Revisiting Monte Boletto

While travelling is still hard for the most of us, and visiting another country can be almost impossible, decided to revisit my favourite hike last year, in the last days of 2019.

Visited Italy for the first time, and stayed the first days in Como, a small town near the lake with the same name, in the Lombardia region.Why did I chose that location? Easy: nature! A beautiful lake and mountains all around! There are plenty of hiking trails to do in that region, and Como is a perfect base to reach them. My favourite trail? Monte Boletto.

Monte Boletto is one of the closest mountains to Como, rising a little bit above 1200m. To start the trail, first you have to reach Brunate, a little village in the mountain. Best way to do it from Como? The funicular.

The funicular will rise you around 500 in just a few minutes, leaving Como way below. The alternative is either to have a car or pick a bus, and go uphill in a very steep road for over 20 minutes (I won't even consider walking, it would probably be around 2h of a very steep climb!), so this is by far the best choice.

As you arrive to Brunate, you have already a great view of Como, both city and lake.

From this viewpoint outside the funicular... time to start the actual walking! My goal was the nature part, but there was a very cool lighthouse before entering the mountain - Faro Voltiano.

It takes around 20 minutes to reach it, and you already start to climb a little bit.

There he is, rising abouve the trees. It has a small admission fee, but I do recommend the visit. Apart from the interior, the view from the top is already amazing!

For the ones less inclined to hiking, coming here is already a nice trip if you're staying in Como: you don't have to walk that much, and there's even a bus to get you from the funicular to the lighthouse, if you just want to enjoy the view from above and hiking isn't your thing. For the ones like me, the fun begins after the lighthouse! Time to enter the mountains, with lake Como down below on our left.

There is more than one path to reach the summit of Monte Boletto. There's a small, but more direct road, that goes near the summit, and you only have to climb the last hundred meters, and there's this one that goes through the trees shortly after the lighthouse.

Yep, going through the woods is a lot more fun! And with a bigger chance to spot some wildlife.

Withouth rushing, the hiking back and forth from Brunate to the top of Boletto shouldn't take more than 2:30-3h, maybe a little bit more if you're like me and enjoy photography.

The view is great, with the snow-capped Alps ever present in the background. In some areas the woods are a little bit more thick, so you will only see trees, but given how beautiful the forest is that is not a bad thing.

Probably about halfway there, started to notice the mist.

I do like the setting, but was starting to think that mist would be the only thing I would be viewing from the top. A lot more walking, and I reached the spot where I could actually see my goal: the top of Monte Boletto was at sight! But mist all around it...

Since I only noticed this halfway, i thought the mist was forming. And by then, although the top was still clear, I was unsure wether I would reach it on time. But kept walking, and the view was just getting better and better.

If I remember correctly, this was already close to the top, when I was sure I would beat the mist! And a few moments later... this was my prize:

As I learn from a very friendly italian couple that was already there, the mist was actually going away! It was clouded during early afternoon, but the mist was not moving away from the top. That was the cherry on top of the cake! And as I was enjoying the breathtaking view, more hikers were reaching the top as well.

For what I've been told, in a clear day you can even see Milan! But as far as I'm concerned, view from the top of a mountain doesn't get much better than this; the mist just adds to that great atmosphere!

I've stayed a lot enjoying the view and chatting with the italian couple. We ended up making the trip back together, this time through the road. We reached the lighthouse just in time to admire the sunset, before finally going back to Como.

Can't wait to travel abroad again. Meanwhile, I am going to be a tourist in my own country! So many things to explore and rediscover here as well; I really can't complain!

Stay safe everyone; and if you're one of the lucky ones that is travelling... enjoy!!

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