Three Day Hike - Valmalenco (Italy) and Forno Glacier (Switzerland)

Overview | Itinerary | FAQ | Flora | Photos

 

 

Top left: Overview of the three day hike in Valmalenco and Forno Glacier.
Top right: Day 2 first glimpse of the glacier.
Bottom left: Day 2 heading south to Capanna del Forno in Switzerland.
Bottom right: Day 1 heading to Rifugio Longoni near Alpe Sasso Nero in Valmalenco.

Overview

Length: 45.2 km
Duration: 24.5 hours (including lunch stops typically 30 minutes)
Elevation: 2,947 m gain (high point 2,967 m at Passo Vazzeda)
Location: Valmalenco (Italy), Forno Glacier (Switzerland)


This hike had a lot of similarities with our 2018 Seven Days on the Sentiero delle Orobie – A Journey Through the Bergamo Alps where we hiked hut to hut as well. That trip was 6 nights and this trip 3 nights. In some respects, this shorter trip was harder due to lengths we covered in a day and altitude gains.

A big thanks goes to a friend Tommy who studied and planned the trip. And, then guided and cheered us along.


  

Different angles on the route taken.

Itinerary – Day-by-Day Breakdown

These stats were recorded by Outdoor Active.


Day 1

Length: 14.4 km
Duration: 7.5 hours (with 30 min lunch stop between Rifugio Palù and Rifugio Longoni)
Elevation: 1204 m gain (high point 2473 m)


Here’s what we did:

• We parked the car on the side of the road about 1 km north of the village of San Giuseppe (Chiesa in Valmalenco) at around 1450 m.
• We walked south back to San Giuseppe and up to the parking for the ski run at Prati Predana (~ 1530 m).
• From the parking lot, we followed the signs to Rifugio Lago Palù.
• From Palù, we followed the 4th part “tappa” of the Alta Via Della Valmalenco.
• We stayed the night at Rifugio Longoni.

Notes:

• We had intended to take a detour before reaching Longoni to go see the ex Rifugio Entova-Scerscen and get a view of Bernina and the glaciers, but we were too tired.
• We stopped at Rifugio Palù mid-morning and just got a drink. We had lunch on the trail halfway between Palù and Longoni.
• At one point (near Alpe Sasso Nero) in the trail between Palù and Longoni the trail was greater than 55% inclination.
• It was a push the last 500 m or so to get up to Longoni.

Tracks and profile for day 1.

Day 2

Length: 19.6 km
Duration: 9 hours (with 30 min lunch stop at Passo del Muretto)
Elevation: 1193 m gain (high point 2801 m)


Here’s what we did:

• From Rifugio Longoni, we started walking west to Pian di Fora with its interesting waterfalls.
• We passed through a small farm area here, in the Alpe Fora (2053 m) area.
• We continued on to a larger group of structures here (above Alpe dell’Oro) - trail marked 328/304.
• Then, we got on the dirt “road” to Passo del Muretto that runs northwest. (It was an old commercial route.)
• We crossed the pass at 2562 m, which is the border between Italy and Switzerland.
• After the pass and descending northwest into Switzerland, we lost the main trail for a bit but picked it up again and headed for Capanna del Forno.

Notes:

• At the pass there is a small seating area (sort of out of the wind) with some informational signs about the area. That’s where we had lunch.
• The trail we took after Passo del Muretto to Capanna del Forno runs to the east and a couple of hundred meters above the Bernina Sud trail, which runs lower and provides access to the hut from Maloja in Switzerland.
• We ran out of water in our bladders but luckily there were plenty of good water sources along the way.

Tracks and profile for day 2.

