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The Trip

Unfortunately, this trip has been cancelled. If you have questions, please contact us.

Traveling in Ticino, Switzerland’s southernmost canton, we will experience Swiss organization and expertise, while enjoying Italian hospitality, attitude, and delicious cuisine. This southern Alps region is separated from the rest of the country by the famous Gottardo Massif and tunnel, Italian is the official language, and it has a mild climate -- there are palm trees around Lake Maggiore. We will take advantage of some of the more than 2,000 miles of hiking trails to explore a variety of landscapes: charming alpine valleys with traditional granite houses, vineyards, chestnut woods, flower-filled meadows, waterfalls, lakes, and a glacier. When not walking, we will travel exclusively by public transportation: postal busses, trains, cable cars, funiculars and a chair lift. With the assistance of Barbara Cattaneo, a Ticinese Sierra Club member, we will learn about the local culture and its historic past, and about ways the people in this region are responding to the challenges to the natural environment with efficient public transportation, imaginative conservation and use of water, their most precious natural resource. Barbara works for the Swiss Travel Bureau and is proud to share her home region.

The trip has a variety of hikes, some more demanding than others. And there will almost always be an enjoyable alternative. For example, in Bosco Gurin, one can stay in the village, explore its quaint museum, take a short walk and enjoy the local excellent apfelstrudel! On most days, we will pack a picnic style lunch and use public transportation to reach our hiking/touring starting point. The focus of this outing is to enjoy ourselves, in leisurely style, and observe a lifestyle different from our own, perhaps with some conservation ideas to take and share at home.

At this time, a second Swiss National Park is being considered for the Ticino area, encompassing some of the valleys we will be visiting. Establishing a national park here has a different concept than US National Parks; we will meet with the project director to learn about the project and the challenges it faces.

Itinerary

This is a suggested itinerary; plans may change due to weather and unforeseen circumstances.

Day 1: We meet each other and our local guide in Bellinzona (accessible from Milan or Zurich) at our centrally located hotel before enjoying a welcome dinner together. Meal: D.

Day 2: Today we start our exploration with Bellinzona's castles, visiting two of these UNESCO designated heritage sites built in medieval times to protect the Ticino valleys and to control tolls and roads. In the afternoon, we can choose to visit a third castle or take a guided tour of the Alptransit center. This new tunnel will be the longest railroad tunnel in the world and will provide faster connections between Ticino and the rest of Switzerland. The site is impressive with explanations of the engineering challenges and the use of the extracted materials. Currently, Ticino is separated from the rest of the country by the famous Gottardo Massif and tunnel. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 3: We take one of the world’s steepest funiculars (87.8% grade) to one of the most intact areas of Ticino, the Piora region, home of numerous alpine lakes. After a walk through lush meadows and rolling hills where cows graze peacefully, we reach the Piora pasture. Here we visit a dairy producing Piora cheese, well known in Switzerland…in fact, so well appreciated that all of it is sold in country. After a tasting, we’ll continue to the Cadagno hut, where we will enjoy a rural lunch before ambling back to the funicular and Bellinzona. Elevation: starting at 6,072 ft., gain/loss of about 1,000 ft. Mileage: approximately 6 miles. Meals: B, L.

