Monte della Guardia
{{short description|Mountain in Italy}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Monte della Guardia
| photo = Monte_della_Guardia_da_Forte_Pozzanghi.png
| photo_caption =View from Forte Pozzanghi (Colle di Nava)
| translation = Mountain of the guard
| language = Italian
| elevation_m = 1658
| elevation_ref =
| prominence = 88
| prominence_ref =Key Col: Colla Bassa, 1570 m
| map = Alps
| region =
| map_caption = Location in the Alps
| label_position = left
| range = Ligurian Alps
| coordinates = {{coord|44.12189|N|7.92965|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref =
| topo =
| age = Triassic
| volcanic_arc/belt =
| last_eruption =
| easiest_route = hike from Colle di Caprauna
| first_ascent = ancestral
| type = limestone
}}
The Monte della Guardia is a mountain in Piedmont, northern Italy, part of the Alps. At an altitude of 1,658 metres is one of the highest summits of the Ligurian Prealps.
Geography
File:Monte_della_Guardia_ometto_di_vetta_sfondo_Monte_Bertrand.png
The mountain stands on the main chain of the Alps between Tanaro and Arroscia valleys. It belongs to the province of Cuneo, in Piedmont, and is located on the border between the municipalities of Ormea and Caprauna, not faraway from Liguria.1:25.000 map of Istituto Geografico Militare (IGM), on-line on [http://www.pcn.minambiente.it/viewer/ www.pcn.minambiente.it]
= SOIUSA classification =
According to the SOIUSA (International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps) the mountain can be classified in the following way:{{cite book
| last = Marazzi
| first = Sergio
| authorlink =
| title = Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA
| publisher = Priuli & Verlucca
| series =
| year = 2005
| language = Italian
| page =
| doi =
| isbn = 978-88-8068-273-8
}}
- main part = Western Alps
- major sector = South Western Alps
- section = Ligurian Alps
- subsection = Prealpi Liguri
- supergroup = Catena Settepani-Carmo-Armetta
- group = Gruppo Galero-Armetta
- subgroup = Costiera Galero-Armetta
- code = I/A-1.I-A.3.a
Geology
File:Monte della Guardia croce su anticima SW.png]]
The area of Monte della Guardia is characterized by triassic limestone.{{cite book | language = it | title = Bollettino del Club alpino italiano | year = 1900| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=gy3xgJITcgMC&q=%22monte+della+guardia%22%22armetta%22 | pages = 86 | access-date = 2019-03-06 }} Towards monte Armetta, on the slopes facing the Tanaro valley, stands a large cave known as Grotta dei Dighè{{cite book | title = Le grotte d'Italia organo ufficiale dell'azienda autonoma di Stato delle R. Grotte demaniali di Postumia | pages = 116 | publisher = Mondaini | year = 1927 | author = AA.VV. | language = Italian | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-Yns9sB1HeAC&q=%22monte+della+guardia%22+armetta | accessdate = 5 June 2019 }} or Garb del Dighea. It was surveyed at the end of the 19th century by entomologists that detected an interesting troglofauna with Plectogona sanfilippoi, subsp. Digheae, an arthropod endemic of Tanaro valley.{{cite web | language = Italian | url =https://www.alpicuneesi.it/itinerari/valletanaro/0113.htm |accessdate = 2019-06-04 | title = Colle di Caprauna - Monte Armetta}}
Environment
The northern side of the mountain fells with overhanging cliffs towards the valley of Tanaro river, while its gentler southern slopes are mainly covered of woods.
Access to the summit
The summit can be easily reached with a short diversion from the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri, a long-distance trail from Ventimiglia (province of Imperia) to Bolano (province of La Spezia) which flancks the mountain on its Ligurian Sea side.{{cite web | url = https://alpioccidentali.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/monte-della-guardia-m-1654-monte-armetta-m-1739-m-dubasso-m-1538-da-caprauna/ | language = Italian | title = Monte della Guardia (m. 1654), Monte Armetta (m. 1739), M. Dubasso (m. 1538) da Caprauna |accessdate = 2019-06-04}} In wintertime the northern slopes of Monte della Guardia offer some interesting icefalls.{{cite book | pages = 69 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=69MvwVuHJT8C&q=%22monte+della+guardia%22%22caprauna%22&pg=PA68 | language = Italian | chapter = Valle Tanaro | title = Cascatea | first = Mario | last = Sertori | publisher = BLU Edizioni | year = 2004 |isbn = 9788887417951|accessdate = 2019-06-04}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{commons category-inline|Monte della Guardia}}
{{Portal|Italy|Mountains}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:della Guardia, Monte}}
Category:Mountains of the Ligurian Alps