Whatever special quality it is about Ornica - the remote location, the mountain backdrop, the rustic chalets dotting the hillside or a combination of everything - but everytime we've gone there I look forward to a return even before we leave. Just 50 km north of Bergamo, the area maintains a quiet charm that embraces life at a slower pace, an existence entirely in rhythm with the seasons. We did this hike 2 weeks ago during a period of great fall weather.
The most direct route from Ornica to Val d'Inferno is a steep climb (trail 106) following along the stream that runs down the mountain. The easier option is the agricultural access road (vehicles of residents/farmers only) - it's longer, but the views open up wide as you go on. In the trail map above, the thicker line is the access road from the village. Parking available in a small lot after the chapel. There are a couple of tree-lined shortcuts from the parking, the first one being just after the water fountain (bottom photo), branching left off the asphalt.
Agriturismo Ferdy. Situated 5 km from Ornica near the foot of Pizzo Tre Signori mountain, the farmstay makes a good destination point. The difference in altitude from Ornica to the agriturismo is just under 500 meters. Total time and distance: approx. 2.5 to 3 hours for a round trip of almost 10 km. We found it to be a great trail for the dogs as there weren't a lot of people, so we let them run off-leash when it was all clear.
Almost there to the agriturismo. This photo doesn't do justice on how incredibly gorgeous of an area it is. Google earth illustrates our gps path in green, while the blue dots are trail 106.
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