Alpine passes trail Nr 6

We started the day by crossing the Goms suspended bridge : 280m long and 92 m above the Rhône. In the village of Ernen, a fresco (considered to be the oldest of its kind) depicts William Tell’s most famous moment.
Then it was a long hike up a couple of valleys until we found a suitable camping spot at the foot of the next pass.

Notre journée a commencé par la traversée du pont suspendu de Goms, perché à 92m en-dessus du Rhône et d’une longueur de 280m. Dans le village d’Ernen, on trouve ce qui est considéré comme la plus ancienne fresque montrant Guillaume Tell.
Ensuite, ce fut la longue montée, par deux vallées, jusqu’au lieu de notre campement, au pied de notre prochain col.

After a 4 hour hike down into Airolo and up Val Bedretto, we reached Capanna Corno-Griess. Its architecture is surprising and, looking back towards it the next day, it looked a bit like a spaceship.
The weather forecast was for storms from about 2 pm, so we had an early start. Menacing clouds were pouring in from Italy as we reached Corno pass and Griess lake.
We found shelter in Fiesch and decided to stay there 2 nights, while the stormy front passed.

It was going to be a long day, as we had to start from the bottom again – via another path – hike through two passes before reaching Capanna Cadagno. This mountain hut has recently been beautifully renovated and is widely known for its delicious cuisine.

At Porta Crocera, the first pass which overlooks Acquacalda, a ProNatura centre, we were lucky to catch the last white wild lily. They are in full bloom in early July and cover entire fields. Down and back up to Passo del Sole.

 

Le dernier lys sauvage

Cette journée allait être longue puisque nous devions à nouveau commencer depuis le village – par un autre sentier -, passer par deux cols avant d’atteindre la Cabane Cadagno. Celle-ci a été magnifiquement rénovée et est célèbre dans toutela région pour sa délicieuse cuisine.
A Porta Crocera, le premier col, qui surplombe Acquacalda et son centre ProNatura, nous avons pu voir le dernier lys sauvage de la saison. Ils fleurissent au début du mois de juillet et couvrent des champs entiers. Descente puis remontée sur le Passo del Sole.

Leaving the cabin, we headed due south, via waterfalls, wild rose bushes and mountain farms, where we bought delicious cheese, to reach the pretty village of Olivone, in Val Blenio. We had the menu of the day in the local osteria and met a very friendly lady. So, when finding ourselves stuck half way up the hill by chopped trees that made the path invisible, we knocked on her door and she was kind enough to host us for the night.

The Greina plain almost disappeared : in 1957, two hydro-electrical companies wanted to build an 80 m tall dam. There was public outcry against it, a foundation, “Save the Greina”, was created with strong popular support and years of battles ensued. Finally, in the mid-80s, the companies gave up on the project and the plain was saved.

It is a stunning place, a wide open plain, almost entirely surrounded by high mountains, a stream flowing through, having come out of a small canyon, and becoming a waterfall. There is a mountain hut perched on a promontory. Marmots run around, swallows fly by.
We had a picnic with a wonderful view about half way down into the plain. The cabin da Terri is visible on the photo.
We then moved on to our next hut.

Choosing the ibex, the symbol of the canton, for the first photo seems appropriate on the day we leave Graubünden to enter Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland.
After a climb of 1,000 m up the mountain, we reached our first pass of the day and discovered the plain of the Greina, a beautiful place (worthy of a separate post, to follow).
The second pass led us down, sliding on snow, to Capanna Scaletta (2205 m), our first mountain hut, after 3 nights in our tent. The delicious smell of the stew simmering away confirmed we had arrived in Ticino.
We rewarded ourselves with a beer on the terrace, overlooking the valley, the next day’s destination.

Bun di !
Shortly after leaving Coire, we entered one of the romansh-speaking areas of the canton. It is a Latin-based language, close to Italian and French and Ladin, one of the dialects of Northern Italy. It is Switzerland’s fourth national language.
Val Lumnezia is an agricultural valley. Typical Romansh villages (although architecturally different from the Engadine) and tiny huts are scattered on the high plateaux.