> Hike through remote alpine wilderness between Italy and Switzerland
> Sleep in cozy mountain huts near dramatic dams and serene lakes
> Let us handle the hut bookings, you just hike
Cross the border and lose the crowds. On this five-day loop through Val Formazza, you'll explore a hidden corner of the Alps most travelers never see. Starting in Ulrichen, Switzerland, a short cable car ride catapults you into the heart of the mountains, where your only companions are marmots, mountain lakes, and a few perfectly placed rifugios. It’s green, it’s wild, and it’s a bit of a secret.
Designed for intermediate hikers, this route blends mellow trails with moments of T3 spice enough to keep things exciting without tipping into serious alpinism. You’ll pass through sleepy hamlets like Riale di Sotto, trace turquoise lakes like Toggia, and sleep in high-altitude mountain huts like Capanna Corno Gries and Rifugio Maria Luisa. If you’ve done the beginner hikes and are ready for more, this one’s calling.
The day starts high above Ulrichen, where the cable car drops you straight into a sea of green slopes and easy-going paths. The mountains still feel friendly here, with wide views and soft terrain that lets you get used to the altitude. As you move deeper into the valley, Nufenenstock and its neighbours watch over the route, while small streams and patches of rock add just enough mountain spice.
From the mountain station a clear trail traverses across grassy hillsides, never too steep, winding in and out of shallow gullies. The path slowly gains about 500 metres in height, giving more and more views towards the Gries area and the reservoir below. The terrain stays mostly gentle, with a few rockier steps to keep things interesting, and plenty of spots to pause, breathe and look back over the wide Valais landscape.
Near the end the trail eases off and rolls over a last shoulder, revealing Capanna Corno Gries tucked on its open plateau. A short descent leads to the hut terrace, where you can drop your pack, grab a drink and let the late-afternoon light sweep over the surrounding ridges. It feels like a small island of comfort in the middle of high country, the perfect place to spend your first night out.
From the high plateau around Capanna Corno Gries the route feels more alpine yet still welcoming. A narrow path leads towards the Italian border, with wide views over Val Corno and surrounding peaks like Kleines Grieshorn. After crossing Passo di San Giacomo the landscape softens and the blue mirror of Lake Toggia pulls you in, with Rifugio Maria Luisa waiting nearby for a relaxed evening.
The walk begins with a traverse on small, sometimes airy paths above the valley. The track is never technical, but a steep drop beside the trail asks for steady feet and unhurried steps. Closer to the pass the terrain becomes broader and more forgiving, following gentle grassy slopes and old mule tracks. At Passo di San Giacomo you cross into Italy and suddenly the basin of Lake Toggia opens up below.
From the pass an easy descent winds down about 300 metres on comfortable tracks, passing streams and low rock walls. The path curls around the shore of Lake Toggia, giving plenty of excuses to pause for photos or a quick snack by the water. A final short rise leads to Rifugio Maria Luisa, tucked above the lake, where hot meals, cosy rooms and a friendly buzz of hikers round off the afternoon.
This stage leaves the quiet basin of Rifugio Maria Luisa and dives back toward civilisation before returning to high mountains. After an easy warm up the path drops into the wide Val Formazza, where barns, pastures and the tiny hamlet of Riale di Sotto feel almost toy sized under the surrounding peaks. The day finishes back in a wilder world beside Lago Vannino and the welcoming lights of Rifugio Eugenio Margaroli.
From the hut the balcony path contours above Lago Toggia then heads past Valgeis Pond, a quiet tarn perfect for a first pause. The descent grows steeper while the track stays broad and secure, winding between low walls and larches until it reaches the road and the few houses of Riale di Sotto. Here the terrain eases into a comfortable T1 valley trail, with a possible ice cream stop at Albergo Ristorante Aalts Dorf on summer days.
Beyond the village the path tilts up again, first on mellow pastures then on rougher zigzags that climb around 900 metres to Passo di Nefelgiù at 2,583 metres. The effort is rewarded with a wide view over both Lago Morasco and Lago Vannino and the skyline of the Lepontine Alps. A final stony descent leads straight to the shore of Lago Vannino and the grassy knoll where Rifugio Eugenio Margaroli sits above the water.
This is a high mountain day, connecting two lakeside huts above the tree line with a long ridge loop. The route climbs to the lookout of Punta Lebendun, then swings across the vast basin of Lago Sabbioni with glaciers and three thousand metre peaks close at hand. It feels remote yet surprisingly playful, hopping from hut to hut and finishing on a rocky balcony at Rifugio Claudio e Bruno.
From Rifugio Margaroli the track follows the shore of Lago Vannino before turning onto steeper T3 terrain. A long ascent of roughly 800 vertical metres snakes up rubble and slabs to Punta Lebendun, a superb balcony over Val Formazza and the Sabbioni basin. The descent drops back to gentler ground near Rifugio Somma Lombardo at 2,561 metres, with huge views to Punta d'Arbola and Blinnenhorn.
Beyond the hut an airy traverse leads towards Rifugio Mores Lago Sabbione at 2,515 metres, perched just above the big dam. You cross the concrete wall with Lago Sabbioni on one side and waterfalls plunging into the valley on the other, then follow a clear path that hugs the northern shore. Short up and downs on turf and boulder ribs bring you to the stone buildings of Rifugio Claudio e Bruno, right above the turquoise water.
The final stage keeps the altitude for a while, hopping between high huts and dams before the long drop back towards Switzerland. It starts among moraine and old snowfields above Lago Sabbioni, brushes the glacier world around Rifugio 3A, then swings over towards the border ridge. After a panoramic traverse above Griessee the path finally spirals down to the Altstafel station, where the cable car glides you back to the valley.
From Rifugio Claudio e Bruno the trail climbs steadily on rocky T3 ground to reach Rifugio 3A, set right beside the Siedel glacier. Short exposed sections demand concentration but remain well marked. From here you swing south on balcony paths that lead to Rifugio Città di Busto at 2,480 metres, with long views back over Lago Sabbioni and the serrated skyline of Blinnenhorn and Punta dei Camosci.
Beyond the hut the markings guide you across rubble slopes to the broad Gries Pass and the concrete curve of the Griessee dam at around 2,380 metres. On clear days the view stretches to the icy tongue of the Gries glacier and far across the Valais peaks. A final long descent on well built mountain paths and service tracks zigzags down towards the power station buildings at Altstafel, where you find the cable car and a well earned rest.
