Val da Camp (724)

For motorized private transport, the Val da Camp is taboo: at the entrance to the valley near the Postbus stop Sfazù there is a driving ban, from which only agricultural vehicles and the narrow, small Postbuses that manage to master the steep gravel road are exempt. The traffic on the route is limited, the road is not asphalted – this is actually a paradise for hikers.

Nevertheless, local connoisseurs advise against visiting the valley on this easiest way, because there are much better things there. The top route in the area is an easy walking tour that is excellent even for families with children. The starting point is the Alp Camp, the terminus of the Postbus line. Due to the limited number of spaces in the vehicles, it is essential to reserve in advance.

Over the millennia, landslides have buried the valley in various places, so that behind them the mountain streams have dammed up into lakes. Several of them can be reached on hiking trails. A real gem is the Lagh da Saoseo. It is widely praised as one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in Switzerland, if not the entire Alpine region. From a distance, the water shimmers cobalt blue, but when you stand on the shore, it turns out to be so clear that you can see almost every single stone at the bottom of the lake.

Although there are several fortified fireplaces on the shore, it is advisable to postpone the snack a bit, because the next section of the hike consists of a rather steep ascent of 200 meters in altitude. Initially, it runs in the forest, later above the tree line. Finally you reach the Lagh da Viola. Over the turquoise blue lake mirror you can see over to the glaciated southern flank of Piz Palü.

The slope on the eastern shore of Lake Viola is quite steep, so access to the water here is not so easy. It is therefore worthwhile to circle the lake halfway around and to take a break on the large, flat pasture west of the lake. In the estuary area of the mountain stream, you can play, jam and splash around excellently. In an easy descent it goes back to the Alp Camp.