Monte Cimetta above Locarno, and a hike to Mergoscia

Monday January 4, 2016 -- Just as we got our first snow North of the Alps and forecast for cold cold weather, we got in one more real hike in the South, in the area where we have been doing lots of hiking lately.

Locarno's local mountain is called Cimetta, and its highest point (1670m), is reachable by funicular, cable car and lastly a chair lift.... in normal years it also snows up here, but this year there is only a little snow and ice left on the North side of the hills from an early October snow. 

We quickly changed our original plans to climb the higher mountain behind it, for fear of finding ourselves on icy trails (plus the wind was really cold up here), and decided to stay on the sunny side walking along the flank to a little gathering of buildings called Monti di Lego before heading down the mountain to Brione above Locarno. Amazingly, it's almost like spring here, so balmy, and the japanese cherries are blossoming. 

As soon as spring really rolls around though, we are going up again, up the higher mountain....

First we take the funicular from near Locarno train station to Orselina, then a cable car to Cardada, then a chair lift to Cimetta.

The beautiful Madonna del Sasso (Madonna of the Rock) Church in Orselina. From here we continue by cable car.

Below is Cardada, we are on the way to Cimetta on the Chair Lift.

We have hiked all over those hills behind me in the last couple of years. To the left is the Centovalli, to the right at the back is the Onsernone Valley, and right behind me is the Maggia Valley. 

View from Cardada-Cimetta, top photo is to the West, bottom photo to the South.

Below left is the Maggia Delta in Locarno, and this is Lago Maggiore

From the viewing platform: On the left is the mountain we had wanted to hike up today, but we were unsure if the paths were icy on the North side. So we went down along the flank of Mount Drosa instead, and walked to Monti di Lego before walking back down into the valley. 

Below is Alpe Cardada, a restaurant and hostel. From there we continue to Monti di Lego.

Along the way are a couple of other groupings of Rustico homes.

Arriving at the clearing that is called Monti di Lego.

Chapel at Monti di Lego

At Monti di Lego. The view across the Maggia Delta is wonderful.

Chapel at Monti di Lego

Building with Lego at Monti di Lego! (Lego in Italian means to join together)

It was so peaceful and balmy here, we didn't want to leave. 

From Monti di Lego you can also look North into the Verzasca Valley. Our original plan was to walk to Mergoscia, the village straight ahead, but that meant an hour on the shady side of the mountain, so we changed plans again and walked down to Brione (Locarno) on the South side of the Mountain.

Descending through the forests, we pass a couple of mountain hamlets.

Most of the 700m descent is through the Ticino Beech and Chestnut forests.

 

This interesting boulder along the historical trail is one of the most important rock carvings discovered in the entire Alps, with its 224 carved crosses. Experts are not quite certain about its meaning, probably a way to claim the area as Christian territory. 

Behind me the Magadino Plain

Arriving in Brione above Locarno.

Beautiful stone houses and flowering trees (January 4th!) here in the Ticino.

Beautiful houses and flowering trees (January 4th!) here in the Ticino.

In Brione above Locarno, where we can catch a bus back to the train station. 

Interesting sculpture in Brione. 

View across Locarno and the Maggia Delta from Brione. 

Our 12-km, 3.5-hour hike from Cardada Cimetta (1670m) to Brione (430) via Monti di Lego

These are all the hikes we have done in this area in the past 3 1/2 years!

First Hike of 2017: Beyond the Fog High above the Linth Valley to Glarus

Sunday January 1, 2017 -- Snow is in the forecast, but not yet on the 1st of January. The fog is still thick in most of the lowland areas, but not as high as the days before. There are still cable cars running to places above the fog (or shadowy valleys) where we can hike (well actually, the cable cars are running to places where people are supposed to be skiing). We have to take advantage of this opportunity to work toward our goal of hiking Switzerland's 60,000 km of officially marked trails....

