Val Taleggio Trail to Morterone (Route 156)

From Vedeseta to Morterone with a fork for the sources of the Enna - Sat 17 Aug 2024

The Enna springs in this season are very beautiful, I had seen them in the summer but the water was very little compared to today

The title of this hike could easily have been "Warriors' Rest." Not so much for me, having been away from hiking and the mountains for too long, but for my two fellow adventurers, returning from weeks of very challenging experiences. They requested something pleasant and relaxing. From there, the idea came to take them to my childhood playground, which "back then" almost no one knew about because it lacked easy access. A natural wonder truly unknown to the masses, and perhaps even more so. Now, after years, they've built a road for maintenance of the Enel pylons, and with the presence of social media, it's impossible not to encounter people who sometimes invade this place, sometimes with rudeness and noise. Previously, you had to walk almost a kilometer along the riverbed, battling through bushes and nettles that often left scars I admired like medals. Then we reached the trail, because this valley was once the commercial link between the villages of Vedeseta and Morterone, so it was more forgotten than unknown. A lover of nature and animals, here, in the absolute silence covered only by the stream's water and the chirping of birds, I was able to encounter creatures that were difficult or impossible to see elsewhere: chamois, roe deer, martens, squirrels, eagle owls, and much more. I remember that the abundance of wild animals we now enjoy in the province of Bergamo wasn't there in those years, and where they did exist, they were severely threatened. The valley's attraction is undoubtedly the waterfall/source of the Enna stream, but the incredibly deep ravine is also spectacular, forcing the trail to traverse sheer over it, unable to see the bottom because it is as narrow as the stream that carved it. Similar to its famous older brother, which we drive along on the way from San Giovanni Bianco to Sottochiesa, but so narrow that it can only be navigated by standing in the water. For anyone interested (without underestimating the serious danger), I can assure you that crossing it is still an undertaking for few. Unfortunately, during this time of year, light struggles to reach these places, making them less photogenic, but also damp and cold. So, partly for this reason and partly because the walk would have been too short, we opted to head to Morterone and a meadow where we could enjoy a well-earned snack.