High Alpine Hike in the Lake Robièi Region of Ticino

Friday July 17 -- Way at the back of the Maggia Valley are several side valleys, the prettiest of them is without a doubt the Bavona Valley. At the very back of the Bavona Valley is Mt. Basòdino with its Glacier, the highest Glacier in Canton Ticino. And from that glacier as well as other reservoir lakes built for the purpose, water is collected and used for creation of Hydro-Electric power. Also up in this region, at the foot of Lake Robièi's dam, is an interesting hotel built in the 1960's, where we spent the night.

Firstly, to reach this region you either have to hike up the 900m altitude difference (along the trail called Via Cristallina), or take the rather expensive large cable-way (holds 115 people or 8 tonnes.... some heavy machinery for building the dams was transported this way!). We did the latter (and as things turned out, we ended up hiking DOWN the next morning). The most popular hike when you get up here is an approx. 4-6 hour loop called the Glacier Geological trail, but you don't actually see the glacier, so we opted for another loop hike which turned out also to be almost 6 hours, to a nearby lake (Lago Nero) from where we had a most magnificent view of the glacier as well as all the lakes, including the dams, in the region.

North of the Alps it was quite rainy all day, and some of that bad weather was still pressing over the mountains as we started, so our climb was without sunshine, which was fine because the ascent was steep, and best of all, full sunshine up at the lake! It was 7 p.m. by the time we got back to the hotel, and the sun was just disappearing behind the steep cliffs, and we were ready for a really good night sleep, up here with the goats and the marmots and a few other vacationers....

At the very back of the Maggia Valley is the village of Bignasco, which is at the junction of the various side valleys that branch out from here toward NE and NW. This view is up the Bavona Valley where we are headed. Not really liking the clouds hanging low on the mountains where we are going!

Looking to the South along the Maggia Valley where we have just come up by bus (50 minutes from Locarno), the sky is all blue here!

We had an hour to kill in Bignasco before taking the postbus up the Bavona Valley, so we walked over to the Albergo Posta to have a Macchiato, same as on a previous occasion when we were here 

After another 25 minutes in the bus up the scenic Bavona Valley (very full bus!) we get off at the final stop, the large cable car at San Carlo. There are already many people waiting here for the hourly run, because many people come by car, park here, and go up to the lakes for the day. This cable car holds 115 people!

As we start on the 15-minute cable-car ride, we get this beautiful view down the lush Bavona Valley

At the half-way point, the transport car crosses. Machines weighing 8 tons can be transported up to the the reservoir lakes for building and repair of the dams. (On the next day, we walked down this valley) 

Arriving with the cable car at the Robiei Dam. The clouds are still hanging over the peaks of the mountains on the North side

First order of the day is to register at the hotel and leave a few things, before heading on our hike. We were given the room with those windows, with a wonderful view of the Basodino Glacier

Studying the signs... we are heading to Lago Nero, but that is the time if you travel along the road, i.e. the trail we took on the way back. The trail we picked to go UP to the lake is not even marked here... it took us almost 3 hours to get to the lake

The trail we followed to go up to the lake was steep and difficult to ascend. Turns out it was not even an option on the trail markers, only on the map! For most of the way we had to "find" the trail, as it was mostly over rocky terrain. As a result, even though the return went faster, this particular loop took at least 5 hours 30 minutes. We started at 11:30, and got back to the hotel at about 7 p.m.

Heading up the road away from the hotel

The sun is shining on the slope below the Basodino Glacier, where the popular "Glacier Trail" passes, and for a short moment we debated if it wouldn't have been better to go up that way. But we really wanted to see the glacier from above, so we carried on. Ascending the steep hill was better without the sunshine anyway! 

First thing we had to climb this patch of snow, which the other fellows are trying to figure out how to get down from!

A short stop for lunch. Usually we don't eat before a climb, but we also don't usually start our hikes at lunch time!

Already the view is spectacular, even though we are barely above the road!

The climb was difficult at places and we had to find the trail through piled up rocks

Joy if joys, the clouds are dispersing! Down below in the center is Lago Bianco, where our descending trail emerges onto the road, for our later return to the hotel

Way below is the large patch of snow we crossed at the start of our climb. Lago Robièi behind the hotel is just coming into view, as is the reservoir lake called Lago di Zött at the base of the glacier.

