Hiking in Switzerland – Gabrielle and Urs: February 2018

The cold weather and cold winds here are not showing signs of letting up, so as long as the option is available to us, we keep heading South of the Tunnel on our days off, even if it's just for a handful of hours of sunshine. So this past week we did another two trips down (that's a total of four trips in two weeks) for some hiking near a couple of granite quarries, one hike on each side of the Leventina valley, across from each other.

Sunday February 18th - This one was a long hike (11 km), a round tour starting and ending in Lodrino, with a hefty ascent (450m) to a couple of mountain villages perched above the massive quarry on the West side of the Leventina Valley, starting South of the quarry and descending in Iragna North of the quarry. We returned along the Ticino river, which was slightly boring and by that time (3 pm) that area was in shade already. Our favourite part was a series of cellars built into the large boulders (of which there are plenty) in the woods, and each one had a stone picnic table next to it, like a place you come to do your Sunday BBQ instead of having a garden plot like they do here up North...

(See further below for description of second tour)

Above the large granite quarry near Lodrino is the village of Pai, which was our first destination after climbing up from the valley bottom.

Our excursion started at this pretty and typical Ticino waterfall and clear turquoise pools in Lodrino

The Ticino village of Lodrino.

South of us the air in Bellinzona was pretty hazy

This area was full of cellars built under the boulders, and small elevated patios with granite picnic tables.

Until a few years ago, these little structures were small restaurants called "Grotti"

Here's to hoping that spring is just around the corner.... (or is that just wishful thinking?)

After climbing for 45 minutes we made it to above the quarry. This view is to Lodrino, where we started our hike. (Three days later we returned to hike above the quarry on the left of this photo)

Pai

Above the quarry is a smattering of houses in a sunny clearing (this community is named Pai) with a beautiful old stone church/chapel (Oratorio San Martino) dating from the early 13th century. The door was barred but through a small slit I could see very old frescoes on the walls inside.

From the road above Pai, looking down over San Martino church to the Ticino River below.

30 minutes later we reached another mountain village called Sacco, where we "borrowed" someone's granite picnic table to have a coffee break.

This lookout point over Biasca and into the Blenio Valley was the highest point of our tour before descending back into the Leventina Valley

This last village called Citto is in shadow most of the winter. This was 1:20 in the afternoon!

The trail down was very steep, and the destination was Iragna, North of the quarry. From here we headed over to the Ticino River for our walk back to Lodrino.

Checking out the granite tables and fountains on display at "Gottardi Graniti"

The return along the Ticino River was rather boring

One more look at the quarry and the mountainside above (where we walked), at 3 pm already long in shadow.

This 11 km tour took us 4 hours to do

And this was the weather North of the Alps

Wednesday February 21st - This one was a relatively short hike, just over 5 km and only 300m ascent above a smaller granite quarry on the East side of the Leventina Valley. We ascended at Cresciano and came down in Oragna, passing mostly through forest strewn with humungous boulders, a popular area for practicing free-climbing. Our favourite spot this time was a lovely series of waterfalls and pools with stunning rock formations carved smooth by the water, somewhere we'd like to return to in summer for a swim... except we found out from the Internet later that this spot (Boggera River in the Cresciano Valley) is a popular place for canyoning in summer, so we'll have to see just how popular it is....

In the Ticino, the steep trails are usually "outfitted" with steps, either hewn directly into the rock or created by clever laying of stones and stone slabs.

After a short steep ascent we arrive at a community called "Sul Sasso" (translated means "On the Stone") on a pleasant sunny hang.... they must get lots of sunshine here because there were many small vineyards.

The forest was strewn with HUGE boulders, a favourite area for practicing free-climbing.

This was our favourite place, the bottom part of what is apparently a series of pools and waterfalls created by the river Boggera (higher up) where you can go canyoning.

If it had been summer, we would have gone for a cold swim!

Higher up is a gorge replete with such waterfalls and pools, a popular place for canyoning.

This was our planned destination for lunch: The chapel called Santa Pietà overlooking the Ticino River

Picnic lunch on the granite steps of Santa Pietà

From this vantage point we get views South along the Ticino River....

...and views northwest to Lodrino and the granite quarry, above which we walked three days earlier

Zoomed view of the town of Lodrino across the valley, start and end of the 11 km hike we did three days earlier.

Zoomed view of the granite quarry across the valley. The machinery gives an idea of how large the granite blocks really are.

Very happy to be able to enjoy the mild sunny weather in the South.

Our descent to Osogna, where we got on the bus to go back to Bellinzona.

Also here in Osogna is a natural pool (named Pozzon) popular with the locals in summer. Not the same river or canyon, although canyoning is also popular here.

Parish church in Osogna

Colorful handpainted shrine in Osogna, a very pretty piece of artwork

The hike from Cresciano to Osogna was only 6 km, with an ascent of only 300m, but satisfying because we got to enjoy three hours of sunshine and mild weather.

February 14, 2018 -- After about two weeks of no excursions, this week was all about getting away from the colder-than-average February weather in the North to find some +8 deg. weather and sunshine.

Which meant heading South twice in a week! On Sunday we did the short loop hike to the Contra Dam (photos HERE), and on Wednesday we also headed to this area, to walk along the same South-facing slopes but further to the East. This way we were assured some balmy temperatures and an interesting variety of trails. We walked high above the Magadino Plain and the vineyards on a trail aptly called "Via delle Vigne" (i.e. "Vineyard Trail"), with the ever-wondrous juxtaposition of palm trees with snowy mountains as the backdrop.

Each hike we do brings us some surprises, such as waterfalls and clear pools, or a wild-life sighting, or spotting the first flowers (lots of camellias), and tiny lizards scurrying off the warm rocks... a sure sign that spring is just around the corner!

This is the weather near home as we are heading South yet again, twice in one week..

We walked about 8 km along the "Via delle vigne" between Sementina and Cugnasco

"Fortini della Fame" and the "Chiesa Santissima Trinità"

From Bellinzona we took a bus to Sementina and headed up the hill. This is the first interesting sight: A fortification line called "Fortini della Fame" dating from 1850. Our trail took us along the wall on one side of the Sementina River, and the Church is on the other side of the river.

From the "Vineyard Trail" we look down at another historical Church: "Chiesa di San Michele" from the 17th Century.

View across Sementina and Bellinzona

Walking the "Via delle vigne" (Vineyard Trail)

It's still cold enough in the shadows to freeze the spray from the waterfalls

Urs spotted two roe deer (this one is the male with small fuzzy antlers) camouflaged in the woods some distance up the hill. It's these small surprises that make our day!

At the small collection of houses called "Redonda" we had our picnic lunch (on the little bench along the wall at the back). If the owners aren't home, we often use their benches.