter the lower valley is quiet and cold; higher up you need mountaineering equipment.
What to do
Winter
- Walking in the Val di Mello
- The valley floor can be walked on dry days: the webcam helps you see whether there is snow on the path before you set off.
- Bagni di Masino baths
- At 1,170 metres, at the end of the Valle dei Bagni: the valley's thermal resort.
- Mountaineering and ski touring
- Above the huts the season lasts into spring: routes to do only with preparation, equipment and the avalanche bulletin to hand.
Summer
- Climbing the Sasso Remenno
- The granite boulder has walls up to 55 metres and more than 250 routes, from beginner slabs to hard roofs: it is the most visited crag in Lombardy.
- Val di Mello
- A nature reserve to explore on foot from the valley floor at San Martino, with granite walls overhead.
- Rifugio Allievi
- From Bagni di Masino you climb to 2,395 metres, among the peaks of Castello (3,392 m) and Rasica (3,305 m): a full day, to take at an easy pace.
- Sentiero Roma
- The 54-kilometre high route crosses the whole head of the valley: it is done over several days, with the huts as stages.
On the map
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Frequently asked questions
What can you see on the Val Masino webcam?
The Sasso Remenno, the huge granite boulder in the plain above Cataeggio, and the valley around it. It is the camera to check for the weather before you go up, and to see whether the walls are dry.
What is the Sasso Remenno?
A huge, compact block of granite (the local "ghiandone") that fell into the valley from a landslide thousands of years ago: local sources call it the largest erratic boulder in Europe. Its walls reach about 55 metres (some sources say 40) and it has more than 250 climbing routes.
Where is Val Masino?
In the province of Sondrio, about twenty kilometres from Sondrio, in a side valley that leaves the Valtellina at Ardenno. From the main village, Cataeggio, the road climbs to San Martino.
When can you climb the Sasso Remenno?
Usually from spring to autumn, on dry rock. After a storm the rock takes time to dry: check the webcam before you go up.
Is there a pass to Switzerland from Val Masino?
Not by car: the road ends at San Martino and Bagni di Masino. On foot you can leave by the passes of the Sentiero Roma towards Val Codera and Valmalenco, but they are routes for experienced hikers.
How do you get there without a car?
By train to Ardenno-Masino, then the local bus towards San Martino. Check the timetable: out of season there are few runs.