A sunny day for a new hike! We began at the town of Cimadera, high up above the Val Colla.
A pretty terraced square in Cimadera
We arrived in Cimadera by taking the ARL #461 bus to Sonvico Stazione, where we changed to the #447 postal bus which took us winding up the mountainside in the Val Colla to Cimadera.
Here we begin our walk on the sentiero - which is actually a road! It amazes me how there are roads way on the top of the mountains.
Even just the bus ride is a treat - we have a 2 zone monthly bus pass, and to go here we needed to pay for just one more zone, only 2.30 francs each. Such a deal!!!
As the road curves around the mountain, it looks like if you're not careful you may just fall off the side!
At a fountain, someone found a lost shirt, put it over the post, and posed the arms just right. So funny!
The little crocuses are coming up in the high meadows!
We found a perfect spot for lunch. On this open ridge was also a little chapel (as always!)
Here's the little chapel. Inside there were two bells, with the ropes hanging down. Of course I had to pull the rope and ring the bells! But I did it right at noon. Please excuse Rick's finger in the picture.
I know it's hard to capture the depth in the photos - how deep the valley is and the mountains in the distance.
A panoramic of the ridge with the chapel.
Another view of the chapel, and you get an idea of how high we are. The town of Cimadera was at 3609 feet.
We are up to the snow!
We arrive at an intersection of paths. We follow the one leading to Cap Pairolo, which is one of the many Capannas high up in the mountains. They are simple restaurants/inns which often have both hot food and a place for an overnight stay for serious hikers. I've never been up at one of these (at least by hiking). There had been a sign earlier that this Capanna will be open beginning in May.
The trail is getting wet from melting snow.
At this point we are about 15 minutes from the Capanna, but there was a waterfall coming down, and although it wasn't impossible to cross, we felt our trail was a bit too wet to continue. Plus, we wanted to start back down in order to catch our bus.
On our way down we stop in a meadow, which has a fountain. The ground is damp, but easily walkable. The ground is also often very soft in these meadows. There are many crocuses coming up. In the distance on the top of the mountain, in the snow, is different capanna - here it just looks like a dot....
...See that little dark building along the top on the snow? So serious hikers, in the summer, can hike all day from capanna to capanna, eat, and spend the night - all along the tops of the mountains.
Rick enjoying the view across the valley
Well, excuse my tongue sticking out! The same little chapel is in the distance behind me.
A view into the valley Colla - in the distance on the left is the town of Bidogno, and in the upper right is Corticiasca.
Part of this trail is on a ridge. It literally drops off on either side!
As we head back to Cimadera, one more view of the valley, the towns of Bidogno and Corticiasca, and Monte Tamaro (with snow) in the background.
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