Day 3

Length: 11.2 km
Duration: 8 hours (with a 60 min lunch stop at Rifugio Del Grande Camerini)
Elevation: 550 m gain (high point 2960 m at Passo Vazzeda)

Here’s what we did:

• Heading south from the Capanna del Forno, we followed the blue and white poles. (We didn’t take the Passo del Forno trail which goes east from the hut.)
• After dropping quickly from the hut, you start climbing and immediately encounter your first section of chains. There is something like 400 m of chains on this route and we found at least a dozen or more sets. We lost count. In this section, you are skirting the western flank of Monte Rosso.
• After climbing with the chains and then leaving them behind, you reach a small balcony of sorts and then drop again and head east toward Passo Vazzeda.
• We crossed over rock and snowfields until we were just north of Passo Vazzeda and then there was a diagonal piece to get to the pass at 2967 m.
• At the pass, we were again on the border between Italy and Switzerland.
• Descending from the pass into Italy, there are just a few more chain sections and then it was rock and snow fields as we followed the red and white poles for Rifugio Del Grande Camerini – all downhill.
• A much earned long lunch at the friendly rifugio.
• Then we briefly picked un the 3rd part “tappa” of the Alta Via Della Valmalenco (with a few more chain areas), but instead of heading south we cut east toward Alpe Sissone and took a steeper more direct trail back to Chiareggio (1612 m) and eventually intersecting with the Alta Via again.
• At Chiareggio, one of us hitched a ride down the road (5 km or more) to where we left the car and came back for the rest of us.

Notes:

• There are a few ways to get from Rifugio Del Grande Camerini back down to Chiareggio. We chose the direct/steep route via Alpe Sissone because we were tired and felt like following the Alta Via would be more tiring albeit more scenic.
• Free and delicious water at Rifugio Del Grande Camerini.

Tracks and profile for day 3.

FAQ

Where exactly is this hike?

This is a hike takes place in and around the Valmalenco, a side valley of the Valtellina valley in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy.

The area includes the border between Italy and Switzerland (canton Grisons, Municipality of Bregaglia). The border runs through peaks and passes. The hike starts in Italy, passes into Switzerland, and then returns to Italy.

This area is in the Western Rhaetian Alps and in the International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps (SOIUSA) it’s the Central Eastern Alps. What!? That’s confusing. Let's try to explain.

• The term Rhaetian has historical and geographical significance referring to the Roman province of Raetia, which was names after the Raeti people. The Raeti people were related to the Etruscans. The Rhaetian Alps are named after this historical region and people. Before the Roman conquest, they inhabited present-day Tyrol in Austria, eastern Switzerland and the Alpine regions of northeastern Italy. Valmalenco is the western part of that region.
• SOIUSA (an acronym for Suddivisione Orografica Internazionale Unificata del Sistema Alpino - English: International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps-ISMSA) is a proposal for a new classification system of the Alps from the geographic and toponomastic point of view. From the point of view of this classification sytem, Valmalenco is in the center.

What trails did we follow?

We did a hike of our own making. That’s the beauty of this area: you can customize your walks. Pick a rifugio/mountain hut and figure out what trails go there. 

Our hike takes in a little of the Alta Via Della Valmalenco and a little of the Sentiero Bernina Sud.

A really good overview of the two principal routes connecting Capanna del Forno and Rifugio Del Grande Camerini is here on the CAI Sovico site: L'anello dei due rifugi. The PDF is in Italian but can easily be translated. In the PDF, the part from Capanna del Forno (2,574 m) to Rifugio Del Grande Camerini (2,768m) passing through Passo Vazzeda (2,967 m) is what we did and is described above. (The other way to arrive, which is more popular is Passo del Forno.)  

These are high-altitude routes for experienced hikers, requiring good weather and proper equipment. 

What was a typical day like?

We typically ate breakfast at 7:00 am and were out of the hut by 8:00 am and on our way. (The huts will ask you the night before when you want breakfast.)

We would arrive at our next destination between 4 – 5 pm. Dinner at 7:00 or 7:30 pm.

What was lodging like?

In Longoni we had a room for 6 people for just the four in our group. That was nice. There were bigger rooms with more people and in one case triple bunks!

Capanna del Forno had newer accommodations and more people per room – at least what we experienced. We were in a room of 12 with us 4 in our group and 3 others.

