Round Tour to Passo San Lucio at the back of Val Colla

Wednesday September 1, 2021 -- First hike of September with some very nice weather all over the country, but cold winds forecast for the mountains, which we've experienced before, and it's not pleasant. Did we want to risk it? We chose a safer option for our midweek hike, namely in the Ticino once again, where we were sure it would be warmer.

We hadn't been to the Val Colla near Lugano in many years, and have long wanted to hike from the back of that valley up to the San Lucio Pass on the ridge which forms the border with Italy, so that was the plan and it all worked out wonderfully! But in the Ticino there are not a lot of cable cars, so after a week of barely having to hike uphill (all five hikes on our five-day trip to Valais started with bus rides to the back of the valley, followed by cable-car or chair-lift rides to the starting point of our hikes, and long sections of downhill...) it was a tough uphill climb for us! 477 uphill meters practically straight up, an hour and 15 minutes, and it was warm! But we really earned the view this time.

Another four kilometers on a very nice high trail and we arrived at the San Lucio Pass for a fabulous view down into the Cavargna Valley in Italy! There are two hostels here at the pass, and a very old chapel which unfortunately was locked. Before heading back down, we had something to drink at one of the restaurants. We were able to make a loop tour for another four-hour hike with a total of over 700m of uphill!!!

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As usual, the excursion starts with a very interesting bus ride through many small villages along narrow hairpin turns:

On the way into Val Colla. In the background is Lake Lugano

Near the back of the valley we had to change buses in Maglio di Colla

Our bus connection in Maglio di Colla

In this part of the country there are always many interesting old churches.

Our bus was held up by the "mower". There is no way to pass in these narrow curvy roads, and you just have to wait till the other vehicle moves out of the way!

In cozzo we started our hike. 2hour 30 minutes to the pass (Capanna San Lucio) and then other 1 hour and 15 minutes back down (To the next village over)

We started our hike in Cozzo, a tiny village with a couple of rows of houses, and walked almost straight uphill for over an hour, a total of 480 altitude meters.

Tiny church in Cozzo

Some pretty flowers

The only property we passed on our long hike up the hill 

A bit of a break after a long climb. 

Almost there! We can just make out the high trail we are going to follow

The worst of the climb is behind us, and look at this magnificent view! We really had to work hard for it this time.

Once we reached the high trail (also a themed trail called "Cattle Trail") we had a fairly comfortable 1:15 walk slightly up and down to the San Lucio Pass, with constant view into Val Colla. Obviously the view kept changing, especially as the mountain range from Monte Lema to Monte Tamaro came more and more into view.

This is where we had our picnic lunch

A very nice high trail along the back of Val Colla, to Passo San Lucio

Up ahead is the distinctive massif called "Denti della Vecchia", or "Old Lady's Teeth". We hiked beneath there several years ago.

VIDEO:

Urs walking along the high trail, with the mountain massif called 

"Denti della Vecchia" in the background:

A very nice high trail, and it was not too hot a day for this walk.

Way in the distance we just get a little glimpse of the Monte Rosa Massif in Canton Wallis, where the highest peak in Switzerland is located (Mt.Dufour). 

Zoomed view of the Monte Rosa Massif

Up ahead is the San Lucio Pass, the goal of our hike

This trail is also called the "Cattle Trail" because this valley has earned a reputation for its Highland Cattle... as we were soon to discover.

Our first encounter with the Highland Cattle on the "Cattle Trail". Literally. On the trail. And there is a baby, so we had to do some climbing to the left. We never risk getting close to any cows with babies. 

A look back at the cows after we made a large detour around them!

And this lovely creature is watching us from above!

Near the San Lucio Pass now, this is a look straight up to the peak of Monte Gazzirola, whose flank we were walking all day. 

And then we arrived at the Passo San Lucio, with a fabulous view down to the valleys in Italy.

A fabulous look into the Cavargna Valley in Italy. I am basically sitting on the border between Switzerland and Italy. 

From the San Lucio Pass, we get this magnificent view to the East: This is Italy

Cavargna Valley, Italy

VIDEO:

Panorama of the Italian side of the San Lucio Pass

The San Lucio Chapel is actually in Italy

The chapel was locked, unfortunately, but through the window I could see some wonderful frescoes. It was very disappointing that we could not go inside

The building in the back is called the Rifugio San Lucio, and is pretty well on the border of Switzerland and Italy. The chapel is on the Italian side of the border, as am I at the moment! 

Sitting on the border of Italy

As it was still early in the afternoon and a wonderful day, we decided to stop at the Capanna di San Lucio (on the Swiss side) for something to drink, before descending back to the road with the bus stop. (We decided not to return to Cozzo, but to one village over: Bagno).

Enjoying a nice cold drink at the Capanna San Lucio

This was a really nice set-up for a terrace. No umbrellas needed to provide shade! And protected from the wind. 

Time to head back down the mountain. We returned to Bogno instead of Cozzo, but took a longer way, which was also one hour and 15 minutes. 

Heading back downhill in the Val Colla. The house below is part of Alpe di Cottino. They are the people who farm the Highland Cattle up here. 

A large part of the descent is through the forest. 

Thick lush forests here in Val Colla

Heading back down the mountain. Ahead below are two other villages back here: Colla (from which the valley gets its name) and higher up: Signora (what a cool name for a village). 

Below us slightly to the West we get a glimpse of Cozzo, where we started the hike. We decided not to return there, but rather to the village of Bogno to the East.

The village of Cozzo below on the left. And the red line is approximately the 1 hour, 15 minute ascent we did in the morning!

Down below, at the little church in Bogno, is where we caught the bus to return back out of the valley

A round tour at the back of the Val Calla Valley, to the San Lucio Pass where we go a nice look down into the valleys on the Italian side of the border. About 4 hours total, and altogether over 700m of ascent involved. 

How the hike looks on Google Satellite Maps

Val Colla is in the boot of Switzerland, near the border of Italy