Carì to Molare via Capanna Gana Rossa in the Upper Leventina

Thursday July 17, 2025 -- We actually had two nice days in a row and it would have been ideal to go away for a two-day trip, but after lots of research it became too stressful to book something at short notice. So we decided on two day-trips instead. Both excursions we chose turned out to be quite ideal. 

On this Thursday we headed to the Upper Leventina, which is the region of Canton Ticino (a very large Canton) just south of the Gotthard Tunnel and within the Ticino Alps. Although one usually thinks of Ticino as a Mediterranean-Style region with palm trees and lots of sunshine, the northern part of the Canton offers lots of mountain hiking.

The mountain village of Carì is actually a popular winter resort with two chair lifts, one of which runs only for two months in summer. We have long wanted to ride this chair lift and do a high alpine hike in that region. This was the perfect day for it.

The village is accessed via a very long and curvy road, but fortunately for us, there is bus access from Faido at the valley bottom. (A small bus, because the roads are narrow with many switchbacks!). From the restaurant at the summit station we hiked up to a small lake, then followed a high trail to a very tiny mountain hut (accommodation for 12 people maximum) called Rifugio Gana Rossa, and then descended to the next village below Carì, called Molare. We had great views and ideal weather, certainly not too hot; in fact, it was almost too cold at the lake!

After a two-hour trip from home, we had to wait here in Faido, south of the Gotthard Tunnel, for twenty minutes for our bus up the mountain. Across the street from the train station is this old hotel, no longer in use. 

An old photo of what the Faido train station and surroundings look like between 1895 and 1914. Because of the construction of the Gotthard tunnel (completed in 1882), Faido was a bustling tourist center at the time. 

This is the small bus which took us up the mountain to Carì. There were only four of us on the bus, and we were the only ones to travel to the end of the line, a full 40-minute trip from the train station. 

The bus passes the Post Office building as it travels through the main part of Faido Town. 

The reason it takes so long for the bus to get to Carì is because it takes a detour to another mountain village fürther to the south, called Tengia. On the way there, we pass this fabulous church in Rossura. (We visited the church on a hike through here in 2014). 

The bus takes a long detour to a village called Tengia, before returning via Rossura to the road that zigzags up the mountain. We ended a hike here in May of 2024, and caught this same bus back down to Faido. (Those photos are HERE). 

And now, heading back from Tengia, another look at the church (St.Lorenzo) in Rossura, with the beautiful backdrop of the d'Alpe High Plateau.

The road up to Carì is a long series of switchbacks. 

View down the Leventina Valley, as the bus heads up the mountain. 

Up ahead is the resort village of Carì, end of the line for the bus, and from where we are taking a chair lift about 300 meters further up the mountain. 

From this height we can see down onto the high plateau of d'Alpe, where we ended a hike in September of 2022 having crossed the Vanett Pass at the arrow, from Lake Tremorgio on the other side. 

We got to the base station of the chair lift in Carì at 10:25, just five  minutes before it stops for a 30-minute pause. 

We were the only people riding the chair lift at this time! The chairlift operates only in July and August in summer (and then again in the winter months), so we wanted to take advantage of this before the summer is over!

After about seven minutes, we get off at the station next to the Brusada Restaurant. The lake we are headed to (Lago di Carì) is in the depression seen above the restaurant. It is another 300-meter climb to there. 

This is the patio terrace at the Brusada Restaurant. As it was only 10:36, we assume that more people will be here for lunch. Also, as this is more popular as a ski area, it will be busier in winter!

We had planned to have coffee here before heading off on our walk to the lake. There was a cold wind blowing, so we didn't stay long.

To the north is the Gotthard Massif, which forms the border with Canton Uri to the north. 

Starting just before 11 a.m., we walked 300 meters uphill to the lake (Lago di Carì), which took us only about 45 minutes. It was cold at the lake, so we continued soon afterwards, visited the Gana Rossa Hostel, and walked down to Molare, which we reached at 16:20, about 25 minutes early for the long bus ride back to Faido. 

Heading off on our hike up the mountain. In the background you can see the Gotthard Massif on the right (where the train travels beneath the mountains in a 15-km tunnel from Göschenen in the north to Airolo in the south). Right above Urs' head is a pass called Passo Vanett, which we descended from in September of 2022. 

This view is to the bottom of the valley where the Ticino River flows south down the Leventina Valley. Also, the highway runs there.

Heading up to the lake. It took us under an hour to walk up here. 

A convenient bench near the lake. As it was shortly before noon, we had our picnic lunch here, but we didn't stay long, as it was quite cold. 

After a 10-minute break or so, we continued on our walk. With the exception of a group of teenagers who hiked up before us and stayed at the lake, we only encountered a handful of people along the trail. 

A zoomed view of the Vanett Pass to the west, which we crossed in September 2022. We believe that the snow-covered mountain at the back is the Basòdino, the only glacier in Canton Ticino. 

