Rifugio Albani from Val Seriana: autumn below the Presolana

Twenty-one kilometres of autumn colour below the queen of the Orobie

This day is more than a walk: it is a way of being together, among woods that smell of autumn and views that quicken the heart. We start from Spinelli, above Valzurio, climbing through carpets of golden leaves, larches ablaze with autumn colour and clearings lit by soft light.

In front of us, the undisputed queen of the day, stands the Presolana. We pass the Baite di Moschel, small stone and timber buildings at her feet, and climb to Passo Scagnello, which divides the two valleys and leads in minutes to the old lime kilns, now ruins, and to Rifugio Albani.

It is 21 kilometres and 1,300 metres of ascent over eight and a half hours: the long version of the climb to the Albani, the one from the Seriana side, closing as a loop on a different trail.

Why come

• larch foliage below the walls of the Presolana
• the Baite di Moschel, stone and timber at the queen's feet
• the old lime kilns at Passo Scagnello
• a 21-kilometre loop, never retracing your steps

Who it suits

This is a hard hike for its length and ascent: 21 kilometres and 1,300 metres in eight and a half hours. Good fitness and experience of long days are needed. Parking at Spinelli costs 3 euros with a scratch ticket, not included in the price.

Come with the Guidders: book your place and let's climb to the Albani.