Via Alta Crio

The route

100,000 meters of walking always above two thousand meters (and often above three thousand meters), 10,000 meters of elevation gain, 10 nights in huts, refuges or bivouacs among wild peaks. These are the figures of the Via Alta Crio, characterized by a great variety of environments where you can live unforgettable moments: vast mountain meadows, clear alpine lakes, ten peaks with altitudes above three thousand meters, sharp ridges seemingly impossible.

Flora and fauna

The variety of fauna, flora, geology, and morphology surprises at every step and creates an extremely varied route. Breathtaking panoramas that extend as far as the eye can see: from the wild surrounding peaks to the famous giants of the Alps. The first part of the route reaches a panoramic terrace at almost 2,000 meters where Capanna Brogoldone is located and reaches the Passo del Lucomagno.

Huts and refuges

The route connects ten alpine huts and refuges, limiting elevation gains and offering stages of varying difficulty and length. Thanks to numerous connections to and from the valley floor, it is possible to hike the stages individually or link them at your own discretion, creating a personalized itinerary.

A unique experience

Overnight stays in traditional refuges or huts contribute to the uniqueness of this experience. Some shelters, where you stop for the night, were once small alpine pastures, others are buildings constructed as support points for mountaineers and hikers.

Credential card and diploma The credential card, a sort of "passport of the Via Crio", can be collected at all the huts/refuges along the route or at the InfoPoints of Bellinzona and Valli Turismo. It must be stamped at every stage: in manned huts, the stamp is placed by the guardian; in unmanned huts, it is available on site and you stamp it yourself. Once completed with all the stages, simply send a photo of the stamped side via email to info@viacrio.ch indicating your name, surname, complete address, and email to receive an official diploma of the Via Alta Crio at home.

The stages 1: Capanna Brogoldone - Capanna Cava

(7 h, 1,250 m elevation gain, T4) From the balcony overlooking the Bellinzonese, the Via Alta Crio turns its back to the plain to enter the remote and wild territories of the Cresciano and Osogna Valleys, reaching Capanna Cava. Click HERE for overnight booking

2: Capanna Cava - Rifugio Giümela

(4 h, 660 m elevation gain, T5)

A passage between two valleys that seems impossible, but right in the middle of the rock face, an incredible ledge allows you to reach the opposite side. Click HERE for overnight booking

3: Rifugio Giümela - Bivacco Piano della Parete

(7.5 h, 1,990 m elevation gain, T6) The airy ridge leads to Piz di Strega, then descends into Val Mèdra, which is crossed along an incredible and exposed path. The climb to Cima dei Cogn (3,062 m) is quite steep, but from here the bivouac is close!

4: Bivacco Piano della Parete – Capanna Quarnei

(8 h, 1,250 m elevation gain, T6)

 Having reached Cima Rossa (3,161 m), the long and airy ridge ride begins, touching six "three-thousanders" and ending with the descent to Capanna Quarnei.

5: Capanna Quarnei - Capanna Adula UTOE

(2.5 h, 630 m elevation gain, T3)

The stage is short but intense! You walk the slopes of the Adula (3,402 m, the highest peak of Ticino), up to the Laghetto dei Cadabi, from where you descend along ancient moraines to Capanna Adula UTOE.

6: Capanna Adula UTOE - Rifugio Scaradra

(7 h, 1,360 m elevation gain, T6) Scree and huge boulders characterize this stage. You climb the elegant and exposed south ridges of Pizzi Cassimoi (3,128 m) and Cassinello (3,102 m): climbs never difficult but scenic and panoramic.

7: Rifugio Scaradra - Capanna Motterascio

(3.5 h, 700 m elevation gain, T2)

Through green pastures, larch forests, and the blue of Lake Luzzone, we cross a bucolic and relaxing environment where shepherding is still practiced, providing genuine products of the highest quality.

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8: Capanna Motterascio - Capanna Scaletta

(2.5 h, 350 m elevation gain, T2)

We cross the Greina plateau: vast spaces enclosed between peaks that shelter great geological and botanical variety. Lakes, peat bogs, winding streams, and curious marmots mark the way.

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9: Capanna Scaletta - Capanna Bovarina

(5.5 h, 1,100 m elevation gain, T4) At Sasso Lanzone, we find ourselves balanced between two worlds. Leaving behind glaciers and their remains, we head toward the green pastures where Lake Retico, a true gem of the Alps, is nestled. Click HERE for overnight booking

10: Capanna Bovarina - Passo del Lucomagno

(5.5 h, 1,070 m elevation gain, T4)

 Five kilometers along a sharp grassy ridge that leads to the black rocks of the Passo di Gana Negra. In the background, Lake Santa Maria can be seen, the final point of the Via Alta Crio.