Monte Massone

The Monte Massone, at an elevation of 2,161 m (7,090 ft), is a mountain of the Pennine Alps in North-western Italy.

Monte Massone
Monte Massone as seen from the Monte Croce
Highest point
Elevation2,161 m (7,090 ft)
ListingAlpine mountains 2000-2499 m
Coordinates45°56′48″N 8°20′16″E 
Geography
Monte Massone
Location in the Alps
LocationProvince of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Italy
Parent rangePennine Alps
Climbing
Easiest routehiking

Geography
The summit as seen from the SE ridge

The mountain belongs to the water divide between Strona Valley (South) and Ossola Valley (North). The southern slopes of Monte Massone are mainly grassy, while its North face is rocky, very steep and covered by shrubs. From Ornavasso, located on its North foothill, the summit can't be seen because is hidden by a subsummit named Eyehorn (2,131 m). On Monte Massone stands a metallic cross 4 ms high bearing a bell, which was located there in 1921. Not far from it, on the Northern slopes of the mountain, can be seen some trenches dug before the 1st World War and belonging to the Linea Cadorna[1]. At 1,900 m, on the Valle Strona side of Monte Massone, there is a small plateau which hosts three tiny lakes called Laghetti, where in the past local farmers tried to implement a project of land reclamation.

SOIUSA classification

According to the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:[2]

  • main part = Western Alps
  • major sector = North Western Alps
  • section = Pennine Alps
  • subsection = Eastern Aosta and Northern Valsesia Alps
  • supergroup = Contrafforti valsesiani del Monte Rosa
  • group = Costiera Punta Grober-Tagliaferro-Montevecchio
  • subgroup = Contrafforte Montevecchio-Quarazzola-Capezzone
  • code = I/B-9.III-C.7.b/b

Geology
The Monte Massone, with Montorfano in the foreground and Monte Rosa in the background

Inside the mountain lay some marble veins and gold, iron and copper deposits.[3]

Access to the summit
Summit cross

The Monte Massone is one of the most popular hiking destinations of the low Ossola Valley.[4] Its summit can be reached by foothpath from the Valle Strona starting from Alpe Loccia (close to the village of Chesio, in the comune of Loreglia)[5], or from Val d'Ossola starting from Cortevecchio (Ornavasso), or even from the Alpe Quaggione (Germagno) [4].

Mountain huts
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References
  1. Paola, Crosa Lenz; Ragozza, Pier Antonio (2007). La Linea Cadorna nel Verbano Cusio Ossola. Dai sentieri di guerra alle strade di pace (in Italian). Verbania: Provincia del Verbano Cusio Ossola. p. 159. ISBN 8865702079.
  2. Marazzi, Sergio (2005). Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA (in Italian). Priuli & Verlucca. p. 134. ISBN 978-88-8068-273-8.
  3. Biganzoli, Antonio (2005). Valle Strona arcaica – territorio storia e preistoria nelle incisioni rupestri (in Italian). Museo del paesaggio. p. 23.
  4. Alessandro, Castello; Protto, Elio; Zoia, Sandro 2013, p. 262-263.
  5. Ceragioli, Filippo; Molino, Aldo; Salvatore, Mariano. "418 Monte Massone (2161 m) Eyehorn (2131)". A piedi in Piemonte. 3. Iter Edizioni. pp. 145–147. ISBN 9788881771400.
  6. "Rifugio Oliva-Brusa Perona" (in Italian). Sezione di Gravellona Toce. Retrieved 2020-05-09.

Bibliography
  • Castello, Alessandro; Protto, Elio; Zoia, Sandro (2013). Alpi Biellesi e Valsesiane. CAI-TCI. ISBN 9788836549344.

Maps

Media related to Monte Massone at Wikimedia Commons

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