Monte Due Mani at sunset from Culmine di San Pietro

Sunset over Lake Como from a metal dome

Picture reaching the summit of Monte Due Mani, at 1,666 metres in Valsassina, just as the sun starts to drop and colour the sky. Up there waits the Locatelli-Milani-Scaioli bivouac, a small metal dome that seems suspended between earth and sky: an unusual shelter and one of the most distinctive viewpoints in the pre-Alps.

We start from Culmine di San Pietro, above Cassina Valsassina, climbing a well-marked trail through woods and meadows. It is 10 kilometres and 550 metres of ascent, with no technical difficulty. From the top the view takes in the Grigne, the Resegone and Lake Como lighting up under the sunset.

For the return we close a loop with head torches on, the dark valley below us and the village lights picking themselves out one by one.

Why come

• sunset over Lake Como from the summit of Due Mani
• the Locatelli bivouac, a metal dome perched on the ridge
• the loop back with head torches, among the valley lights
• a summit with character, doable after work

Who it suits

This is an intermediate hike: 550 metres of ascent on a marked trail, but the second half is walked in the dark. A head torch is mandatory, plus a windproof jacket and boots. The start time changes with the season, as it follows sunset.

Come with the Guidders: book your place and let's climb the Due Mani.