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Vergeletto and the alpine lake of Salei

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    Explore the Onsernone Valley, famous for being particularly wild and secluded. It is precisely because of these characteristics that it has been loved by famous artists and writers. Those who visit it for the first time can’t help but return. Numerous routes will allow you to fully appreciate it. Discover the Salei area, its charming alpine lake, and the idyllic landscape surrounding it. Such beauty will captivate you.

    moderate
    Distance 13.1 km
    4:45 h
    480 m
    1,275 m
    2,006 m
    953 m

    An easy mountain walk in the Salei area above Vergeletto, where there is a charming alpine lake, is a pleasant excuse to propose a day discovering the Onsernone Valley. This valley has preserved a special character: it is very green, wild, a little shy, and secluded. Those who visit it for the first time can’t help but return and spend more time there. Because of its characteristics, it has been loved by famous artists and writers: some found refuge in dark times, others like Max Frisch chose it as the homeland of the soul. From Vergeletto-Zott, there is a cable car that takes you to the Salei area where the homonymous alpine pasture and hut are located (food and accommodation).

    After an easy walk of about 40 minutes on a path that rises quite gently and offers an unbeatable view of the Locarno area up to Lake Maggiore, you arrive at the lake, an ideal place to relax in nature and have a picnic on the meadows. Continuing on the beautiful wide path, after a little more than an hour’s walk, you reach the Arena hut, where you can eat and stay overnight. Then take the detour towards Sciüpada, where a wonderful traverse begins on the slope of this V-shaped valley. After the traverse, you reach the valley road about one kilometer before Zott, the starting and finishing point of the cable car, served by postal buses.

    Warning: In the area of Capanna Alpe Salei and the alpine lake of Salei, there are flocks guarded by protection dogs.

    Profile picture of Mariano Berri
    Author
    Mariano Berri 
    LogoAscona-Locarno Tourism
    Responsible for this content
    Ascona-Locarno Tourism  Verified partner 
    Difficulty
    T3moderate
    Overall difficulty
    moderate

    Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.

    Highest point
    2,006 m
    Lowest point
    953 m
    Best time of year
    Jan
    Feb
    Mar
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    May
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    Track types

    Asphalt 11.76%Forested/wild trail 0.79%Path 86.30%Unknown 1.12%
    Asphalt
    1.5 km
    Forested/wild trail
    105 m
    Path
    11.3 km
    Unknown
    148 m
    Show elevation profile

    Rest stops

    Mountain hut Salei
    Mountain hut Alpe Arena

    Coordinates

    SwissGrid
    2'687'002E 1'119'558N
    DD
    46.221843, 8.566241
    DMS
    46°13'18.6"N 8°33'58.5"E
    UTM
    32T 466547 5118787
    w3w 
    ///housework.dishes.mediate
    Get there by train, car, bike, or on foot!

    Equipment

    • Hiking backpack (approx. 20 liters) with rain cover
    • Sturdy and comfortable shoes
    • Clothing suitable for weather conditions and durable, layering principle and potentially trekking poles
    • Sun and rain protection
    • Supplies and drinking water
    • First aid kit
    • Pocket knife
    • Mobile phone, possibly headlamp
    • Map material

    Localization

    Parts of this content were machine translated using Italian as the source language

    Similar routes nearby

    • Vergeletto-Alzasca Hut
    • Comologno-Monte Comino
    • Comologno-Alpe Salèi-Vergeletto
    • Salèi and Pizzo Zucchero Trail (SvizzeraMobile 638)
    • Spruga-Alpe Saléi-Comologno
     These suggestions were generated by our system
    Difficulty
    T3moderate
    Overall difficulty
    moderate

    Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.

    Distance
    13.1 km
    Duration
    4:45 h
    Ascent
    480 m
    Descent
    1,275 m
    Highest point
    2,006 m
    Lowest point
    953 m
    Round trip Flora Scenic Refreshment stops available Fauna Cableway ascent/descent Linear route

    Weather at the starting point

    10-day forecast

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