Hiking in Switzerland – Gabrielle and Urs

December 26, 2016

20 Degrees in Switzerland, the Day After Christmas

December 26, 2016 -- As my favourite niece recently so poetically stated: "Southern Switzerland Rocks".... Forget the Canary Islands, our Swiss Riviera has just had the warmest Christmas ever, in some places as warm as 20 degrees!

The phenomenon is due to the North Föhn winds, which bring warm weather South of the Alps, but also a cold North wind, which is what we had prepared ourselves for when we traveled there again the day after Christmas... But shortly after starting on our hike it was clear there was no cold wind blowing, and it didn't take long to lose the jackets and pants. I hiked in a skirt all day until we got back on the train at 3:30 pm, because the valley bottoms are still in deep shadow for most of the day here.

We do many hikes in this area in winter, not only because of the mild weather, but because we see treasures that we might miss in summer, when the dense forests are full of leaves. (Also now with the super tunnel, we are there 30 minutes faster...)

Our hike started in the always impressive Onsernone Valley, but we shortly emerged on the South Flank of the mountain above the communities of Terre di Pedemonte, cleverly having mapped out a hike that provided us with as much sunshine as possible at an altitude high enough above the valley still deep in shadow.

At the start of our hike above the Melezza River, a tributary to the Maggia River which flows into Lago Maggiore

The start of our hike above Intragna at the entrance to Valleys Onsernone and Centovalli. Intragna is in the shadow of the mountain almost all day at this time of year, while at this altitude we have sunshine all day.

Hiking Trails in the Ticino are often "paved" with stones or laid out like staircases. As we walked, sun-loving lizards scooted out of our path left and right, and we were even lucky to have two Chamois (Gemse) cross our path.

Two Chamois crashed through the woods and crossed our path, you don't get to see this often.

Some fun narrow sections with low tunnels.

We were pleasantly surprised when the trail turned a corner and continued as a very narrow path at the base of a steep cliff, with tunnels blasted through the rock to provide access for hikers. I've not yet walked a trail where we had to go on our knees to get through a tunnel! This added a bit of excitement to what we thought would be a fairly non-eventful hike.

Some sections of this trail were along steep cliff walls.

For the first half of the hike Eastward we had great views into the valley: the Melezza River joining the Maggia River below Monte Cardada-Cimetta; Locarno on Lago Maggiore, and Monte Tamara and Monte Gambarogno (where we were last week) in the back.

Enough sun today to warrant sunscreen... and what great views into the valley.

Nice spot for lunch before heading North into Valle da Riei.

Here and there along the way are cute little homes tucked into the forest setting.

At the back of the Valley is a rise, from which you can see into the neighbouring Valle Maggia. In summer, when there are lots of leaves on the trees, you don't see as much.

Descending to the little hamlet called Streccia.

At the back of the little valley of the River Riei there is a hamlet of quaint Ticinese Rustico buildings, a real little peaceful haven. We totally never expected to find this little village tucked away back here.

The little hamlet called Streccia.

Heading back South along the river (or stream) called Riei, we were also pleasantly surprised at how well-laid the trail was, with lovely stone walls and Rustico houses dotting the trail. The late winter afternoon sunshine provides real special lighting here.

Walking out of the Valley of the River Riei.

Back out of the Riei Valley we head East again along the Southern Flank of Monte Zucchero

Back along the Southern Flank of Monte Zucchero (Sugar Mountain) we are doing a detour to view another hillside Church called Oratoria Sant'Anna before heading down into the shady valley to catch our train in Verscio.

Oratorio Sant'Anna on the flank of Monte Zucchero, this is a great look-out point.

Great views from here across Lago Maggiore to Monte Gambarogno where we were a week before.

Enjoying late DECEMBER 26th (!) afternoon sunshine at Oratorio Sant'Anna

Heading down some more wonderfully-laid trails to Verscio, to catch our train back home.

This is the entrance to the Riei Valley where we just spent the afternoon. Walking up this way is a plan for springtime!

Our destination: Train station in Verscio at the entrance of the Riei Valley.

This guy we saw at a goat and llama farm as we got off the bus at the start of our hike.

Our hike for today: Starting in the Onsernone Valley, hiking the South flank of the "Terre di Pedemonte" to the back of the Riei Valley, then back out along the Riei River with a detour to the Oratorio Sant'Anna, before heading down to Verscio to catch the train back to Locarno and through the super tunnel back home.