Notes:

• Both places (as most rifugi/huts do) had slippers you could wear after shedding your boots for the day.
• There were pay-for showers in both Longoni and Capanna del Forno and the bathrooms were good.
• We would recommend calling ahead to book your space.

   

Left: View from Rifugio Longoni.
Center left: Example room for 6 in Rifugio Longoni.
Center right: Tea at Capanna del Forno.
Right: Entry to Capanna del Forno.

 

What were the rifguio/hut prices like?

We used our CAI membership cards to get a small discount. With discount, we paid:

• ½ board ~220 CHF at Capanna del Forno for 2 people. (At the time 1 CHF = 1.06 Euros.)
• ½ board ~120 Euros at Rifugio Longoni for 2 people

Check the web sites for up-to-date price information. Yes, Switzerland is that more expensive.

How was the food?


The food was good. We had a vegetarian in our group who was happy with the choices. For dinner we had pasta, some risotto, soup, polenta, mushrooms, sausage, and brasato (braised meat). For breakfast we had coffee, tea, milk, juice, dry toast, yogurt, and cakes.

That said, bring food you can't live be that snacks or even a piece or two of fruit. 

  

Rifugio Longoni dining room, dinner entry, and breakfast sweets.

  

Capanna del Forno dinner soup, carrot salad, risotto with and without meat.

  

Rifugio del Grande Camerini polent and brasato, tagliatelle, crostata.


What did we do for water?

Longoni and Capanna del Forno said you couldn’t drink the water, and we didn’t, so we bought water in these two places. A large bottle 1.5 liters at Capanna del Forno was 9 CHF. Highway robbery but hey you are in the mountains. (Capanna del Forno offers you 1.5 liters of free tea to fill up on. It wasn’t bad, but I’d rather have water.)

Our friends carried several metal water bottles and filled them up from streams along the way. At first, we were a bit snobby and avoided drinking from streams. But on day 2 we ran out of water in our 3 liter bladders and we too were drinking out of streams.

The water at Rifugio Del Grande Camerini is technically not potable but they have extensive filtering in place and we drank it (and it was free and good).


What were the parts of the trails with chains like?

Only on day three did we encounter chains. We were a bit spooked on the first chains we encountered. After encountering them more and more, we got used to them. That said, we found it easier to go up with chains rather than go down chains. And, the route we took from Capanna del Forno to Rifugio Del Grande Camerini (through Passo Vazzeda) was such that we were mostly climbing up with chain assists and not going down.

When coming upon a chain part, the walking poles went away and gloves on. Ascend slowly and use your legs as much as possible. We weren't attached in any way.

What did we carry?

We carried about 8-11 kg in our packs. At the start of any given day 2-3 kg of that weight was water in our water bladders.

In our packs:

• walking sticks
• water bladder (Platypus)
• small first aid kit
• sleeping back liner *sacco a pelo* (blankets and pillows provided by rifugio/hut)
• travel towel
• rain/wind jacket plus padded vest (in case it got cold)
• hat (Tilley)
• light gloves (came in handy when using chains)
• sunscreen!!
• handkerchief to wipe face
• plastic sandals (didn’t need them as the huts had them)
• light shorts and shirt to sleep in and change into after hiking clothes
• bare minimum toiletries
• a brick to charge phones and associated plugs and cables

Many hikers might just bring one pair of socks. We brought socks for each day and an extra hiking shirt and hiking pants. We used the socks but not the extra hiking shirt or hiking pants. We ended up washing our hiking things and setting them to dry overnight to reuse.

What was the weather like?

We did this at the end of August, and it was warm. 95% of the time we were in shorts and a hiking shirt and that’s it. Of course, we had a pullover for the evenings in the hut and we always had an outer jacket and warm vests always ready just in case.

Flora

Some points about the flora:

• This is subjective, be we felt like the flora was the most interesting on the Swiss side of Passo del Muretto and Passo Vazzeda.
• Our format below is [Family] Genus species
• Some pictures are blurry but still included for reference.
• We 100% sure with family identifications, 95% sure with genus, and 90% sure with species.

