Hike from Vilminore to the Gleno dam
Hike from Vilminore to the Gleno dam
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hikers
Hike from Vilminore to the Gleno dam
02:48
7.30km
430m
Hiking
The path starts from the Pianezza hamlet of Vilminore di Scalve. After crossing some meadows and reaching some huts, take an almost flat road on the right which you follow until the deviation for the Gleno dam.
Take the path on the left, you arrive at some large pipes of a penstock, from where you start to climb quite steeply along the mule track which, with steep bends, takes you up to an altitude of 1,500 metres, where the path becomes flat.
After an initial part in the woods you arrive at a spectacular stretch carved into the rock overlooking the valley. Continue along this stretch and you will soon reach the gloomy ruins of the Gleno dam, which collapsed on 1 December 1923, and the lake behind it.
From the Gleno dam you can continue further and enter its beautiful valley. Shortly after the dam there is also a kiosk, open only during the summer, where you can refresh yourself and take a short break while admiring the surrounding panorama.
The Gleno dam is located right at the foot of Mount Gleno, one of the main peaks of the Orobie, 2,882 meters high. This excursion is rich in history and combines the beauty of the Scalve valley with the memory of the tragedy of the Gleno dam.
The dam was commissioned by the Viganò family of Ponte Albiate, owners of important cotton mills and interested in having direct access to motive power. The project involved the construction of a multiple arch dam, at the time considered one of the most modern engineering concepts.
The basin was filled with water for the first time on October 22, 1923 with a capacity of eight million cubic meters. This basin fed a first power plant 400 meters downstream which in turn allowed the operation of a second power plant. In the months preceding the collapse of the dam, water leaks at the base and in the walls were reported several times.
On 1 December 1923, at 7.15 am, the Gleno dam collapsed and six million cubic meters of water overwhelmed several towns: Bueggio, Dezzo, Angolo Terme and Darfo Boario. About 500 people lost their lives in this tragedy.
Last updated: June 12, 2024
Waypoints
Start point
Parking
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2.47 km
Gleno Dam
Highlight • Monument
The dam was built between 1916 and 1923. 260 meters long, it was the only example in the world of a mixed gravity dam with multiple arches.
Translated by Google •
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2.57 km
Gleno Dam and Lake
Highlight • Lake
The second half of the route instead extends over a long flat area halfway up the valley that leads to the ruins of the dam. Once flattened, you can initially admire the views of the Presolana and then towards the ruins. The travel time, at an average pace, is around two hours to the lake.
If you do not want to end the walk here, you can continue along the lake and go past it to enter the bottom of the valley and climb towards the Belviso Pass in another two hours or so. Perhaps it is superfluous to add that the views multiply and so does the sense of freedom that you feel crossing the large green spaces of the pastures.
Translated by Google •
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3.63 km
Gleno Valley
Highlight • Gorge
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7.30 km
End point
Parking
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
4.90 km
2.08 km
309 m
< 100 m
Surfaces
4.22 km
2.08 km
658 m
309 m
< 100 m
< 100 m
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Friday 29 May
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Trail Reviews
Visiting the Dam is a unique excursion rich in history, which combines the beauty of the nature of the Val di Scalve with the memory of the immense tragedy of the collapse of the Gleno Dam. Words stolen from the internet, but which perfectly reflect the motivations of this excursion. In December of this year, it will be exactly 100 years since the disaster. In addition to the dam, in the late afternoon I climbed the Gleno valley until I touched the first snow. Knowing where to look, I encountered a beautiful chamois and fox. In the plain instead, dozens and dozens of marmots, today particularly playful and cheerful.
@FR @Uz @YU I thank all the shares hoping that man will learn from his mistakes ⚡☘️⛰️💙
July 14, 2024 The visit to the Gleno Dam in the province of Bergamo is a suggestive and historically rich excursion, which combines the beauty of the nature of the Val di Sclave with the memory of the terrible tragedy following the collapse of the dam on December 1, 1923. The disaster destroyed the hamlets of Bueggio, Azzone and other homes up to Darfo, and caused the death of at least 356 people, although the real number of victims is still uncertain. We started from the hamlet of Pianezza, municipality of Vilminore di Sclave, and after a nice walk through meadows and huts, we entered the woods along a mule track. Soon the woods gave way to a spectacular stretch dug into the rock overlooking the valley. After this panoramic walk, we arrived at the ruins of the Gleno Dam, at an altitude of 1,534 m above sea level, and the delightful lake behind it. Before leaving, we stopped at the on-site bar for an aperitif and to enjoy the beauty of the landscape.
Nice walk from Pianezza to the Gleno dam.
The excursion to the Gleno Dam is a classic for hikers from Bergamo, nevertheless there are many people who have never been there. One of these is Alessandra and taking advantage of the period in which she is on vacation, I decide it is the right time to introduce her to this symbolic place of human stupidity/greed/wickedness, but at the same time a paradise in terms of landscape. This year is the 100th anniversary, what better occasion?! Stupidly I didn't think that such a symbolic place, so advertised and easy enough to reach, wasn't overrun by all sorts of hikers/tourists and flip flop wearers. About 300/500 people a day leave from Pianezza alone. Excursion in single file, to reach the lake, which in the space of a few hours seems to transform into Rimini. Luckily most of them leave late and come back early and still allow people like me to experience the place almost alone (see photo). All in all it was a nice day but of course I will definitely avoid going back this time of year.
Excursion with friends from Pianezza to the Gleno Dam