December 21, 2016

Sunshine on the Shortest Day of the Year

December 21, 2016 -- On this the shortest day of the year, made even darker by the thick lingering fog in our lowlands, we found the light and lots of it, and timed it right to start our hike as the sun's rays inched over the impressive peaks of the Schächen Valley (at 10:30!) providing the comforting warmth I sought and taking the edge off the morning chill.

At the valley bottom it is indeed chilly, not lessened by the fun open cable car ride up to lofty heights, a ride we got to manage on our own after buying tokens from "the lady in the house with the red shutters", just below the bus stop.

Mostly the Schächental High Trail is along an unpaved road, but I had mapped out an alternate trail that I hoped would be snow-free since this side of the valley has received plenty of sunshine in the past few weeks. My adventurous spirit was gladdened that on this mid-December day we hiked a narrow mountain trail snow-free with only two spots where crossing the frozen stream became a challenge.

After 2.5-hours' hiking we enjoyed a hearty lunch on the terrace of our favourite mountain restaurant and then continued on and up to the lookout point, and then through snow-covered forest trails to our destination, the Eggberge cable car summit station, just as the sun disappeared behind the Western Peaks at 3:30 pm.

Let the longer days begin!

Base station of the Tristel Cable Car, we had to operate this ourselves, it was "Token Operated"!

This is the self-operated cable car! It was fun, but COLD!

On the way up, from the cable car

Along the way we had to change cars, into a closed one!

Here's a traffic light and a height warning for when the cable car crosses the road.

Finally sunshine above the fog. It was 10:30 a.m. as the rays finally hit this height.

Walking along the Schächental High Trail

The fog below has its own "charm", mainly knowing we are above it....

We found a mountain trail, that only had a couple of tricky parts to cross

Unfortunately for ski fans, there's not much snow again this season.

Looking South into the Reuss Valley. The fog is lifting.

Approaching the Alpstübli Selez, one of our favourite mountain restaurants.

It was nice and warm to eat on their terrace with the mountain view.

After lunch we headed on to the lookout and from there all the way down to the next cable car at Eggberge in the Reuss Valley.

Hünderegg summit, 1873m.... and no snow.

Looking South into the Reuss Valley as the sun is about to set at 3:30 pm, just before our descent with the Eggberge Cable Car.

Looking North, the valleys are still decked in thick fog.

The 13-km hike from Tristel to Eggberge took us 3.5 hours.

December 14, 2016

First Trip through the new Gotthard Base Tunnel (To Monte Gambarogno)

December 14, 2016 -- As of December 11, the new 57-km Gotthard Base Tunnel is open to trips by the public, so what better idea than to use our maiden voyage through the longest train tunnel in the world to go to one of the remotest and hardest-to-reach places in the Ticino: Indemini near the Italian border, and a hike around Monte Gambarogno. As far as kilometers go, this remote valley is not that far from Locarno, but to get there requires a one-hour bus ride along a steep and winding road.

Till now we could not have done this as a day trip, as there was no connection early enough for us, but the new tunnel cuts our trips down South short by 30-40 minutes, and in this case the connection works in our favour.

The 17-minute trip through the tunnel at 200 km per hour was so smooth you hardly noticed the speed. Plus we left home in the darkness and fog at 6:15, so there wasn't much to see anyway. And once we got to the starting point of our hike at 9:30, we were up in the sunshine while the rest of Northern Switzerland wallowed in thick fog. Yeah for the quicker trips to the South!

The white line is the bus trail; it took over an hour to get to our starting point at Alpe di Neggia. We hiked first to the cross, then to the highest point on Monte Gambarogno, then down to a mountain farm where in summer you can buy cheese and other products made on the farm. Next stop where we had lunch was the Oratorio Sant'Anna whose origins date from the 14th or 15th century, and whose hermit rooms have been converted into a hostel. After 3.5 hours' hike we got to our destination of Indemini, the only traditional Ticinese settlement to be built entirely of stone quarried from the site itself. Before heading back home through the super tunnel, we first had a 1hr+bus ride back down again!

Start of our hike at Alpe di Neggia at 9:30 a.m., looking down at Lago Maggiore at the entrance to the Verzasca Valley

Before reaching the summit, we stopped at the cross for some spectacular views of the Maggia Delta (Locarno)

Heading across the sunny ridge to the summit of Monte Gambarogno

At the summit of Monte Gambarogno, on the border to Italy. The hill at the center is in Italy, and the white peaks on the right are the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps (Dufour Peak and Monte Rosa Massif).