Lower Anza to Castiglione

This stretch had been on my list for a very long time and last year, maybe due to changes in hydro-electric setup, I finally observed good water level in the lower Anza gorge. Alass, being on a solo trip and with quite beefy level, I made the (in hindsight lucky) decision to keep it for another time.

This year, water level was close to minimum but we still decided to give it a go and boy, happy we did. A lot of bedrock rapids that went quite smooth, too low water obviously for the bouldery stuff. A new landslide forced us in an uneasy portage but this was compensated largely by the fact we managed to run most of the otherwise unrunnable grade VI rapid.

The scenery rivalled some of the best gorges can offer, think of Centovalli and the likes and a fair share of nice rapids (more than I expected). Like every adventure, there must be small negative point but in the end, the carry-out was not that bad and the cold beer waiting certainly motivated during the steepest parts.

Maybe the most important downside was the yukky quality and smell of the water, not a place for intimate river exploration?.

Later in the evening saw us transitioning to thrusty Valsesia, hyjacking a small restaurant on the way (after Swiss, all seemed affordable in Italy).