Backpacking in Tessin: Lago Nero->Ossasca

Woke up to another clear day with mostly cloudless skies above and a bit of cloud coming Into the valley below. Once again a couple early people show up at 6:00; unlike yesterday though, today it is clear why they have come : fishing the lake. After breakfast and packing everything up we are underway by 8:30 again.

The path leads more or less flat away from the lake and around the valley wall. Nice views back over the glacier, Lago Bianco, and the very impressive wall of the dam for Lago Cavagnöö. After a bit of walking and heading slightly downwards we start to encounter folks heading towards the lake, these must be the early risers from the Cap. Cristallina. Onwards we head, past several people walking against us, with a bit of ascent up to a pass, where we have a really nice view down onto the Lago Sfundau and the Cristallinahuette in the distance.

Around the valley wall above the lake and up a bit more and we are at the hut. The plan was to have coffee and cake, but since the staff are all busy cleaning, we end up just doing an energy bar and then, afterwards a coffee. The hut is really nicely situated and quite modern. I guess they must also be pretty busy: half full both Monday and Tuesday nights... That's crazy.

After our nice break we head down the other side of the pass, it is really all downhill from here. The path leads us through a nice mixture of rock and grass and flowers, past people heading up to the hut, down to the floor of the hanging valley, where we follow the stream to the end before descending to the next step. And so on, and so on... Really nice hiking through a beautiful landscape. Lunch under some trees past the Alp Cristallina, then the final bit of descent to Ossasco, the bus down to Airolo, and the train back to Basel.