This Sunday Afternoon walk in the Linthal Valley on the first day of the new year was not even a 2-hour train ride for us, so we had finished our 13-km hike and gotten back home before end of daylight, which is not usual for us. But it worked out perfectly because although the hillside we walked was mostly in the sunshine, our destination train station in the town of Glarus in the valley bottom was completely in the shadow of the steep mountains by 2:45 p.m. 

An interesting fact: Lake Klöntal above Glarus is hidden in the shadow of the mountain for two months in winter (it will see sun only in February again). Because there has been no snow this year but it's been cold, this lake as well as a few others have experienced black ice, a phenomenon not seen here for 10 years. 

Luchsingen Cable car in the Linth Valley to take us up the hillside to the start of our hike.

Luchsingen Cable car in the Linth Valley to take us up the hillside to the start of our hike.

Hiking above the Linth Valley. These guys are having breakfast on their sunny terrace, how wonderful!

Hiking above the Linth Valley in the sunshine. This view is South to the back of the valley, but we are walking North.

Walking North above the Linth Valley in the sunshine. Down below the villages are in the shadow of the steep mountains.

Down below the village of Schwanden, at the entrance to the Sernf Valley (at the end is the village of Elm)

More warm picnic weather on the first day of the new year in the Linth Valley.

Along the way is this little hamlet called Schwändi, it reminded me of a field of sunflowers all turning their faces toward the sun.

On the approach to Glarus you can see where the fog starts (or ends, however you look at it).

 

The fog further North in the valley is like a wall.

The town of Glarus below, is almost completely in shadow from the steep mountain, at about 2 pm.

In Glarus (where we got back on the train) is this great sculpture, called "The Caring Hand"

In Glarus (where we got back on the train) is this great sculpture, called "The Caring Hand"

Total hike including to the cable car base station was 13 km, we did it in 3.5 hours.

Last Hike of 2016 -- Sun up High above the Fog on Mt. Rigi

December 31, 2016 --  So little snow and so much fog, if you want sunshine at this time of year you have to go into higher elevations, above 900m or so. At much higher elevations the winter walking trails just don't have enough snow for that magical winter quality I am hoping we still get before the end of the winter season... but the regular hiking trails can be dangerous if there are hidden icy sections.

Then we remembered that we have our "almost" house mountain, Mount Rigi, rightly named "Queen of the Mountains" because of its accessibility and fantastic panorama views, and only 14 km from home as the crow flies, a mountain we used to spend lots of time on especially in winter when there is snow and great tobogganing but this year not having gone up one single time yet.... and this became the goal of the last hike of 2016.

We mapped out a hike again that would take us along ridges and the sunny flank of the mountain and we were not disappointed. Because of the little snow and sunny exposure the ground was dry and we hiked as we would have in fall. By going up one side and down the other with cable cars, we managed the entire 10-km in the sunshine without walking in the fog, although it wasn't too far below us.

Near the start of our hike on Rigi Scheidegg, you can see the Bernese Alps.

Heading East. Most of the lowlands are in thick fog.

Heading East across the ridge, we turn South below the dark peak on the right.

My favourite peak in the Uri Alps is called Schärhorn (Mount Scissorhorn)

The fog is not far below us.

A small piece of our hike was through a shady forested area.

A small piece of our hike was through a shady forested area.

Having descended from the ridge, we now head West with the central Alps in our sights (Stanserhorn on the right).

Coffee break. The dark peak on the left is unsure of its name, as both communities below it in the valley claim it as their own. So it goes by the name of Vitznauerstock-Gersauerstock.

This is our view until we reach our goal at Hinterbergen. In the back, Mount Pilatus. Lucerne is to the right at the base of Mt. Pilatus.

In the back, the unmistakable Mt. Pilatus.

Below on the left, the cable car station, where we will descend to Lake Lucerne to return home by bus.

Hinterbergen Cable Car to Vitznau on Lake Lucerne.

Descending into the fog.

We started on the North side of the mountain, riding the car to Scheidegg, then walking to the Gätterli Pass, and then Westward to Hinterbergen before heading back home to the North side of Lake Zug. Mount Rigi is mostly known for the Rigi Kulm side, where most of the tourists go.