The middle part of our Tour of the Bernina took us over Passo del Forno into Italy. We stayed at Rifugio Longoni and crossed through Vallone di Scerscen to stay at Rifugio Carate. From there, we backtracked to enjoy views at Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri before taking in the stunning scenery around Fellaria Glacier. We spent a night at Rifugio Bignami before crossing back into Switzerland.
This is part of a series of posts on our 2021 Tour of the Bernina. Posts include:
- An overview and notes on planning the Tour of the Bernina
- Arrival, a day hike at Oeschinensee, and transit to Pontresina
- Tour of the Bernina – Stages 1-3: Pontresina, Chamanna Coaz, Maloja, and Fornohütte
- Tour of the Bernina – Stages 4-6: Fornohütte, Rifugios Longoni, Carate, and Bignami (this post)
- Tour of the Bernina – Stages 7-10: Alp Grüm, Berghaus Diavolezza, Boval Hütte, and Pontresina
You may also be interested in our packing list for hut-to-hut hikes.
Day 4: Fornohütte to Rifugio Longoni
In the morning, the mountains kept the glacier in shadow while the peaks were illuminated with alpenglow and then bright sunlight.
With a long day ahead of us, we ate breakfast and set out around 8am. Just ten minutes past the hut, we came across a group of seven ibex in a boulder field. We had only seen ibex before once, on the Tour du Mont Blanc. That had been two ibex, one fairly young and the other a doe with modest horns, and I was excited to see a group including males with large horns.
From there, the trail climbed steeply through boulders to Passo del Forno (around 9100′) and the border with Italy. In the cool morning air, though, the distance and elevation passed quickly.
At the pass, we looked down into Italy. The side of the mountains was much hazier, and already the air felt more humid. We ate a snack and enjoyed the view.
The hike down included more boulders, but we soon reached grasses–and sheep. The descent was steep and brought us by waterfalls and cascades. We reached a level basin and some stone buildings.
Here, we were faced with a spiderweb of trails. Some looked more like animal trails. Others were signed, just not necessarily in useful ways. We followed one toward Alpe Monterosso Superiore, which looked promising.
When we got there, though, the route petered out. Descending from there looked uncomfortably steep, and so we backtracked to find a different way down. One positive of this inadvertent detour is that we got an excellent view of the valley through which the route to Passo del Muretto runs, and we could easily see the old road.
After one other attempts to descend we realized we had to be on the other (south/western) side of the Torrente Val Bona. There, we again found a good trail, which we followed to its junction with the Passo del Muretto route.
Rejoining the main route still left us with one more puzzle. The routes intersected near a farm and some dirt roads. It took us a while to identify the right route through the network of trails, roads, and stone walls.
Once we did, the trail followed an undulating route through the forest. Though the way was never steep, this was part felt a bit like a slog to me: the views were limited and the weather was warm and humid.
Eventually, we turned into a bowl-shaped valley and began to climb in earnest again. We could see our destination, the refuge, perched on rocks high above. Though the hiking got tougher, the views of mountains and waterfalls brought my energy level back up. I particularly enjoyed the last mile or so to the refuge. For this stretch, the trail cross large, level basin in a cirque. Waterfalls descended from the surrounding peaks on tiered cliffs.
After a total of 8 miles and 3415′, we reached Rifugio Longoni. Even though the distance and elevation were less than the previous day, the hike had felt longer. I am not sure why; I attribute some of it to the warm weather, but I also think the wrong turns we took on the descent had made it feel like more than it was.
We checked in and got settled. Rifugio Longoni differed in its ambiance from other huts. In many ways, the construction and rooms felt almost like visiting grandparents who were figuring out how to fit as many family members as possible for a family gathering. The rifugio featured showers and several outlets to recharge devices, both of which we appreciated. The price for all of this, especially with our alpine club discount, was excellent.
Once cleaned up, we enjoyed an excellent blueberry pie on the terrace. By the time we finished the pie, clouds had thickened and it started to sprinkle. We went inside and talked with other guests. I did not write down that night’s dinner, but I remember it was good and the cozy family gathering vibe carried over to the meal as well.
Day 5: Rifugio Longoni to Rifugio Carate Brianza
In the morning, we woke up to dense fog surrounding the hut. Over breakfast, we and other guests discussed whether to wait it out, but it was not clear whether it would burn off or worsen. After stalling for a little, decided we should begin.
It’s also worth noting that our even though Rifugio Longoni and Rifugio Carate Brianza are both in the Cicerone guide for the Tour of the Bernina, our stage connecting the two is not described in detail in the book. To make up time from our detour to Fornohütte, we would follow a higher route to connect the two directly, rather than descending and dividing stages as the book suggests.