The strenuous climb is not a problem when you have this breathtaking view.

Zoomed view of Lago di Zött. This lake is actually only a 30-minute walk from the cable car station

We arrived at a couple of small lakes where I had a 20-minute nap. We've already climbed 450m to get here (almost 90 minutes) still have to climb another 200m to the level of the rock-strewn slopes that we have to cross to get to Lago Nero

Ready to go after my nap!

From here we can see more of Lago Robièi

These little lakes were maybe our favourite part of the hike!

Absolutely stunning landscape, even though it is so very bare

Our hotel below!

More uphill struggle to get to the highest point of our hike, 2530m a. sea level!

VIDEO:

View down on all the lakes

Finally we can see Lago Nero, the goal of our hike. It looks close now, but we still have to cover a large slope of loose rocks

Marking the trail on an interactive map does not take into account the extra time it takes to cross this kind of terrain, having to find our own way across, and testing the rocks to make sure they are not loose!

And finally, our goal (after almost 3 hours)! And yet, before descending, we decided to take a 40-minute detour along the trail at the back of the lake (just to before it goes over the saddle) so that we could view this lake from above, with the Basodino Glacier in the background.

We were thrilled that the skies had cleared, and we had sunshine and a cool wind!

Absolutely incomparable view and totally worth the effort to get up here.

A 40-minute detour to the back of Lago Nero, to where we could also see the Basodino Glacier. The view would have been best from the saddle, but it was another steep climb that we didn't have time to make. The trail to get to this point was a bit tricky also.

VIDEO

Panorama view of Lago Nero

from above the lake

Heading back to our original trail after the detour to the back of the lake

Look at that beautiful sky, which was so dark and somber just a few hours earlier!

Only a handful of people came up this way, but on the easy trail, not along the one we climbed, but rather on the side we descended

Descending back to the paved road, a different view of Lago di Zött and our hotel next to Lago di Robièi (zoomed view)

In plain view on our trail, and I didn't even see it. Urs had to bring it to my attention, the pretty toad enjoying the sunshine!

As we go into higher altitudes, we are still running into gentians, some of the first alpine flowers after the snow has melted

Straight ahead a good view of another of the several reservoir lakes in this area. This one is called Lago dei Cavagnöö

And now we are pretty close to getting back to road level. The trail meets the road at Lago Bianco below.

All the goats being led up to higher pastures, although this seems to be pretty high! The tinkling bells were a nice background noise.

Down at road level, looking back at Lago Bianco as we head toward the hotel.

We're OK with walking along the paved road here, it's almost restful for the feet after all the rocky mountain trails

Looking up the hill, it is incredible that we climbed all the way up there!

Plenty of marmots now in the late afternoon. We didn't see any Ibex, though, which are supposed to be plentiful here.

Spur-of-the-moment decision to leave the paved road and cut across to Lago di Robièi (on an unofficial trail), so that we could also admire this lake from close up. Because the sun is nearing the steep western cliffs, half the lake is already in shadow.

There is a trail all around the lake. After a rather difficult steep and overgrown (unofficial) trail down to the lake, this last portion of the loop trail was easy to do, to get to the dam which is our ultimate goal of the day.

Crossing the dam, now almost fully in the mountain's shadow

Final view of the lonely and barren landscape before heading off across the dam to our hotel.

This loop trail that we ended up doing took us about 6 hours of walking time. We started at 11:30 and got back to the hotel at about 7 p.m. 

To get to this area we first have to take trains to Locarno, then two buses (up the Maggia and Bavona Valleys) and then a 15-minute cable car ride. 

Our original plan for Day 2 after spending the night in the Robièi hotel was to cross into Italy (another 900m climb) and from there back into Switzerland, into the Bedretto Valley. But because we could not be sure if there was snow at the pass (over 2600m) and unsure of the trails on the Italian side, we decided there were too many unknowns, and chose to do something easier the second day, namely walk DOWN back to San Carlo, and then do a second hike along the Maggia River further South.