The Biellese Alps (Alpi Biellesi or Prealpi Biellesi in Italian) are a sub-range of the Pennine Alps located between Piemonte and Aosta Valley (Italy).
Etymology Alpi Biellesi literally means Alps of Biellese; Biellese is the geographical and historical area surrounding Biella, nowadays included in the province of Biella.
Geography Administratively most part of the range belongs to the province of Biella, while its northern part falls in the province of Vercelli and the western one is divided between Province of Turin and Aosta Valley.
SOIUSA classification According to SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain range is an Alpine supergroup classified in the following way: main part = Western Alps major sector = North-Western Alps section = Pennine Alps subsection = Southern Valsesia Alps supergroup =Alpi Biellesi code = I/B-9.IV-A
Borders Borders of the Alpi Biellesi are: Colle del Loo (2,452 m) and Valsesia from Val Vogna to Varallo Sesia (north), Valsesia from Varallo Sesia to Gattinara (east), Po plain between Gattinara and Ivrea (south), Dora Baltea until Pont Saint Martin and Lys creek until Gaby and Colle del Loo (west).
Subdivision
The Alpi Biellesi are divided into two alpine groups, one of them further subdivided in subgroups (in brackets is reported their SOIUSA code): Catena Tre Vescovi - Mars (A.1) Catena Monte Bo - Barone (A.2) Costiera Talamone-Barone (A.2.a) Costiera Monte Bo-Punta del Cravile-Monticchio (A.2.b) These two subgroups are connected by Bocchetta del Croso.
Geology From the geological point of view the Alpi Biellesi are composed by an alpine zone in the strict sense of the word and a prealpine zone, divided by the Insubric line (locally named Linea del Canavese). This important geologic fault, which forms the border between the Adriatic Plate and the European Plate, crosses Biellese from SW to NE through Bocchetto di Sessera and Bocchetta della Boscarola passes. Thus hills and mountains (i.e. Monte Barone) located south-east of the line can be considered part of southern Apulian foreland while most part of the range, located NW of the line, geologically belongs to the crystalline zone of the Alps.
Notable summits
NamemetresNamemetres Monte Mars2,600 Mont de Pianeritz2,584 Punta Loozoney2,579Monte Bo2,556 Monte Cresto2,548Cima Tre Vescovi 2,501 Monte I Gemelli2,476Punta della Gragliasca2,397 Monte Camino2,388Colma di Mombarone2,371 Monte Mucrone2,335Monte Tovo2,230 Bec di Nona2,085Monte Barone2,044
Notable passes
Namelocationtypemetres Colle della Mologna GrandeGaby - Piedicavallo bridle path 2,364 Colle del LooGressoney-Saint-Jean - Rassa bridle path 2,452 Bocchetta del CrosoPiedicavallo - Rassa bridle path 1,943 Colle della Mologna PiccolaGaby - Piedicavallo bridle path2,208 Colle della BarmaOropa (Biella) - Fontainemore bridle path2,257 Bocchetto di Sessera Campiglia Cervo - Trivero - Valle Sessera road 1,373 Bocchetta della BoscarolaScopello - Valle Sessera dirt road 1,423 Colle della Gragliasca Rosazza - Fontainemore footpath 2,208 Colle della VecchiaPiedicavallo - Gaby bridle path 2,185 Colle della Lace Sordevolo - Settimo Vittone - Lillianesfootpath 2,121
Winter sports
In the Alpi Biellesi are located some ski resorts: Oropa (Biella) in the western part, with downhill skiing slopes ranging from 1,335 to 2,391 m;Oropa page on en.skiinfo.com (accessed on March 2012) Alpe di Mera (Scopello) and Bielmonte in the eastern part of the range. Near Bielmonte is also possible to practice cross country skiing with more than 30 km of maintained trails starting from Bocchetto Sessera (1,373 m).Centro Sci di Fondo Bocchetto Sessera, trails map on www.bocchetto.it (accessed on March 2012)
Hiking and climbing Many climbing routes of varying length and difficulty are described across the mountain range. Some of the most renowned are in the monte Mars area, like via InnominataAlpinismo, web page on www.montagnabiellese.com (accessed on September 2012) and cresta dei Carisey.Monte Mars - Cresta dei Carisey - 2600, description on www.vienormali.it (accessed on September 2012) In the Alpi Biellesi there also are several vie ferratas, particularly around Oropa.Vie ferrate e sentieri attrezzati, web page on www.montagnabiellese.com/ita/VieFerrate (accessed on September 2012)
The Alta Via delle Alpi Biellesi (literally high way of the Alpi Biellesi), a long-distance hiking trail which requires some climbing skills, covers the mountain range starting from Piedicavallo and ending in the village of Bagneri (Muzzano). The trekking is usually divided into five stretches and along it is possible to get food and accommodation in the following alpine huts: rifugio Rivetti, rifugio della Vecchia, capanna Renata al Monte Camino, rifugio Coda and rifugio Mombarone.Alta Via delle Alpi Biellesi, web page on www.montagnabiellese.com (accessed on September 2012)
Bibliography
Maps Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it Provincia di Biella cartography: Carta dei sentieri della Provincia di Biella, 1:25.00 scale, 2004; on line version: webgis.provincia.biella.it
See also
Sessera Valley Cervo Valley Strona di Mosso Valley
References This article was originally translated from its counterpart on the Italian Wikipedia, specifically from this version.
External links
http://www.alpibiellesi.it Montagnabiellese.com