Two-Day Hike with Overnight at Lukmanier Pass: Day 2, Val di Campo

Monday July 31, 2023 -- After the long day of hiking the day before (5+1 hours, 17 km, those photos are HERE), we had a restful night in our simple room at the Santa Maria Hospice at the Lukmanier Pass, and got up at 7 a.m. for an early start over the next pass planned for the day: Passo di Gana Negra, which we could access on a 90-minute climb starting directly from our hotel.

It was a bit of a surprise when I looked out of my window and saw fog hanging directly over the hillside we wanted to walk on! But we continued as planned, requested a packed lunch instead of buffet breakfast, had our morning coffee and headed out by 8 a.m. Fortunately, the fog had cleared and it was looking like a brilliantly beautiful day. 

We did the climb in 2 hours and luckily on the shady side of the mountain, and were greeted by fantastic views of the surrounding mountains in the sharp morning sunshine. From the pass we then descended the very long Val di Campo, the upper half being an unusual but attractive boulder-strewn landscape. We saw three marmots, and best of all, one single Edelweiss flower, something one doesn't get to see often, and not really expected here in the northern Ticino mountains.

For the lower half of the 3- to 4-hour descent (a long 10 kilometers and 1300m downhill) we always had the Luzzone Dam and reservoir lake in our sights. After the landscape turned to forest, we passed several hamlets and single buildings mostly of the typical Ticino construction. The end of our hike was the village of Campo Blenio at the junction of Val di Campo and Val Camadra, where, for a change, we were much too early for the bus out of the valley. (Or too late for the one we really wanted to take, depending on how you look at it).

The entire hike from the Lukmanier Pass to Campo Blenio traces at 4.5 hours on the map, but we took almost 8 hours to walk it. It was not a difficult hike, but Urs' hip was bothering him, and we had to go slowly. For this long amount of downhill, you really start feeling it in the legs, even if it's not steep. Plus we had done a large amount of downhill the day before as well.

Looking out our hostel window at 7:15, it's very quiet here at the Lukmanier Pass. 

To the East, this is where we plan to walk uphill, and the fog is a bit disappointing. But by the time we started our hike at 8 a.m., the fog was gone. 

Starting our hike at 8 a.m., the sign says 4 hours 15 minutes to Campo Blenio, although it was definitely longer, even though the trail was good. It took us about 2 hours to get to the pass at Gana Negra. 

This country is so small that you often walk along Canton borders. Here on the Lukmanier Pass is the border between Canton Graubünden/Grischun (where Urs is standing and where the hostel is located), and Canton Ticino, where I am standing! Our hike, though, took place in Canton Ticino. 

Heading up the hill now, the sun has not yet come over the mountains in the east. and there is still some fog over Santa Maria Lake. Behind me is the hostel where we spent the night. The main peak in the background is called Piz Rondadura, just over 3000 meters high.

The sign at the pass claims 4 hrs. 15 minutes to Campo Blenio. We walked a bit further, but it was definitely about a 5-hour hike. We took almost 8 hours to complete it, with lots of stops along the way, and slow going. We started at 8 a.m., and got to our bus stop at about 4 p.m. 

At 8:50 there are two buses at the hotel already, spilling the first hikers for the day (and sunshine now, although we were still climbing up the shady side of the mountain). We could not have made it here this early from home on a day trip. We were surprised at how popular this trail was, as several hikers passed us later on. 

Now the sun is shining on the mountains to the South. The pointed peak right of center is called Pizzo del Sole, and there are two hiking trails passing below that peak and ending down at the Lukmanier Pass road. One day we plan to walk there as well. Down below we spotted the hundreds of cows from the day before, just crossing the river (and the road) on the way to pasture. 

Close-up look at hundreds of cows being led to pasture. 

Imagine spending the night in your camper on a parking lot and being woken up by hundreds of cows walking past!

At 9:20 we finally left the shade and got into the sunshine. What a beautiful day for this hike!

The butterflies were busy early in the morning....

After the steepest portion of our hike, a look down what is called the "Vallone di Casaccia", a very impressive ravine. 

