| Monte Mongioie | |
| Elevation M: | 2631 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Range: | Ligurian Alps |
| Map: | Alps |
| Label Position: | left |
| Coordinates: | 44.1741°N 7.7853°W |
| Listing: | Alpine mountains 2500-2999 m |
| Geology: | limestone, dolomite and schists. |
| Easiest Route: | waymarked hiking route |
The Monte Mongioie is a mountain of the Ligurian Alps located in Piedmont (NW Italy).
The mountain was once known also as Cima Rascaira, and appears with this name in the official map of the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861) printed in 1852.[2] It is also referenced as Raschera, which is the name of a lake, of alpine pasture at the foot of the mountain and of the typical cheese of the area.[3] Due to its isolation the summit offers a very good view on a wide stretch of the Western Alps.
The mountain is the tripoint where the valleys of Tanaro (south), Ellero (NW) and Corsaglia (NE) meet.[4] Westwards the north water divide of Tanaro Valley continues heading to the Cima delle Saline, while eastwards it connects Monte Mongioie with Monte Rotondo and Pizzo d'Ormea through a pass named Bocchino dell’Aseo (2,295 m). The Corsaglia/Ellero ridge branching out from Monte Mongioie heads North towards the Po Plain.
According to the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:[5]
Monte Mongioie summit and western slopes are made of tabular, marmoreal limestone, dating back to Jurassic; on its eastern part also emerge Triassic layers of dolomitic limestone, located in a belt oriented from North to South passing through the Bocchino dell'Aseo. On the sub-vertical cliffs near the summit and on the SW ridge of MOnte Mongioie can be noticed blackish schistose limestones, fine-grained grey dolomite and red and yellow schists.[6]
The normal route to the Mongioie requires some hiking experience but not alpinistic skills. The summit can be accessed by a waymarked itinerary from Viozene (in the comune of Ormea) passing through a mountain hut named Rifugio Mongioie (1.555 m), and then following by a large footpath up to Pian dell'Olio. From there a gully called Canale delle Scaglie leads to the Bocchino dell'Aseo, a mountain pass on the Tanaro-Corsaglia water divide. The last part of the ascent runs up the western ridge of the mountain.
The mountain is also accessible in winter by ski mountaineers from Viozene[7] or Artesina.[8]