Corna di Sonclino, Forcella di Vandeno, Sant'Emiliano, Valle di Sarezzo, Casole

Classic AM itinerary in the lower Val Trompia, 20/30 minutes from Brescia, leading to the panoramic summit of Corna di Sonclino (1352 m) and connecting two descents which, in my opinion, are among the most beautiful in the entire valley and beyond.

Departure from Sarezzo, parking in Via Giovanni Paolo Il or in the nearby Via Bailo, at an altitude of 265 m. To avoid the busy main road of Val Gobbia, we climb

along Via Nord, which then becomes Via 1850. At the beginning of the road that descends from the Sarezzo valley, follow Via Cagnaghe to the right until you reach a traffic light at the top of the hill. After a very short descent, you will enter the municipality of Lumezzane, in the hamlet of Gazzolo. Passing through secondary roads and passing by the church of S. Antonio, take Via del Santello. Once you reach the hamlet of Pieve, turn sharply left onto the rather steep Via Don Giovanni Zubbiani. This is the start of the long climb, mostly on concrete/asphalt

that leads to an altitude of 1265 meters, below the summit of Corna di Sonclino.

Here we have two options: 1) turn left and climb a steep private dirt road until we cross a marked trail below a farmhouse on the right, going around (with our bikes on our shoulders) the house on the left and following a small trail to reach the ridge and the cross. We descend a few meters to a small pass and climb back up to the main panoramic peak (1352 meters).

2) Continue along the concrete road for a hundred meters, then turn left and you will soon reach the ridge at Campo Gallo. Follow it to the left to reach the cross and then the main peak.

After admiring the beautiful view, we get on our bikes and begin the beautiful descent. At the saddle between the two peaks, turn left and follow the path that leads back to the farmhouse. Cross the private road and continue the descent with technical sections, passing through Forcella dei Quattro Comuni and following a ridge, sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right, until you reach Forcella di Vandeno at 952 meters (S2-S3 with a short section of S4). Here, pushing/carrying the bike, we climb up a path for 150 meters of elevation gain to the beautiful sanctuary of Sant'Emiliano (1150 meters).

The second descent, rocky, technical, and fun (S2-S3), begins by descending the path we have just climbed for about 40 meters, until we reach a fork where we turn right, following the path that overlooks the Val di Sarezzo and ends at Cuel de Saress, a cave with wooden houses underneath where a live nativity scene is set up at Christmas. After crossing the stream, we descend briefly along the paved road until we come to Via Cagnaghe on the left, which we have already climbed. We retrace our steps until just before the traffic lights, turn right and stay on Via Cagnaghe, following the road with a few uphill stretches until we reach Casole. After a very short descent, at the point where the road becomes a dirt track, we pay close attention to a barely visible path that descends steeply to the right. At the bottom of this short "steep slope," keep to the right, following an enjoyable path. When you reach the bottom, keep left at the fork, climbing slightly along a traverse that leads to the last stretch of the path, which ends at the houses of Sarezzo, in Via Roma, and quickly returns to the car.