[Amaryllidaceae] Allium carinatum

[Apiaceae] Astrantia minor



[Apiaceae] Bupleurum stellatum


[Apiaceae] seed head

   


[Asteraceae] Achillea millefolium


[Asteraceae] Achillea nana
 

[Asteraceae] Adenostyles


[Asteraceae] Arnica montana


[Asteraceae] Carlina acaulis
  

[Asteraceae] Centaurea
 

[Asteraceae] Cirsium eriophorum

  

 

[Asteraceae] Cirsium spinosissimum


[Asteraceae] Doronicum grandiflorum
  

[Asteraceae] Hieracium
 

[Asteraceae] Leucanthemopsis alpina


[Asteraceae] seed head



[Asteraceae] Senecio abrotanifolius
 

[Boraginaceae] Myosotis
 

[Campanulaceae] Campanula


[Campanulaceae] Phyteuma

 


[Caprifoliaceae] Knautia


[Caryophyllaceae] Cerastium alpinum
  


[Caryophyllaceae] Silene acaulis
  

[Crassulaceae] Sempervivum arachnoideum - looks like spider web inside of plant
 

[Crassulaceae] Sempervivum tectorum
 

[Ericaceae] Calluna vulgaris


[Gentianaceae] Gentiana asclepiadea



[Gentianaceae] Gentianella engadinensis
 

[Geraniaceae] Geranium sylvaticum


[Onagraceae] Chamaenerion angustifolium


[Onagraceae] Chamaenerion dodonaei

 


[Papaveraceae] Papaver alpinum


[Plantaginaceae] Linaria alpina

  

   


[Plantaginaceae] Veronica alpina


[Polygonaceae] Bistorta vivipara



[Polygonaceae] Oxyria digyna


[Ranunculaceae] Aconitum napellus


[Ranunculaceae] Ranunculus glacialis

 


[Rosaceae] Alchemilla


[Rosaceae] Geum reptans

   

  


[Saxifragaceae] Saxifraga aizoides
 

[Saxifragaceae] Saxifraga bryoides

Photos

 

Day 1 - Trail from Lago Palù to Rifugio Longoni

 
Left: Day 1 - Almost to Rifugio Longoni (visible in the distance)
Right: Day 1 - Late afternoon view from Rifugio Longoni toward Chiareggio

 

Left: Day 2 - Alpe Fora (near Rifugio Longoni)
Right: Day 2 - The trek up to Passo del Muretto

 

Left: Day 2 - Looking south back over where we just came from as we climb to Passo del Muretto
Right: Day 2 - On the Swiss side of Passo del Muretto making our way to Capanna del Forno

 

Left: Day 2 - On the trail from Passo del Muretto to Capanna del Forno
Right: Day 2 - A small lake above Capanna del Forno

 

Left: Day 2 - An Ibex (Stambecco) crosses the trail near Capanna del Forno
Right: Day 2 - Approach Capanna del Forno above the Forno Glacier

  

Day 3 - Start of the hike going to Passo Vazzeda; Capanna del Forno visible on left

Day 3 - On the Trail to Passo Vazzeda - our first chains

Day 3 - Climbing up a chained area on our way from Capanna del Forno to Rifugio Del Grande Camerini

  

Day 3 - View of the snow fields and glaciers of Cima di Rosso

Day 3 - Passo Vazzeda in sight

Day 3 - View of Cima di Rosa and Forno Glacier

 

Day 3 - At Passo Vazzeda straddling Italy (left) and Switzerland (right)

Day 3 - View from Passo Vazzeda into Italy and Valmalenco

 

Day 3 - Descending from Passo Vazzeda into Italy over snow
Day 3 - Rifugio del Grande Camerini in sight

  

Day 3 - Man and Mountain - Staring at Mount Disgrazia

Day 3 - Below Rifugio del Grande Camerini - some more chains

Day 3 - Coming down a chained areas below Rifugio Del Grande Camerini

Day 3 - Descending toward Chiareggio