Sunrise on Monte Due Mani: a thousand metres before dawn

Setting off in the dark to watch the sun rise over the Grigne

Some hikes test you, and some change your day before it has even started. Sunrise on Monte Due Mani does both.

We set off from Maggio di Cremeno in the silence of the night, climbing the Sentiero dei Grignoni (no. 2) while the woods slowly brighten. The 1,000 metres of ascent are no joke, but the atmosphere is that of a real adventure: firm steps, head torches on and the feeling of heading towards something special.

The final stretch is short, steep and decisive: we climb steadily, timing the summit perfectly. At the top, at 1,666 metres, the sun rises over the Grigne and delivers a 360-degree panorama that repays all the effort. Breakfast and coffee up there, then a loop back via Zucco di Desio and Monte Tabor, with full morning light on the ridge.

Why come

• sunrise over the Grigne from the summit of Due Mani
• the night climb with head torches, in the silence of the woods
• breakfast and coffee at the top, as the sun comes up
• the loop back via Zucco di Desio and Monte Tabor

Who it suits

This is a hard hike: a thousand metres of ascent, a night climb and a 4:30 start. Trained legs and some experience of walking in the dark are needed. A head torch is mandatory, plus a warm jacket for the wait at the top, boots and your own breakfast.

Come with the Guidders: book your place and let's go and take the sunrise.