In particular I was impressed with this craggy rock formation across the valley. Our map tells us there is a trail on either side, coming from Lake Ritom to the west (right hand side). The pass on the south side of this formation is called Passo del Sole (below Pizzo del Sole) and the pass on the north is called Passo delle Columbe, and right now I really wanted to be over there!

These huge boulders were all over the Vallone di Casaccia

It was totally by accident that I noticed this single Edelweiss flower, as I stepped off the path to photograph the landscape, and saw it on my way back. We were thrilled about this find. We don't see too many edelweiss flowers "in the wild". 

On the other side of the Santa Maria Valley we can see the Bareta Pass where we crossed the day before, and the approximate trail we followed to get to the pass road at Acquacalda below. 

The power lines we saw across the lake the day before, lead all the way up and over the mountains. 

On that rock, Urs and I had taken a long break to eat the first of the sandwiches (two each) prepared for us by the staff at the hotel. I forgot to take a photo of us! But just as we left, a family who had hiked up behind us thought it looked like a good place to also stop for a break! (That peak in the background is Piz Rondadura)

The first of three marmots that we saw along the way. 

Final stretch to the official pass called "Passo di Gana Negra"

We got to the pass at 10:25, which was over two hours, but we walked slowly (we were passed by several others), took lots of photos, and had a long stop for breakfast on a suitable flat rock with a view! 

Here at the pass (2430 meters) we join the official National Trail no.6: "Alpine Passes Trail" which we followed all the way down the valley (Val di Campo). It definitely took longer than 3 hours, although we could possibly have done it faster if Urs' hip hadn't pained him. From here, almost all the other hikers hiked toward Piera, as you can take a bus from there back up to the pass if you came by car.

Walking eastward now down the long Val di Campo, it was a fantastic landscape of unbelievably massive boulders, which all must have come down from the surrounding peaks at some time. 

Some VERY massive boulders! (Do you see me on that boulder?) Interesting here was that on the boulder just below where I am standing is a clean break, where the piece of stone at the bottom broke off from. The summits of the mountain range to the north (always on our left as we descended, to the right) form the border of Canton Ticino and Canton Graubünden. 

More huge boulders

And another spectacular boulder with a piece that broke clean off, as if someone had cut it manually!

Making our way around all the boulders. We had to kind of find our own trail here. 

A surprisingly pretty meadow of blue bell-flowers up here among all these rocks!

In the background is the mountain with the glacier, the Adula Rheinwaldhorn, which we had seen quite a bit the day before. In fact, just below it on the second line of mountains is the Bareta Pass which we crossed on the day before. And along the entire summits of that range of mountains in the back is the border line between Canton Ticino and Canton Graubünden.

In this pond was something I had never seen before: Well, tons of tadpoles, I've seen that, but I have never seen the transition between tadpoles and frogs, as seen here. There were several of them. Most interesting to me was that there were no full-grown frogs anywhere. 

At this point we got our first glimpse of the Luzzone Dam, which was the main attraction for the rest of the way down. 

The second of three marmots which we saw along the way

What a cutie!

11:40, time to stop for lunch

A pretty but very poisonous flower called Monkshood

Third of three marmots we saw along the way. We love the marmots and we always enjoy catching sight of them (We had hoped for some larger wild animals -- Ibex, Chamois.... a perfect playground for them -- but unfortunately didn't see any). 

Down below is a farm called Alpe Boverina. In the background we can see the dam. 

From the farm at Alpe Boverina, it was another 20 minutes to a mountain Hostel called Capanna Boverina, where I was hoping to find a fountain to fill my bottles with ice cold water (which there ended up being, to my pleasure). 

On the way to Capanna Boverina. 

On the left is the hostel called Capanna Boverina. We weren't sure if the building on the right belonged to it, but there were several young people there cooking on the grill with extremely loud music playing. It is one of my pet peeves that people come into the mountains and can't simply enjoy the peace and quiet here, and the fantastic scenery. 

There were far more people here than we expected. All around the building were lots of picnic tables, all full. Apparently there is a parking lot further down the mountain, and people then hike up here (30 minutes) for refreshments. We got here at 12:50, it took us 30 minutes from the farm, instead of 20. We didn't stay long (I filled my bottles with ice cold water, and Urs purchased his ice cold lemon soda, which he prefers over water). 

