Forest Hike from Cresciano to Osogna in the Riviera Valley

Wednesday February 21st, 2018 - 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 Riviera Valley. We ascended at Cresciano and came down in Osogna, 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 hillside.... 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 (photos HERE)

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.

Monastero Santa Maria Assunta and a Visit to the Onsernone Valley

(Hike on Dec.9, posted Dec.23...)

December 9, 2017 -- In winter there are still places South of the Gotthard to explore (even though sometimes they also get snow here) like the hillside near Bellinzona where is perched a very old monastery (Santa Maria Assunta sopra Claro) that we see every time we ride past here. The hike up there takes only an hour, so that was the plan for this excursion, and from there we continued North along the hillside past a couple of mountain hamlets, and back down to the valley for our standard 10km 4-hour hike.

After climbing on the steep and windy cobblestone mule trail we were somewhat disappointed to find that the monastery was a closed one, not open to visitors (except the church) as the sisters live here in seclusion. The sisters make and sell their own jams, cookies and honey, but we must have caught them at lunchtime because no one answered the bell.... So after a short peek at the interior of the very old church (Anno 1300) and a quick glance across the valley from this lovely perch, we headed into the cold North wind (but we had sunshine!) along the road and through the forests past a couple of settlements and back down the steep trail into the valley, in order to complete our "requisite" 10 kms... 

Without the wind it would have been a perfect winter hike...

***UPDATE:  One week later this area had about 20 cm of snow, and with this cold weather, not about to melt soon. See further down for photos from the trip we took a week later...

When we travel through this valley we always see the monastery perched on the hill, and I always wanted to walk up there. There is a steep mule path on the far side of the promontory.

The hike starts in Claro in the valley, past the Church in Claro, then up along the mule track.

Monastero Santa Maria Assunta, the oldest monastery in Canton Ticino. 

Here starts the old mule track up to the monastery.

This part was open to the public. The little shop is in the building to the right, but no one answered the bell.

They have their own little charming cemetery here. 

There is a nice view North along the Riviera Valley, but there was a COLD North wind blowing.

We thought we might be able to visit inside the courtyard, but the gates are closed.

So we just continued on our walk along the hillside heading North. This is a view southward.

It took us an hour to walk up to the monastery, and then another almost 3 hours through the forest and back down to the next community

A pleasant surprise was this large open clearing with a scattering of small stone homes: Moncrino

A pleasant surprise was this large open clearing with a scattering of small stone homes: Moncrino

Just before descending into the valley we came across another cluster of homes, where we pulled out our thermos coffee and enjoyed the last rays of sunshine. A goatherd approached us and asked if we had seen some goats. They roam free in the forests and he was collecting them for the winter. We then heard their little bells tingling above us, then to the South, so we called out to him that they were coming... and there they were, whipping along the hiking trail following the sound of his call....

Just above Cresciano (the next community to the North) we headed back down into the valley. By about 2:30 p.m. there was no sun in the valley any more.

Heading back down along the steep forest path to Cresciano at the valley bottom.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

UPDATE: Shortly after this excursion it snowed in the Ticino (caused a bit of chaos as it's not usually so cold here) so no more hiking here for a while. We came this way again eight days later with our Aunt Ruth for a bus excursion and lunch in the Onsernone Valley. Here are a few photos of that excursion. This is one of the wildest Ticino valleys, 22 km long from Intragna, steep and narrow, with hundreds of curves on a very narrow road connecting just 8 small villages which hang precariously on the steep mountainside.

This is one of the curviest roads in Switzerland. We went about half-way to the back of this steep and wild valley and had lunch in the Ristorante Posta in Russo, before heading home again.

Last glance eastward from Intragna along the Melezza River toward Locarno, before heading into the Onsernone Valley.

Bus ride along the curvy road in the Onsernone Valley, heading toward Russo for lunch.

This is Russo, one of several small villages glued to the steep mountainside. This is where we stopped for lunch.

A glance westward to the back of the Onsernone Valley (that mountain is in Italy).

Ristorante Posta in Russo where we had lunch (at the triple-window next to the palm tree)

Lunch at the Ristorante Posta in Russo

Heading back by bus. The juxtaposition of palm trees and snow is always intriguing in this area.

The bus has no problem passing through these narrow passages, but other drivers were not so adroit.

And when you meet head-on along this road, the bus always has the right of way, and the car must find a place to give way....

The road from Intragna to Spruga is 22 km long. We went only as far as Russo.