Christmas Eve Day Winter Hike in Lenzerheide

December 24, 2017 -- This year, there has been lots of snow, not like the past two years. But the way the Alpine weather works (or so it seems), the warm Fön wind blows from the South and sends rain to melt the snow and turn it to mush. So in between, when the weather is nice, and especially after it has just snowed again, you have to take advantage of the winter landscape.

On Christmas Eve Day we had such weather, but the snow at lower elevations was pretty soft. So we went into the ski hills for our winter walk, which isn't always ideal, because the walking trails often cross the ski runs, and you have to be very careful... and also at the ski restaurants, the music blasting extra loud out of specially-mounted speakers carries far and rather ruins the peaceful landscape. (I still don't understand the necessity of the loud music on the ski hills in winter...)

On the Lenzerheide Panorama Trail we had a bit of both: Bothersome music at the start as we got off the cable car from Churwalden in the valley bottom, but after crossing the ski runs and walking around the first hill, we settled into the peaceful landscape. I was thrilled that the snow had not fallen off the branches yet, so we got to enjoy that "Winter Wonderland" on this splendid sunny day. 

The entire panorama trail was only about 7 km long, so after a lovely meal of local Grisons dishes in the mountain restaurant, we opted to walk the additional 3 km downhill to Lenzerheide instead of taking the chair lift. By this time of the afternoon (2:30 pm) this side of the valley was in shadow, but it was a pleasant descent none-the-less....

Our tour started with a cable car ride from Churwalden

Arosa/Lenzerheide is a popular ski area (Arosa is in the next valley to the East, and the two ski areas are joined by cable cars)

From the Heidbühl cable car station we first had to cross the ski slopes, then walked 7 km to Tgantieni where we had lunch, before descending another 3 km to Lenzerheide

Crossing the ski slopes was a bit tricky

I was glad the trees were still heavy with snow. After one day like this, the snow drops off.

 

The trail is well-groomed and easy to walk on.

It was a very beautiful and enjoyable winter walk on the Lenzerheide Panorama Trail. 

Taking a coffee break looking down at Lenzerheide.

There was a little restaurant here, but we had a different one in mind, at the end of the Panorama Trail. (The peak in the back is Mount Lenzerhorn)

This is the little restaurant we DID NOT stop at. (Spoina). Although the terrace sure looked inviting!

There were a couple of fairly steep sections. It is definitely easier to do this in summer.

The mountains in the background are called the Parpaner Rothorn, Weisshorn and Schwarzhorn, and behind them is a fairly new cable car that you can ride into the next valley over. It connects the two ski areas Lenzerheide and Arosa.

Below is the city of Lenzerheide. Our walk down took us past the reservoir lake.

At the Restaurant Tgantieni for a super lunch, local dishes. What I had is called Pizzocheri, it's a pasta made with buckwheat. In this area they speak Romansch, the only place in the world it is spoken (in Canton Grisons). "Bainvegni" is Romansch for "Welcome"

Last rays of sunshine before heading down the shadowing hillside to the valley. It's 2:30 pm.

Across the valley, Mount Parpaner Rothorn. That is a restaurant up there. (Accessed by cable car, of course).

7 km on the Lenzerheide Panorama Trail from Heidbühl to Tgantieni, then 3 km downhill to Lenzerheide. On the map you can see all the ski lifts including the one at the top right which takes you into the Arosa Valley to the East.

First Real "Winter" Hike near the San Bernardino Pass

December 20, 2017 -- I've never been to the San Bernardino Pass but it's a hike we plan for the summer of 2018. The pass road from the Mesolcina Valley to the Hinterrhein Valley is closed in winter, but vehicles can pass from one valley to the other via the 6.5-km long San Bernardino tunnel, entering from the South at the resort village of San Bernardino.

The fastest way for us to get there is to first go South through the Alps, then North again by bus along the Moesa river, past the village of Mesocco and up toward the pass. 

There are two loop trails advertised as "winter hikes" (which means the trails are prepared for easy walking with pink sign posts that make it impossible to go the wrong way) and we started with the 4-km Pont Nef loop to the North, advertised as "probably the most beautiful and varied route in San Bernardino". We were rather surprised, though, that there were no direction markers, and we had to rely on our Internet map and GPS to make sure we went the right way. And the trail was covered in snow drifts (the North wind was blowing cold!) and we sunk to our knees at places... Not quite what we expected from an official winter trail.

Back in San Bernardino we inquired at the Info Center. "The Pont Nef Trail....." we stated, and the man there, without awaiting our question, finished off our comment: ".... opens tomorrow".  Ah, well that explains a lot... (we joked about us "blazing the trail" for the next winter hikers!)

The second (6 km) loop to the East of the Village was better prepared, a wide track crossing the ski hill and descending through ideal winter forests, but the climb into the North Wind was harrowing. But still and all, the winter panorama in the Alps is always magnificent. 

Interesting Note: The prominent mountain here, Piz Uccello (translates to Bird Mountain or Vogelberg in German) is so distinctive that in the past, the pass used to be called "Mons Avium", Latin for Bird Mountain Pass. There are mineral baths here which used to be a favourite destination for wealthy Italians. 

Heading into the Mesolcina Valley by bus from Bellinzona

Mesolcina Valley, Canton Grisons

 

In the Mesolcina Valley. Here and there are palm trees in the snowy landscape!

Arriving at our destination: Village of San Bernardino South of the San Bernardino Pass

Starting in the village center, we first did the 4 km Pont Nef Loop, which is above the San Bernardino Tunnel. It took us an hour and a half, because we broke through the snow a lot.

Heading up the San Bernardino Pass Road, which is only cleared up to the camping ground. After that, the winter trail follows the Pass road for the first half of the loop. The distinctive mountain on the left is Piz Uccello (Bird Mountain)

It was a gorgeous day but there was a very cold North Wind blowing!

At the top of the loop is the bridge from which the trail gets its name: Pont Nef (=New Bridge) built in 1864 (financed by the Kinf of Sardinia) to replace an old decrepit one. Too bad we can't see it better.

At this point we can't tell which trail to take. Our map showed the one to the left, but on that one we ran into deep drifts, so we back-tracked and took the lower one.

Heading back to San Bernardino. (Our second hike after returning to the village is above the forested area up ahead)

Several sections of the trail were covered with snow drifts like this one. Makes it hard to judge how deep you will sink in!

Just before getting back to San Bernardino, we glanced behind us to the North, for another look at Piz Uccello.

We had a picnic lunch on the steps of this church, which unfortunately was locked. From here we headed South through the village for another hike on this hillside.

The second loop was 6 1/2 km and took us 2 hours 15 mins. Uphill into the North Wind was tough.

Nothing more beautiful than dense forests thickly coated in snow.

This view is to the North, toward the San Bernardino Pass, with Piz Uccello on the right. The low strip of clouds is apparently a common phenomenon here, as the air gets pushed southward from the Hinterrhein Valley to the North.

Near the San Bernardino Pass

"Alp de Pian Doss", the last sunny portion of our hike before heading through the shady forests back down to San Bernardino. It is 2:30 pm.

Looking South down the Mesolcino Valley on our bus ride back to Bellinzona.

Two winter trails (loops), total 11 km, takes about 3 hours 45 minutes total. 

To get to the San Bernardino Pass, we travel South through the Alps (longest railway tunnel in the world) to Bellinzona, and from there Northward by bus through the Mesolcino Valley. 

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.

 

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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.