Sentiero Cristallina

From the typical Ticino mountain village of Bignasco, the trail winds through the stony, deeply-carved-out Val Bavona with its 12 small hamlets. A steep climb leads up past the traditional Basodino Hut to the natural and dammed lakes, which give life to this Alpine area and provide most of the electricity in Canton Ticino, whereas paradoxically, the Val Bavona just below has no electricity.

The sparse mountain meadows along the winding trail to the modern Cristallina lodge are increasingly laced with scree. The imposing and modern Capanna Critallina, with its excellent facilities and room for 120 guests, is located right on the pass, with spectacular views of the Basodino glacier.

The route leads down from the rocky slopes to charming alps and forests. The high-level trail on the sunny side of the Val Bedretto runs through high moorland and affords beautiful views to the Gotthard massif, everything a hiker’s heart could wish for. The goal of the route is reached at the traffic junction of Airolo.