ZONE 2 – ROUTE 4
The Path
GREAT CLIMB FROM DONGO TO SAN JORIO PASS
The tour to San Jorio starts from Dongo, easily reachable from Como via the Regina 342 state road.
The itinerary starts at the sports hall, in the Bersaglio area, where there is convenient parking.
We continue towards the lakeside and through some internal streets we reach the state road 342, which we cross to enter via Don Pietro Pedroli.
From here begins the long climb that will take us to San Jorio: we continue for about 5 km on the provincial road that takes us to the mountains, when we meet a cement road on our left. From here starts a dirt track, not very demanding, that takes us to the first farmhouses of the mountains of Gravedona ed Uniti.
We climb a few more kilometers through beech woods and a beautiful dirt road, which takes us to the Mottafoiada refuge (currently closed). Here we reach an important crossroads, marked by a clear sign indicating the road to the San Jorio refuge. At this point the dirt road becomes large and it is easy to come across some cars and motorcycles. The slope is gentle and the surface is absolutely not very technical.
After a few km we reach the Giovo refuge (also currently closed), where there is a small plateau, which acts as a watershed between the two valleys Albano and Livo. In the Giovo area there is a beautiful fountain and several benches, where you can take a well-deserved break, before the final effort.
In fact, from here there is the most challenging part of the climb to Passo S.Jorio, with the forest road that becomes narrow and with significant slopes. Finally here we are at the famous San Jorio refuge (1980 m), a former finance barracks, active until the 60s to counter the “thriving” smuggling from nearby Switzerland. A final little effort to climb to the pass that marks the Swiss border and the beautiful little church dedicated to the Saint (Jorio) and we will be able to admire the view towards Switzerland, the Locarno area with the upper Lake Maggiore.
We go back down to the San Jorio refuge (2 minutes of descent) and take a well-deserved break with hot local dishes, drinks and sandwiches with the option of staying overnight.
After a well-deserved break, the long descent towards Dongo begins, following the same path as the climb to the Mottafoiada crossroads. From here we continue towards Bocchetta to tackle a fun descent on mule tracks and paths. Alternatively, you can continue on the asphalt road, very wide and easy, which always leads to Dongo through the towns of Garzeno, Germasino and Stazzona. We return to our descent through paths and mule tracks and arrive at the beautiful village of Stazzona, where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the upper Lario. Here we take the narrow passage to the right of the beautiful church dedicated to San Giuliano and head towards Dongo.
We pass in front of the famous Crotti di Stazzona, a very popular summer destination for its local dishes and for the special location that has maintained an ancient imprint over time, typical of the rural area of Lario.
Once past the crotti of Stazzona, we have now reached the starting point of this beautiful circular tour.
We started from the shores of the lake, to reach the high mountain landscapes, through beech and pine forests and then dive back into the lake on fun mule tracks, typical of these areas.
Technical Data
GREAT CLIMB FROM DONGO TO SAN JORIO PASS
Path status:
Good/Excellent
Difficulty:
MEDIUM: Suitable for an
average user. It presents small
technical difficulties and requires
basic training.
EXPERT: Suitable for bikers with
experience and training on
mountain routes.
Recommended bike:
ebike/mtb
Degree of historical/landscape interest:
9 out of 10
Route lenght:
41,4 Km
1820 mt
1820 mt
Activities and services
GREAT CLIMB FROM DONGO TO SAN JORIO PASS
Existing Signage:
POOR/SUFFICIENT: There are signs with pedestrian directions.
Charging point:
Absent.
Workshops and shops:
There is only one specialized shop.
Intermodal connections:
The itinerary is a loop with departure and arrival from Dongo or from nearby Gravedona.
Along the Route:
There are numerous refuges and farmhouses.
Gallery
GREAT CLIMB FROM DONGO TO SAN JORIO PASS
Reports
GREAT CLIMB FROM DONGO TO SAN JORIO PASS
Report a Point Of Interest along the Route
With this feature LarioGT wants to be a point of reference for the biker community of Lake Como. If you think that along the route it is useful to report a Point of Interest (a fountain, a viewpoint, a commercial activity useful to us bikers, but also a dangerous point) use the following Form to send us the details, if you know the coordinates in decimal degrees (latitude and longitude) or more simply the exact address and you have photos or documents useful for your report, attach them and write a comment about your report, we will moderate the report and insert it into the map!