Right here in the heart of the Alps is a granite lined paradise. Off the beaten track but truly accessible, it has to be one of the best (least known) destinations in the Alps, at least to us outsiders. Rising to prominence amongst climbers in the 70’s it has earned the grand title of the Italian Yosemite. But it’s not only climbers who have profited from it’s ambience. Picnickers, excursionists and trekkers alike gather in Bar Monica before hiking up (or conveniently use the bus) and under the imposing Precipizio degli Asteroidi. You are entering Val di Mello. Some are content to lie and dream in it’s meadows, some cannot resist scaling it’s walls whilst others pass respectively through, on their way to the higher valleys of Ferro, Zocca, Torrone and Cameraccio.
The waters that drain into Mello and render its floor rich and green have attracted ‘unwelcome’ attention from hydroelectric geeks. A new scheme proposes to exploit these water courses and to widen the track that traverses the valley floor. The proposals have been ‘damned’ by locals and valley advocates alike as being short sighted and of having little potential to generate any useful power. The valley, which has found a way to share its peace and nature with tourism has a new foe.
For more information on the scheme and to support the fight against it you can sign the online petition. Be a friend to Mello and help preserve its beauty.