Alpine Passes Trail

The idyllic lake Cadagno with its waterfall is situated just below the Cadagno mountain hut. The 21-metre-deep lake is a natural phenomenon due to its layering: There are two layers of water above one another here, each with a different composition. The lower layer is free of oxygen but rich in dissolved salts, while the upper layer is rich in oxygen but poor in mineral salts. Phototrophic bacteria develop between the layers, giving the water a reddish tinge. They also form a biological filter that prevents the layers from mixing.

As you continue descending to Lake Ritom, the marmots whistle and the sound of the Murinascia Grande waterfall roars in your ears. Follow the lake shore through the lovely forest of larches and Swiss stone pines to reach the dam. Since its height was increased in 1953, it allows the use of 49 million m3 of water. This is enough for an average annual production of 150 million kWh. In other words: enough power for 10,000 goods trains to run from Bellinzona to Arth-Goldau. From the lake, there is a steep downhill hike to Altanca, and then you mostly walk along the road used by cars. At about the midway point of the descent, you cross the Ritom funicular: with a maximum gradient of 87.8%, this is one of the world's steepest funiculars.

After Brugnasco, the road turns into a path until you reach Madrano. An old mule track connects the two villages, some sections are paved. Finds from a Roman cemetery from the 2nd/3rd century AD indicate that crystals were once traded in the area and probably processed in the Muralto glass factory. Slightly below Madrano, the mule track leads towards the Canaria torrent. It is paved with irregular stones and flanked in places by a dry stone wall. Now it is not far to the destination of this stage: Airolo (1175 metres altitude) at the foot of the Gotthard Pass is the site of both southern portals of the Gotthard road and rail tunnels. This is why the uppermost village in the Leventina valley is mainly regarded as a place of transit - an erroneous assumption. The countryside surrounding Airolo is a beautiful hiking region with intact historic villages, idyllic mountain lakes, agriculture and varied natural beauty.