Alpe di Carate

Itinerary of about half a day in the Muggio Valley, combining the beauty of the views of the area with the fun of a wild descent: the alpe di Carate trail (difficulty S2). Start from Bruzella (parking possibility along the cantonal road) and reach Cabbio along a short stretch of asphalt road with little traffic. From here you follow an uphill section already described in the Alpe del Corno itinerary: you first pass near the Bonello pass and then, after entering Italian territory, you reach the Prabello refuge.

Towards the Prabello refuge

After admiring the beautiful panorama visible from the refuge, you travel part of the Bisbino ridge, first passing along the northern periplo of Sasso Gordona, then crossing the Crocetta and Binate cols until you reach the Mortirolo saddle. Here you leave the ridge and turn right to reach, via a final climb, a secondary peak of Mount San Bernardo at an elevation of 1304 meters. From this beautiful grassy knoll there is a stupendous panorama over most of the Alps (from Monviso to the Central Alps), the Pre-Alps in the area (Mt. Bisbino, Generoso, Sasso Gordona and Pizzo della Croce) and the Carate Alp below.

Panorama above the alpe di Carate

Now begins the downhill section of the itinerary through a wild and little-visited area: we start with a fast descent over meadows that leads us to the alpe di Carate, then, after going around the houses of the alpe, we enter the woods and follow a first wide rocky section on the ridge. A short relaunch introduces you to the second part of the trail, consisting of about forty hairpin bends on an earthy surface, all of which can be ridden: truly a delight for lovers of natural trails! In this section you re-enter Switzerland by crossing the border fence, manned by an old GdF barracks, now reduced to a ruin, a witness to the era of smuggling that many years ago characterized these territories. The last traverse (exposed on the canyon of the stream below) leads to an old stone bridge that allows us to cross the valley and admire the Breggia stream springs: a cool and truly enchanting place!

Breggia springs

To return to Bruzella one must now travel through the Crotta valley, along a narrow asphalt road that still does not spare some climbs, relieved, however, by the beauty of the views of this small valley.

Cows grazing in the Crotta valley.

NOTE: The section from the Carate Alp to the bridge over the Breggia is a hunting area, so it is not recommended to travel it when hunting is open.

Itinerary traveled on 04/26/2025 with mtb