Bregaglia - Val d'Avers

Points of reference: Small inns in Juppa and Juf.
For information: Avers tourist office, Tel. +41 81 650 9030.

Day 1: From Casaccia, follow the road that winds up in switchbacks over the forest level to the entrance to Val Maroz. The footpath takes a more direct route, crossing the road repeatedly and rejoining it on the flat section at the valley entrance. At the junction to the Septimer Pass, pass by without crossing the stream, continuing on a wide track along the left side of the valley following the flow of the river. Behind a grassy hill, the alpine hut of Maroz Dent (2035 m) appears. Here, descend slightly and cross the Maira stream on a footbridge. On the other side, you reach a crossroads: the route continues to the left into Val da Cam, while ours goes to the right along the stream. Then there is an ascent over grassy hills up to the ridge behind which lies Lägh da la Duana (2466 m). The path skirts the northern shore of the lake and continues into the flat valley. Later, you come to a second lake, Lägh da la Caldera. You walk around it on the right side and then continue straight ahead, easily reaching the path that leads into the wide valley cut of Pass da Roda with several small lakes (4.30 hours from Casaccia to the pass height). At the largest of the lakes (2751 m), which drains into the Madristal, turn right (north) and ascend to the nearby Bergalga Pass, also situated at a lake (2790 m). Beyond the pass, the green meadows of the Bergalga valley appear. After a short descent between large boulders, take the path that runs through the middle of the valley, then gradually bear right to descend to the huts of Hinter Bergalga, where you reach the alp road leading to Juppa (2005 m).

Day 2: From Juppa at the end of the Bergalga valley, proceed to Juf (2117 m), the end of the Avers valley road, just over a kilometer away. Leaving the houses of this typical small village behind, enter the flat green valley, following a road that soon gives way to a footpath. This climbs up the slope on the left to the Pass della Valletta.
Shortly before the pass, continue southwards along the valley axis to the Forcellina Pass (2672 m; 2.30 hours from Juf). On the other side, begin descending around several rocky slopes, then cross the beautiful alpine pasture past some mountain lakes situated just before the Septimer Pass (2310 m). Continue south on the road, then follow the pleasant path down to the plain of Maroz Dora
(1799 m), where you meet the road you took on the ascent. Take this, or better yet the small, more direct path, down to Casaccia.