Day 4: Today we transfer by train and bus to Bignasco, in the Maggia Valley, approximately a 90-minute journey through scenic country. We will settle into our rural inn before going for a walk through the village where we will see 15th-century houses, a stone granary, shelters built under overhanging rocks and a wolf trap used in the 14th century. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 5: We bus to rural Foroglio in the Bavona Valley. Then we hike to the top of the 260-foot waterfall along a steep trail. From there the trail levels out as we enter the remote Calnegia Valley, accessible only on foot or by helicopter. We stop to picnic at the "Spluia Bela," a huge overhanging rock that forms a natural refuge for people and animals. After lunch we may choose to continue hiking into the Calnegia Valley or to return to Foroglio to enjoy a refreshing gazosa (Ticino’s traditional fizzy lemonade). An alternative plan would be to return to Bignasco by the road along the river. Elevation gain/loss about 500 ft. Mileage: approximately 4 miles. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 6: Today we bus to San Carlo, the highest/last village of the Bavona Valley. This valley has three power stations and three dams providing electrical power. We will take a cable car to Robiei, a region with several alpine lakes and Ticino’s famous Basodino glacier. We will hike to Lake Zott to picnic and admire the view. In the afternoon, we descend for a guided tour of Robiei’s hydropower plant and an explanation of Switzerland’s role in supplying electrical power toEurope. Elevation: starting at about 6,200 ft., gain/loss about 200 ft. Mileage: approximately 4 miles. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 7: Leaving Bignasco by bus, we quickly transfer to a smaller bus, which takes us to Bosco Gurin for the day. This is a traditional village, settled by the Walsers, who spoke a dialect of German and crossed the Alps in the 14th century in search of land where they could practice their traditional way of life. We will take a chair lift up the alp to a mountain hut and pause for refreshment before descending on a path bordered by a mountain stream back to Bosco Gurin. We’ll picnic along the way and visit the Walser museum before returning to Bignasco. Elevation: starting at about 5,000 ft. in Bosco Gurin, we take the lift up about 1,000 ft. Descending involves some intermittent gain/loss of about 100 ft. before descending about 900 ft. to Bosco Gurin. Mileage: about 4 ½ miles. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 8: Today we transfer to Locarno, home of Ticino’s International Film Festival (held in August), and settle into our hotel before a free half day. During this free time, you may want to explore the town with its Roman cathedral, local art museum, and shops or boat to Brissago Island with its botanical garden. Returning, the boat stops at Ascona, a charming lakeside town. Entries and meals (L, D) this day are at individual expense. Meal provided: B.

Day 9: Today we train to Intragna in the Osernone Valley. From the station we take a chairlift to gain elevation before walking through beech, fir, and larch woods. We will stop for a wine tasting at a hillside vineyard before reaching Loco, where we can visit an artisanal straw products center and a renovated mill powered by a small adjacent stream, restored to produce stone-ground polenta. On this day, we meet with a group proposing a national park for the region. Elevation gain: about 300 ft. Mileage: approximately 4 miles. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 10: From Locarno, we ride a funicular, then a cable car, and finally a chairlift to Cimetta. At the top we are rewarded with a magnificent view. We can stop here and enjoy this view or we can hike up to Cima della Trosa for a 360-degree view of the entire region. After descending to Locarno, we will enjoy our final dinner together in a local restaurant. Elevation: starting at about 5,500 ft. at Cimetta, the gain/loss to Cima della Trosa is about 800 ft. Mileage: approximately 3 miles. Meals: B, L, D.

Day 11: After breakfast, we bid our goodbyes...to return home full of memories or continue our travels. Meal: B.

Getting There

Our meeting point is our hotel in Bellinzona, capital of the Ticino canton. There are direct flights from several U.S. cities to either Zurich or Milan. From the Zurich airport, you can train 2 ½ hours through the alps to Bellinzona. From Milan's Malpensa airport, you can take a shuttle bus directly to Bellinzona's train station or from Milano central you can also take the train to Bellinzona. Another option is to fly to Lugano, transfer into the city, and then take the train to Bellinzona. From the train station in Bellinzona, you can walk to our hotel. You may want to arrive in Europe a day or two early to overcome jet lag and take the opportunity to visit your arrival city. For me, Zurich is full of interesting sites; also, this northern Swiss town offers a contrast to the southern area where this outing is focused.

