Monte della Guardia

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Monte della Guardia
Monte della Guardia da Forte Pozzanghi.png
View from Forte Pozzanghi (Colle di Nava)
Highest point
Elevation1,658 m (5,440 ft)
Prominence88[1]
Coordinates44°07′19″N 7°55′47″E / 44.12189°N 7.92965°E / 44.12189; 7.92965Coordinates: 44°07′19″N 7°55′47″E / 44.12189°N 7.92965°E / 44.12189; 7.92965
Naming
English translationMountain of the guard
Language of nameItalian
Geography
Monte della Guardia is located in Alps
Monte della Guardia
Monte della Guardia
Location in the Alps
LocationPiedmont, Italy
Parent rangeLigurian Alps
Geology
Age of rockTriassic
Mountain typelimestone
Climbing
First ascentancestral
Easiest routehike from

The Monte della Guardia is a mountain in Piedmont, northern Italy, part of the Alps. At an altitude of 1,658 metres is one of the highest summits of the Ligurian Prealps.

Geography[]

Summit cairn.

The mountain stands on the main chain of the Alps between Tanaro and Arroscia valleys. It belongs to the province of Cuneo, in Piedmont, and is located on the border between the municipalities of Ormea and Caprauna, not faraway from Liguria.[2]

SOIUSA classification[]

According to the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:[3]

  • main part = Western Alps
  • major sector = South Western Alps
  • section = Ligurian Alps
  • subsection = Prealpi Liguri
  • supergroup = Catena Settepani-Carmo-Armetta
  • group = Gruppo Galero-Armetta
  • subgroup = Costiera Galero-Armetta
  • code = I/A-1.I-A.3.a

Geology[]

Summit cross

The area of Monte della Guardia is characterized by triassic limestone.[4] Towards monte Armetta, on the slopes facing the Tanaro valley, stands a large cave known as Grotta dei Dighè[5] or Garb del Dighea. It was surveyed at the end of the 19th century by entomologists that detected an interesting troglofauna with , subsp. Digheae, an arthropod endemic of Tanaro valley.[6][4]

Environment[]

The northern side of the mountain fells with overhanging cliffs towards the valley of Tanaro river, while its gentler southern slopes are mainly covered of woods.

Access to the summit[]

The summit can be easily reached with a short diversion from the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, a long-distance trail from Ventimiglia (province of Imperia) to Bolano (province of La Spezia) which flancks the mountain on its Ligurian Sea side.[7] In wintertime the northern slopes of Monte della Guardia offer some interesting icefalls.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ Key Col: , 1570 m
  2. ^ 1:25.000 map of Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM), on-line on www.pcn.minambiente.it
  3. ^ Marazzi, Sergio (2005). Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA (in Italian). Priuli & Verlucca. ISBN 978-88-8068-273-8.
  4. ^ a b Bollettino del Club alpino italiano (in Italian). 1900. p. 86. Retrieved 2019-03-06.
  5. ^ AA.VV. (1927). Le grotte d'Italia organo ufficiale dell'azienda autonoma di Stato delle R. Grotte demaniali di Postumia (in Italian). Mondaini. p. 116. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Colle di Caprauna - Monte Armetta" (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  7. ^ "Monte della Guardia (m. 1654), Monte Armetta (m. 1739), M. Dubasso (m. 1538) da Caprauna" (in Italian). Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  8. ^ Sertori, Mario (2004). "Valle Tanaro". Cascatea (in Italian). BLU Edizioni. p. 69. ISBN 9788887417951. Retrieved 2019-06-04.

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