Multi-day snowshoe hike: from Italy to Valais

A Carabinieri talks animatedly to Ruedi, pointing again and again at the camera in his hands. All bundled up and with snowshoes on our backs, we stand helplessly at the customs office at Domodossola station. Lacking knowledge of Italian, we don’t know what the policeman is trying to tell us, so we leave with an innocent look and a friendly smile. Later we suspect that the officer did not want us to photograph his customs house. We are mountain guide Michel and a group of Transa employees who have taken on a snowshoe hike lasting several days. Ruedi documents the tour with his camera.

Over the course of three days, we want to hike from the Alpe Devero plateau in Italy over the Albrun Pass to the wildly romantic Valais Binn Valley. It’s a varied tour with overnight stays in two different huts. After a longer train ride to Domodossola, a bus takes us up to the Rifugio Castiglioni: the staffed mountain hut is our accommodation for the first night. Before the first tour, we can conveniently leave our luggage. Large snowflakes envelop the landscape and the Alpe Devero plateau becomes a winter wonderland.

We begin our program: first, we practice avalanche protection for emergencies. For me, it is only the third time I’ve used snowshoes, and I am not yet familiar with probe, shovel and avalanche transceiver. Michel, the mountain guide, gives us an exciting crash course. He makes sure that we understand everything and that no questions remain unanswered. This is important for survival away from groomed and marked snowshoe trails.

Fun and specialities

We go on a circular hike towards Buscagna. Going at almost at the same pace, we snowshoe around the snow-covered Lago Nero. The snow dampens all sounds. It’s quiet and charming.

Back at the hut it gets a little louder again – and in no time, a boisterous snowball fight breaks out. The day is topped off with a delicious dinner made from local specialities such as polenta. Rifugio Castiglioni is family-run. Everyone is incredibly warm and pamper us with Italian cuisine and hospitality.

The next morning, Alpe Devero is in fog. There is a lot of snow and Michel expresses concern that the ascent to the Albrun Pass could be too dangerous. Flexibility is required. We pack our things and let our hosts know that we might spend another night at the hut.

Nature sets the rules

Still in the dark, the path leads us along the eastern side of Lago di Devero up to Alpe Forno Inferiore. The area is a nature park. Its pristine nature captivates me. It’s still foggy. Because we are now on a steeper uphill section and because of the avalanche risk, we hike at a distance of about 15 metres from each other. It feels like I’m completely alone in this dreamy landscape. Unlike skiing, snowshoeing is much quieter. Mindful walking is almost meditative, but at the same time I also feel some adrenaline. Will we be able to tackle the historical route over the Albrun Pass?

After a good two hours of walking, Michel stops the group. The fog is clearing and we can already see the pass. About 200 vertical meters are still ahead of us. Michel takes the time to assess the risks. I can feel the tension in the group. We watch how our mountain guide looks at various apps, observes the wind and analyses the fresh snow. He takes his time again and explains to us exactly how he made his decision. He concludes: the avalanche risk is too great and an ascent is too dangerous. The problem is drifted snow caused by strong winds and the associated accumulation of wind slabs in the zones close to the ridge. Our safety comes first. After brief disappointment, we are grateful for the sensible decision. As if the sun knew that we needed some consolation, it finally shows up and we head back to the hut.

In the morning, we had observed a group walking directly across the lake. The ice under the snow is thick enough, so that this time we walk back crossing Lago di Devero itself. This huge empty space in the middle of the mountains is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.