For the first part of the hike, we were essentially in a wet ping pong ball. However, we began to get some limited clearing as we approached Lago del Tricheco and Forcella d’Entova. This was an interesting area. For much of the route, and especially with clouds obscuring the valley below, it felt very wild. However, near the pass, the trail encounters a 4×4 track, a former parking lot, an abandoned hut high above on the ridge, an old cableway, and other elements of abandoned infrastructure. We later learned it was once a summer ski area.
From Forcella d’Entova, we began a long descent – steep at the pass, and then gradually leveling out. Around 8600′, we reached a junction and bore right. The two routes paralleled each other for a ways–ambiguous at times about whether it was one route or another–before the right branch, our route, began a steep descent.
This descent was mostly in fog and cloud. We got occasional glimpses of Piz Bernina above and, at other times, Vallone di Scerscen below. On the way down, we detoured to the Cimitero degli Alpini, a monument to 24 Alpini del Corso soldiers who died in two avalanches on 1 & 2 April 1917.
From the cemetery, a short descent brought us the rest of the way to the valley. There, we crossed the Torrente Scerscen on a bridge. Next, we had to regain all but 500′ feet of the elevation we had lost. This was a steep, wet, and rocky climb. Undistracted by views–the clouds remained–we made quick work of it.
At the top, we stopped at Laghetti delle Forbici to see if the peaks might emerge through the clouds. Conditions remained unchanged by the time we finished our snacks, so we decided to finish the short walk across Bochetta delle Forbici and to Rifugio Carate.
At Rifugio Carate Brianza–a cozy, 24-bed hut refuge–we received a warm welcome. Maybe a dozen ibex were around the hut, and we settled in with Campari sodas to watch them, warm up, and dry off.
Partway through the afternoon, it appeared we would get a break on in the clouds. Optimistic, we went back across Bochetta delle Forbici. While there were patches of blue sky and we could see more than earlier in the day, the peaks were still mostly obscured. We only wandered a little bit beyond the pass.
Back at the refuge, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner. It consisted of pasta with meat sauce, meat stew with potatoes, and corn cake. After dinner, the hut keeper offered us Erbaiva d’Alpe, a liquor made from taneda (Achillea moscata) flowers – a delicious digestif.
Day 6: Rifugio Carate Brianza to Rifugio Bignami
In the morning, we woke early to enjoy a breakfast of bread, jam, melba toast, and nice berry tart. Ibex continued to keep us company. Early clouds soon gave way to a stunning, clear morning.
The beautiful weather led us to decide to start the day with a hike back to Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri. As soon as we were back across Bochetta delle Forbici, summit of Piz Bernina and the bowl of mountains above Vallone di Scerscen greeted us.
The walk to the hut took us past the milky turquoise waters of Lago Di Musella (8600′) and them up to the hut at 9000′. Rifugio Marinelli is a big refuge (210 beds). The staff were doing their morning cleaning, so we did not go in. With more time, we might have liked to hike to Punta Marinelli. With many more sights ahead, though, we decided to instead climb to a viewpoint behind the hut at about 9200′.
From there, we retraced our steps to Rifugio Carate Brianza. The direct route to our next hut, Rifugio Bignami, was only about 3 miles, but we had many possible side trips.
From Carate Brianza, we wound our way to Forcella di Fellaria (~9250′) and then descended to 8000′, and only a quarter mile and 300′ above the refuge. Our side trips from here would end up totaling another 3.5 or so miles and at least another 1000′ of elevation gain, so it might have been wise to visit the refuge first and drop much of the contents of our packs. Instead, though, we turned left, toward Lago Fasso.
This route took us along rock and then a moraine at the lake (8700′). We had wonderful views of waterfalls and glaciers above and the valley below.
After Lago Fasso, we backtracked slightly and then descended the side of the moraine to 8000′. There, we joined another trail and climbed to Fellaria Glacier and its lake (8700′). We were treated with a spectacular alpine lake. Waterfalls cascaded down from the glacier above to a lower tier of the glacier and the lake. Ibex did ibex things along the lake shore. The beauty was bittersweet though, as our map showed that this had–not long ago–been all glacier.
We stayed at the lake for a while. This was definitely a two-snack view. When it was time to go, we followed the trail back to the valley and down to Rifugio Roberto Bignami.
At the refuge, we checked in and learned that the water was not presently working. We ordered beers, a Nutella tart, and a chocolate tart, sat on the patio, and soon forgot our need for a shower. The hut had wonderful views back to Fellaria glacier and down to Lago di Alpe Gera, a large lake formed by a dam.
Dinner felt like a bit of a hodgepodge–pasta alfredo, speck; sausage, cheese, polenta; salami of bread/cookies and chocolate–but was filling. It was also clear that the team at the refuge was doing their best with the broken water, and we appreciated it.
The next day, we would hike back to into Switzerland. Read on to stages 7-10 of our Tour of the Bernina.