Panorama view of the lake.

Heading up from the lake to continue on our walk. 

This is the summit station of the second half of the chair lift, the upper part above the Brusada restaurant. 

A look down at the Brusada restaurant where we started our hike. 

And this is the high trail which continues fairly level till the mountain hut called Rifugio Gana Rossa. 

Looking behind us to the Gotthard Massif. 

Directly below us now is the resort village of Cari, just to the right of center. On the left is a little hamlet called Carì di Dentro, which we passed through later on our way down (coming out of the forest on the left). This entire clearing is called Alpe di Carì.

Still a few flowers at these higher elevations (we are at about 2300 meters above sea level). 

Enjoying the high trail. Easy to walk, and the weather was perfect, not too hot. 

Cute little bird, but I could not discover what kind of bird it is!

Final stretch before reaching the hostel. We will return along this path and then head down toward the left. 

This tiny building is called the Rifugio Gana Rossa. It can accommodate only 12 people! Also, there is a pass just above the hostel, from where you can descend into the Santa Maria Valley. It would only take about 20 minutes to reach the pass, but we didn't have time for that detour. We did want to have a closer look at the building, though. 

We had a look into the refuge hut and were quite astounded at how tiny this was. The 12 people who might spend the night here have two squeeze into two four bunks with three mattresses each! Also, everyone does their own cooking. I think it might get a bit crowded in here! Opposite the kitchen area were two large tables with benches. 

Before heading down the mountain now, we went to have a look down at this other pretty little lake, but did not actually go down to it. 

Down below is the trail we are following! We love these kinds of trails. On the left is a high moor and nature reserve. This whole region is a large alpine clearing called "Alpe di Vignone". 

Far up above us you can just barely make out the little hostel. We are heading down to a large Alpine meadow called Alpe di Vignone. 

We were hoping there would be a bench here at this little building, but there was none, so we sat on a rock on the shady side of the building for a while deciding which of the two trail options we had here to get to Molare: 1) a mountain trail to the south approaching from the east (1 hr. 20 minutes), or two long forested sections heading west via Cari di Dentro and approaching from the north (1 hr. 10 minutes). Urs wanted to do the forest trail. 

The forest trail was very pleasant, soft and sun-dappeled. We left Alpe di Vignone at 2:45 p.m., and walked for about 35 minutes mostly through this forest before reaching Alpe di Carì to the west. 

After crossing a little river, we reach another high alpine region called Alpe di Carì, just above the little hamlet Carì di Dentro, which we had seen from the trail above (approximately where the red line is) and had wanted to have a closer look at. The peak behind Urs is called Gana Rossa, which is why the hostel is called Rifugio di Gana Rossa. 

Ahead of us is the little hamlet of Carì di Dentro. 

Walking through the hamlet called Carì di Dentro. 

The little hamlet called Carì di Dentro. 

What a great location for this little hamlet, with the fantastic view down the Leventina Valley. 

The goal of our hike is the village of Molare, where we had started another hike back in May of 2024. It is now 3:30 p.m., and the bus heads past Molare at 16:38, so we still have plenty of time, as it is only another 35-minute walk from here. 

I was out of water and very glad to find a fountain with nice, cold fresh water to fill up on!

There are always rivers and streams to cross!

From here we can see the Gotthard Pass road to the north. 

Another long section through the forest, and we approach the town of Molare from above. 

When we started a hike here in Molare in May of 2024, we had a look at the church interior at the time (Parish Church of San Giacomo), but we had plenty of time so we looked inside again.

Inside of the church of San Giacomo in Molare. 

Other details of the church interior. The inscription on the stone tile in the floor indicates that the church was built in 1419. 

Even though this is Canton Ticino, there are often many houses in the Wallis style, because long ago, the Wallis peoples migrated from southwestern Switzerland toward the east. 

Waiting for the bus now at the west end of the village of Molare. On the left are the houses of Carì, where we started our day's excursion with a chair-lift ride to above the tree-line. From here you can even see the depression where the lake is. There was only one other passenger, a young boy with lots of questions for the driver!

On the 40-minute ride down we passed through several villages, including that one called Campello. 

Another look down at the valley bottom of the Leventina Valley. The Ticino River flows down there. 

Many such hairpin turns

Afternoon light now on the St.Lorenzo church in Rossura, as the bus takes the detour to Tengia again. 

Here in Tengia, another hiker boarded the bus for the final stretch down to the train station in Faido. (We reached the train station at 17:18, and had to wait 20 minutes for the train back home, about a two-hour trip from Faido. 

All the hikes we have done in the region of the Upper Leventina. The dark-blue trail is the one we did this day, starting at the top of the chair-lift, hiking to Capanna Gana Rossa and then down to Molare. The narrow red trail shows the winding road that the bus takes from Faido to Carì and back. 

Location of the upper Leventina Valley within Switzerland.