From the small hut on Alpe Sambuco, the view falls down into Val d’Osola with the dried-up streambed and the larches glowing in autumn. The path from Brione in the Verzasca Valley comes into view at the top right of the streambed and meets the Osura Hut at the right edge in the middle of the picture – a family-friendly hike to a wonderful adventure playground and a well-equipped and cosy hut.
The Ticino mountains in the southern tip of Switzerland are particularly characterised by the contrast between steep mountain ranges and long, narrow valleys. Besides the Basodino (3,272 m) or the P. Campo Tencia (3,038 m), the landscape is dominated by summit regions over 2,000 m, which become gentler and lower towards the south. There, you’re increasingly spoilt for choice between many enticing valleys and the surrounding mountains, such as the Centovalli, Onsernone, Maggia or Verzasca Valley. I enjoyed the view above during a stay at Alpe Sambuco in Val d’Osura, a side valley of Val Verzasca.
After starting our tour to Mt. Zucchero in Brione, Val Verzasca, we followed the Osura side valley, passed the Osura hut, and at the end of the valley, we came across the steep ascent to Alpe Sambuco, our day’s destination. We quickly made ourselves comfortable in the simple Ticinese-style hut. Unfortunately, the walls made of stacked boulders, where we heard mice rustling at night, provide little insulation, which is why it got quite frosty on the clear autumn night. You can also find information about many huts in Ticino at Capanneti.ch.
High above the head of the Val d’Osura with the Alpe Sambuco and the small rifugio, which belongs to the community of Brione in the Verzasca Valley, towers Monte Zucchero (2,735 m). On the way to the summit, we passed the Btta. di Mügaia, the pass crossing back into the Verzasca Valley, with a view down to Sonogno, before enjoying the dreamlike panorama from the summit and, after returning from the tour, relaxing in the glorious autumn sunshine in the afternoon.
After an overnight stay at the Alpe Sambuco hut, it’s not much further to the summit of the 2,735 m high Monte Zucchero in Val Verzasca, Ticino. From there, the mountains of Valais seem close enough to touch. The mountain range in the foreground drops down into the Maggia Valley, behind which you can see the Valle di Bosco and Vergeletto as well as the mountains north of Domodossola on Italian territory.
Among the highlights of Ticino is the wild and romantic Verzasca Valley, with the famous Ponte dei Salti stone arch bridge of Lavertezzo, the rustic houses in Sonogno, and the many hikes along the river, across alpine pastures, or steeply up to one of the panoramic peaks. Read more
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