From Capanna Boverina to our goal of Campo Blenio, normal walking time would be 90 minutes. With our record this day (50% longer than on the markers), we knew that would be about 2-1/2 hours, not counting breaks!  (1 p.m. when we left here, 3:30 p.m. when we got to Campo Blenio!)

A cute building nearby

Close-up of the Luzzone Dam

After a long steep section through a forest, we came to this hamlet called "Ronco di Gualdo". These are not typical mountain houses for this area. One of them had a date of 1573 on it. 

Ronco di Gualdo looking toward the dam.

Ronco di Gualdo, looking up at the forest we just descended.

We also saw lots of interesting fungi along the way. 

The next hillside we came to was called Orsàira. From here the official trail followed the paved road for the next two kilometers, but we were able to follow a side road between the two hamlets here, which gave us a chance to have a closer look at the buildings. (This here would have been an old town fountain). 

Lots of pretty houses to look at 

All kinds of houses in this little hamlet. Many of these old stone houses (Rustici) are being renovated and converted into modern homes. 

Luzzone Dam, closer now

Instead of staying on the road, we found a better trail parallel to it. Heading to the second of the two hamlets up here. 

Looking behind us again. The pass is nowhere in view any more. 

Heading back down to the main road, which we followed for two kilometers. 

It is always a pleasure when red geraniums provide some colour to any of these mountain houses. 

We had two kilometers of paved road to follow before our final descent to the town of Campo Blenio. But it wasn't a problem at all, because it wasn't a hot day, and the scenery was fantastic. 

Passed through one more hamlet called Pianchera, where we detoured for a quick look at the buildings before getting to Campo Blenio. 

We got to Campo Blenio at 15:30. The next bus out of the valley was at 16:16, so we decided to have a quick look around (nothing special here), cross the Orsàira River, visit the church, and walk an additional 20 minutes to the next bus stop along the road, next to the bridge at the Greina Brenno River. 

Church of St.Maurizio and Agatha in Campo di Blenio, from about 1739, although the bell tower is Late Gothic build. The double altar on the inside was quite interesting, and the interior was adorned with a lot of painting on the walls and ceilings. 

From the church side of the river, a look back at the village of Campo Blenio, which is at the junction of Val di Campo which we just descended, and Val Camadra, a popular access to the apparently beautiful Greina Flats, which I have not yet seen. 

A look up the Camadra Valley. In summer there is a bus that takes you up that valley, to a pasture called "Pian Geirett", from where it's a relatively easy walk to the Greina Flats.  

The main river in the Blenio Valley (where we started the day before) is the Brenno River. Here at the bridge where we waited for the bus is a feeder river to the Brenno, called "Brenno della Greina" (Which translates to "Brenno from the Greina"). There was a closed restaurant at the bus stop, and we waited there for about 20 minutes for the 16:15 bus, which was already quite full with people that came down the Camadra Valley. 

These are the two hikes we did on consecutive days, starting at Pian Nara, then over the Bareta Pass to Acquacalda, with the bus to Lukmanier Pass (Passo di Lucomagno) where we spent the night (after first doing another 4-km walk along the Santa Maria Lake). The second hike started at the pass, and continued down the Val di Campo to Campo Blenio. Both hikes were about 5 hours. 

All the hikes we have done in the region of the Lukmanier Pass and the Blenio Valley, as well as the Leventina Valley. This region is immediately south of the south portal of the upper Gotthard Train Tunnel (and vehicle tunnel). The new base tunnel of the Gotthard railway line passes directly below the Lukmanier Pass and exits in the Leventina Valley just north of Biasca. 

Heading out of the Blenio Valley by bus, this is the village of Dangio, where the former Chocolate Factory called Cima Norma used to manufacture most of the chocolate in Switzerland (now no longer in operation, too much other competition). 

A look up the Blenio Valley past Dangio. It has now become quite overcast in the valley near Campo Blenio, so we had perfect timing for the end of our hike. 

Now passing through Acquarossa, we get a look up at the mountain village called Leontica, where our adventure started the day before. 

Location of the Santa Maria Valley in Switzerland (Lukmanier Pass, Val di Campo, Blenio Valley).