San Lucio Pass, from Bogno

Description

After skipping the Bovarina walk last week, thanks to a 4 out of 5 danger warning from the Swiss Institute for the Study of Snow and Avalanches in Davos, we opt for a little trip to the Sottoceneri, where the snow situation should be less dramatic. Pierfranco and Danila make themselves available as guides for the ascent to the San Lucio pass, whose beauty they have extolled to us. We are joined by Tiziana and Paolo. The climb is extremely easy, following the snow-covered forest road. The snow is well compacted and icy in the non-exposed spots, while in the sunny spots it already tends to melt. During the ascent, you can admire Garzirola, Monte Lema, Monte Tamaro, Ghiridone (or Gridone), Pizzo Leone, and Monte Bar (of whose hut you can barely see the roof beyond the ridge). The first part of the route is in a sparse forest with the last chestnut trees and the first beech trees, then as we ascend we pass through a sparse beech wood, ending up completely exposed just before reaching the pass proper. It took us about two hours to reach the Swiss hut, which was literally covered in snow: practically the windows on the first floor were at ground level. The young copy who took over the hut got busy on Friday, and opened a way in. From inside, warm and cosy, you look out as if you were in an igloo. The prices, for a hut, are honest, and with around 20 francs each we were able to eat. After our meal, we climbed up to the pass to admire the church of St Lucius, patron saint of mountaineers, and St Roch, protector against the plague. The church, which is very large considering where it was built, is already mentioned in chronicles from 1300. Clearly visible (but we did not go there) is the hut of the municipality of Cavargna, formerly the barracks of the Finanza, from which the passage of the spalloni with their bricole was controlled (and stopped). From a slightly elevated point, you could see the Italian pre-Alps as far as the Bergamo area, while Lake Como remained hidden. The day was so clear that I could see the Monte Rosa massif (I couldn't identify it), and from behind the ridges joining the Bar to the Garzirola I thought I recognised the Pizzo Vogorno. It was a delightful day and a delightful walk, with mild temperatures and no wind (which had bothered us until the day before). We gave up on the ascent to Garzirola as we were pressed for time, but it is definitely worth doing in spring. Relatively few people, taking into account the ease of the ascent and the fine day, apart from two snowmobiles, and two boors who arrived at the hut by helicopter, in suit and tie, to have a coffee and leave, after having 'busted my chops' with their low-altitude trinket for almost 10 minutes hovering all around. I may be mean, but I prayed that the coffee would go down their throats during the descent.... During the descent, pay attention to those who went up on sealskins, and who came down on skis at full speed: just after a bend we almost got run over by a caravan of four of them. I thought back to the walk a fortnight ago in the Bar, immersed in the fog: I began to realise what we had missed.