CARE' ALTO "DANTE ONGARI"

Built shortly before the Great War, this high altitude refuge was soon turned into an imposing military base for the Austro-Hungarian army. Supplies reached the refuge by ropeway conveyor up the Val di Borzago and were then distributed along the front across the Adamello glaciers. Vestiges of the war can still be seen amongst the granite boulders that surround the Rifugio Carè Alto and there is also a little wooden church built by Russian prisoners, bearing witness to the history of this place. Higher up - an hour's walk - there’s a Skoda cannon, exactly where it stood a century ago. But it’s not just history that draws people up here: the Refuge is also a base for mountaineers intending to climb Carè Alto and Corno di Cavento and for walkers wanting to cross the eastern slopes of the Adamello.

Open
From 20 June to 20 September
Before leaving for your hike, always contact the manager to verify the actual opening of the mountain hut

Walks
Rifugio Val di Fumo can be reached from Rifugio Carè Alto in 4 ½ hours via Passo delle Vacche (difficulty EE). The route to Rifugio Ai Caduti dell'Adamello (6 hours) and the ascents of Caré Alto (3 hours) and Corno di Cavento (4 hours) require mountaineering skills. Instead, a walk of just one hour will take you to Bocchette delle Cannone, where this piece of Austrian artillery can still be found. The Refuge is a base for visiting the tunnel dug into Corno di Cavento by the Austrian army during the Great War: given the technical difficulties presented by the route, the services of a mountain guide are advised; due to the value of the artefacts found in it, perfectly preserved by the ice, access to the tunnel is restricted and must be booked on advance (contact the SAT (Association of Trentino Mountaineers) on +39 0461 981871).