Tragedy in Grignetta: 43-Year-Old Gabriele Borgonovo Falls into a Ravine and Dies
A fatal accident occurred Monday morning on the Southern Grigna. The victim was Gabriele Borgonovo, 43, a resident of Verdello in the province of Bergamo, who fell more than ten meters in the Canale dell’Igloo area, within the municipality of Mandello del Lario.
The alarm was raised around 11 a.m. on Monday by a hiking companion who was with the man. Rescue workers arrived on the scene, but there was nothing they could do for the 43-year-old. Contrary to initial reports, which indicated that he had been transported to the hospital while resuscitation efforts were still underway, his death was confirmed directly at the scene of the accident. Once the recovery operations were completed, the body was transported by helicopter to the Alessandro Manzoni Hospital in Lecco.
According to an initial reconstruction, Borgonovo appears to have lost his balance while traversing the Magnaghi traverse, a particularly exposed section connecting the Canalone Porta to the Cresta Cermenati. The man then reportedly fell into the Canale dell’Igloo below, plummeting more than ten meters.
The companion who was with him immediately called for emergency assistance. The exact circumstances of the accident remain to be clarified, and the Carabinieri are currently investigating.
The AREU operations center dispatched a helicopter rescue team that took off from Como, while simultaneously mobilizing technicians from the XIX Lariana Delegation of the Alpine Rescue Service, specifically the Barzio team. Carabinieri from the Lecco Command also took part in the operation.
The rescue took place in a particularly rugged area of the Southern Grigna, characterized by rocky slopes and exposed mountaineering passages.
The Igloo Couloir is one of the least-traveled mountaineering routes on Grignetta. Its access point is located along the Magnaghi traverse, reachable from Piani Resinelli, while the route ascends toward the mountain’s summit, situated at an altitude of 2,184 meters.
Near the summit stands the Ferrario bivouac, a distinctive rounded metal structure known to hikers by the nickname “Igloo.”
This is a challenging mountain environment, with several exposed sections and branching trails that can make it difficult to identify the correct route. An investigation by the authorities will determine the causes of the fall that claimed the life of the 43-year-old man from Bergamo.
