Monte Colombano

Monte Colombano (in Piedmontese mont Colombon ) is a mountain in the Alpi di Lanzo, a sub-group of the Graian Alps, with an elevation of 1,658 m.

Monte Colombano
Mont Colombon (in Piedmontese)
The summit of Monte Colombano
Highest point
Elevation	1,658 m (5,440 ft)[1][2]
Prominence	346 m (1,135 ft)[1]
Isolation	6.21 km (3.86 mi)
Coordinates	45°11′59″N 7°25′53″E
Geography
Monte Colombano Location in the Alps
Location	Province of Turin, Italy
Parent range	Graian Alps
Climbing
Easiest route	Hiking from Colle Lunella

Geography

1899: hikers on the summit (photo by Mario Gabinio)

The mountain is located between the Val Casternone, the Val di Viù and the Ceronda valley and is the tripoint in which the communes of Viù, Varisella and Val della Torre (all in the Metropolitan City of Turin) meet.

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 = North Western Alps
• section = Graian Alps
• subsection = Southern Graian Alps
• supergroup = catena Rocciamelone-Charbonel
• group = gruppo del Rocciamelone
• subgroup = cresta Lunella-Arpone
• code = I/B-7.I-A.2.b

Geology

Like others mountains of its area, the monte Colombano too is mainly made of lherzolitic rocks, partially turned into serpentinite.^[4]

Access to the summit

The summit's cairn

The easiest route for the summit is a footpath starting from colle Lunella (a mountain pass which connects Viù and Val della Torre), and follows the SW face of the mountain. The pass can be easily reached from the Colle del Lis.^[5] or from Val della Torre, but from the latter starting point the climb is longer. During very snowy winters, and when the snow cover is stable, the summit can also be accessed with snowshoes.^[6]

Maps

Winter view from Monte Arpone

• Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it
• I.G.C. (Istituto Geografico Centrale): Carta dei sentieri e dei rifugi 1:50.000 scale n.2 Valli di Lanzo e Moncenisio and 1:25.000 scale n.110 Basse valli di Lanzo