Capanna Cristallina: Ticino, Southern Switzerland

This was the hike that introduced me to the granduer of the Ticinese Alps. Before it, I hadn't really given this region's mountains much thought. To me, Ticino meant palm trees and sunshine and Mediterranean vibes…but not remote alpine hikes. But wow, did I stand corrected.

We hiked stages 2 and 3 of the Sentiero Cristallina (with an overnight at Capanna Cristallina), a trail deep in the Ticino mountains, and I was blown away. Stage 2 leads from the Robiei reservoir up to the Passo di Cristallina, passing alpine lakes and - if you're lucky - herds of ibex or chamois! Stage 3 feels completely different: from Capanna Cristallina, the route descends the stony mountain slopes toward the quiet forests above Airolo.

This was also our very first hut hike (completed back in 2019!), so it will always hold a special place in my memory.

Day 1: S. Carlo Val Bavona - Capanna Cristallina

Our starting point was deep in the Val Bavona - one of Ticino's many small side valleys, and maybe the most remote. It’s a far journey from Zurich, with almost 4 hours of travel time and multiple transfers. On the final leg, we rode the PostBus to the very last stop of San Carlo, and then hopped on the cable car to the Robiei reservoir. From here, there are a couple different paths to the hut, but we stuck to the official #59 trail. It winds past a string of alpine lakes: first the turquoise Robiei reservoir itself, then Lago Bianco, and finally Lago Sfundau, where the path traces a narrow line high above the water. The terrain is raw and rocky here, with sparse mountain meadows gradually replaced by scree and crystalline rock, but nothing is technically difficult. After a few hours, we climbed up to Passo di Cristallina and arrived at the very modern Capanna Cristallina.

Since the hike didn’t take that long, we had plenty of time to have a drink and relax on the (huge!) sun terrace that faces the Basòdino Glacier. It’s a very, very nice way to spend the afternoon. And while I can’t remember what we had for dinner, given that this was a hut in Ticino, I’m 90% certain that polenta was a part of it.

LINK TO ROUTE (you can save 850m elevation gain by taking the gondola!)

Day 2: Capanna Cristallina - Airolo

After a brilliant sunrise, we packed up and headed down the other side of the mountain. The landscape changed quickly, from rocky scree slopes to river plateaus to green valleys. Early on, we passed a small mountain lake with perfectly clear water, and further down we followed the river as it tumbled through the valley in a series of small waterfalls. The path meanders through light larch forests and meadows toward the Alpe di Pesciüm, where we decided to catch the gondola down to Airolo (and spare our knees the final descent). From there, it was a twenty-minute walk to the Airolo train station, where we got a pizza while waiting for the train to take us home to Zurich.

LINK TO ROUTE (you can save 600m of descent by taking the gondola!)

If you've been wanting to try a hut hike, I think this is a perfect one to start with. The stages are challenging but not technical or exposed, cable cars at both ends let you skip the biggest climbs, and the hut itself is modern and comfortable, with smaller bunk rooms instead of the traditional giant dormitories. Add in a sunset over the Basòdino glacier from the terrace, and you might just find yourself hooked on the experience!