Affluent Ascona

January 18, 2017 -- We had really been wanting to go on a long winter walk high up in the middle of the Alps, but although the forecast was for lots of sun, temperatures were at -15 degrees with a fairly strong and cold NE wind, so the obvious choice was to go South again.

South of the Gotthard Tunnel had also received snow, and even though the further South you go the less snow remains, at Lake Maggiore near Locarno there was still a smattering left on the shady spots (also slick and icy) and for this area also cold at about +6 degrees, although still better than -15!

On the Maggia Delta just across the river from Locarno is the lovely lakeside town of Ascona, popular with tourists in summer and a magnet for wealthy people, as it is almost like living on the Italian Riviera... in fact, from here it is only 10 km to the Italian border.

We only did a little walk this time, 5 km high along the West Shore of the lake above Ascona, an area I had not been before. Somehow it reminded me a little of Hollywood. But very pretty and so much to see! 

Highlights were a villa for sale for about $8M and a restaurant in Ascona that sells cheeseburges and fries for about $30:  An American diner with definitely non-American prices! (It claims to be the place to see and be seen!)

The "Riviera" as seen from the other side of the lake (Monte Gambarogno)

Relatively short walk this day, 1.5 hours, 5 km, from Ronco to Ascona

On our train ride from home to the South, the sun is shining but it's COLD!

Heading up with the bus toward Ronco, this is a typical church structure

From Ronco overlooking the Maggia Delta to the North (our destination)

The reluctant photographer.

 

So many palm trees here. These are special palms that can withstand low temperatures.

Below is the Church at Ronco, where we started our hike. View South along Lago Maggiore to Italy.

View North to the Maggia Delta and Ascona.

There was snow here and it still remains in the shady spots.

Lots of high end homes here.

Lots of villas and high end homes here.

This villa was for sale for about $6-8M

 

A little Robin Redbreast on our path

A whole series of stairs took us down through the properties to the lakeshore.

Near the lakeshore on Lago Maggiore

Ascona on Lago Maggiore, with Ronco on the hill in the back.

Approaching Ascona.

Approaching Ascona.

Ascona on Lake Maggiore

Ascona

Ascona

Ascona

In Ascona

In this restaurant called Papa Joe's, you can buy American Burgers for about $30

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.