Accommodations and Food

We will stay in three different hotels, each with unique features. In Bellinzona, we are in the center of the walking district. In Bignasco our small hotel is family-run: monsieur is the excellent chef; madame runs the establishment. In Locarno, our hotel is close to the lake, near the walking center of town. We will be accommodated in double or triple rooms, each with a private bathroom. In Bignasco, breakfasts and dinners will be provided at the hotel; lunches will be picnics. These lunches will be hiking-style, including bread, cheese, fruit, and Swiss chocolate! Dinners will be eaten in restaurants close to our Bellinzona and Locarno hotels. For these dinners, participants will be responsible for their beverage orders. Our menus will feature many regional products; the menu theme: Italian!

Trip Difficulty

Hikes will be from about four to six hours; the pace will be leisurely, with stops for explanations, photos, and appreciation of the scenery. These hikes are varied, with some on well-marked trails and some on rocky trails, where careful stepping is imperative. Some ascents and descents can be steep. Trails are generally in very good condition with well-marked routes. Our highest elevation is at Robiei, about 7,100 feet. To prepare for this trip, regular exercise is important, as well as general good physical condition. Your height and weight need to be in reasonable proportion. As with any travel, an extra reserve of stamina is necessary for days which do not go as planned or when inclement weather challenges us.

Equipment and Clothing

You will be handling your own equipment at all times; travel light! From personal experience, my travels with just carry-ons make a more pleasant relaxed journey. You will become accustomed to recognizing me by the clothes I wear. A small rolling suitcase and a day pack should handle all your gear. Clothes can be layered to meet a variety of weather conditions. Hotels provide laundry service although it can be costly (for example, one pair of trousers: $20). Many prefer lightweight, multi-use clothing, which can be rinsed out easily. The weather may be variable, from warm (T-shirts) to chilly (fleece and rain jacket). You will need well broken-in (but not worn out) hiking boots with good ankle support; hiking poles are recommended. You will also need rain gear, water bottles, a luncheon container, a bandana (to use as a napkin) and your personal medications and first aid kit. The leader will carry a more complete first-aid kit for emergency use only. A detailed equipment list will be provided to trip members.

References

Here are some helpful websites which provide general information about the region we will visit:

• www.ticino.ch
• http://wanderland.myswitzerland.com
• www.ascona-locarno.com
• www.rail.ch
• www.bellinzonaturismo.ch
• www.leventinaturismo.ch
• www.magicvalley.ch
• www.lagoritom.com
• www.cardada.ch
• www.swisstravelcenter.ch
• www.swisstravelsystem.ch

Conservation

Switzerland is exemplary on many levels: the country is still beautiful and scenic after millennia of human habitation. But, like all places on earth, it is threatened. We will learn how global warming is affecting the Alps and the permafrost.

We will observe and learn about the richness of water conservation in Ticino, where water comes from glaciers, melting snow, and rain. We will appreciate the purity of this resource as we drink from village fountains. A large amount of this water is reserved at high altitudes in artificial lakes and used for the production of hydropower. There are no nuclear, coal, or gas power plants in Ticino.

Public transportation will be a reoccurring theme as we easily use a variety of on-time services. Currently, the depopulation of remote valleys is on-going; in Osernone valley we will visit facilites and small home industries attempting to reverse this trend.

And my favorite observation: there are no garbage disposals in Switzerland; residents are encouraged to compost, reuse, reduce, and recycle!

Trip Price

This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader.

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.

Staff

Lynne Simpson's college education included a year in France; during that time she traveled in Europe, especially enjoying Switzerland. Her college roommate is a Zurich resident; many happy family hikes over the years were enjoyed either in Switzerland or the Sierras. Lynne's connection with Sierra Club National Outings began in 1968; since then she has led and cooked on many domestic and international outings. In Ticino, scouting this trip, she admired the rural and cosmopolitan parts of the country, the beauty of the natural areas, the friendly people, and the excellent food! She enjoys leading leisurely trips which focus on a small area. Lynne's other interests include art (she is an exhibiting print maker), cooking, snorkeling, and French poodles.

E-mail: atthebeach175@hotmail.com

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General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Electronic Devices
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• How to Apply for a Trip
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• Medical Issues
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