556 San Bernardino Pass - snowshoe route

The snowshoe route starts from the village center and leads north, passing beside the San Bernardino mineral spring, whose healing powers were already known in Roman times. With the construction of the carriage road to the pass in 1823, the mineral water spring regained its former importance. With the arrival of people of noble social extraction from nearby Italy, attracted by the therapeutic qualities of its waters, San Bernardino became an established spa resort. While this type of tourism ended with the world wars, today visitors are drawn to Mesolcina for its unique natural landscape.

From Gareida Sot the route continues close to Gareida Sora towards the ancient Roman path to the pass, which is bordered and crossed several times along the way, leading us to the Moesola Pond. The small lake is located at the lowest point of the pass crossing in a hollow between Pizzo Moesola and Pizzo Uccello. Pyramid-shaped and 2,724 meters high, Pizzo Uccello is the emblem of San Bernardino. This ascent to the San Bernardino pass takes place through various small hills typical of the region. These small hills represent a landscape declared of national importance. Indeed, the bogs found under the snow cover are among the largest Swiss landscapes with glacier-shaped mounds, interspersed in summer by numerous small lakes.

The San Bernardino pass is now just a few steps away. In the past, the pass was called Mons Avium, meaning the mountain of the bird, while its current name is due to Saint Bernardino of Siena. The original name was later transferred from the pass to the adjacent mountain, namely Pizzo Uccello. The return path follows the Moesa river back to Gareida Sot, from where the same route used on the way out is taken back.