It is only 7 kilometers from Airolo, the classic starting point for the Tremola/Gotthard Pass, and Lago del Naret. But to get to this magnificent mountain lake, a gem in the Dolomites, you have to go through a long and difficult journey. Ticino, Therefore, you will have to drive all the way through Locarno. This is perhaps the reason why many cyclists in this beautiful climb Switzerland I don’t know him. He’s also fairly isolated; it’s a so-called ‘dead end’ and in the immediate vicinity it’s quite isolated. Still, when you go cycling in Ticino, this climb cannot be missing on your route.
Basecamp Locarno
If you choose to book a holiday in the beautiful Ticino region, Locarno is probably the best option. Not only because it provides access to the Lago del Naret, but also because from here you can go in several directions. After a long day on the bike, the lake offers a wonderful refreshing experience. From here you can also quickly head over to your neighbor. Italy. The city of Locarno is one of the sunniest cities and the climate there is very pleasant. Perfect, then!
The climb to Lago Del Narèt
Although we take Locarno as our base, the real climb to Lago del Narèt begins in the idyllic Bignasco, a hamlet with 300 inhabitants. From here you begin a long journey of 32 kilometers to the Lake of Narèt. After about 1 kilometer you encounter the first hairpin bend. It is very short and not necessarily very steep. The first 10 kilometers are actually very gradual. Except for the first 2.5 kilometers, you hardly exceed 5 percent of the gradient. You drive smoothly up through a beautiful valley, with the Swiss Alps on both sides. It’s kind of a long treadmill.
Starting
After 10 kilometers, just before you reach the hamlet of Peccia, the road suddenly gets steeper. You can feel that it’s no longer safe to turn around and the speedometer immediately shows a rise of more than 7 percent. In Peccia you turn right and are presented with a few beautiful hairpin bends. That somewhat eases the pain because the gradient here doesn’t go below 10 percent. You still drive through the beautiful forests, so in the summer you’re fairly well protected. It flattens out again until you reach the picturesque village of Fusio. You pass the small agglomerations of Mogno and if you look closely you can see the Maggia flowing on the left side. This route is also named after it, the Vallemaggia.
Fusion and hope
If you need a break after the first half of the climb, the Antica Osteria Dazio in Fusio is a good place to have a drink. Note: the hardest part of the climb is now starting. You’re already at 1289 meters above sea level here, but the summit near the lake is at 2311 meters! That means that over the next 15 kilometers you’ll cover over 1000 meters of elevation gain. There are also some flat kilometers between Lago de Sambuco, so make sure you haven’t run out of gas in the first part.
Wooden bridges and more
The road up the hill gets narrower and narrower. The road sometimes runs over wooden bridges and you have a beautiful pine forest here that provides some shade from the Mediterranean sun. Because the Mediterranean coast isn’t that far from here. That’s also the special thing about starting the climb from Locarno. There it’s often still wonderfully warm and on top it’s quite cool!
About 12 kilometers below the summit you’ll find the dark green and stunning Lago del Sambuco. This gem is surrounded by pine forests and steep limestone hills that disappear into the lake’s waters. You can therefore take a moment to catch your breath before the final 9, grueling kilometers to the summit. Because reaching the top of Lago del Naret is no easy feat.
Steep and irregular
Just when you think you’ve got a rhythm, the climb starts to level out again, making it quite steep up again. From Campo Sotto the road is little more than a goat path. You still see cars, but there are only a few. That’s a good thing, because you already have enough to worry about on your own and the 15 to 16(!) percent on the Wahoo. This is the steepest part of the climb. My God, this is tough! With only six kilometers to go, it suddenly flattens out. You have 500 meters of rest to look around, but then it’s still 5.5 kilometers above the ten percent mark. It’s almost like a climb out of the Asturian guidebook. It’s really a winding path and because you’re above 2000 meters, you have a beautiful wide view. But oh, oh, oh, this hurts.
Full legs
Once you’ve conquered the hardest part of the climb, the reward is well worth it. The view from the dam is absolutely stunning. Because it’s such a well-kept secret, you usually don’t have many companions at this altitude. If they are there, they often have help from motorized vehicles. What’s also worth mentioning: normally, at every summit there’s a restaurant or something that looks like a mountain hut. Here, however, that’s not the case. So make sure you have enough supplies with you. At Fusio, the last chance to recharge your batteries is the perfect opportunity to do so, so be sure to take that into account! Otherwise, you’ll really come home from a cold sweat.
The descent is also narrow
What goes up, most goes down. In this case literally. The first six kilometers of the descent are bumpy and very narrow. Be extra careful here, because the asphalt is not of the highest quality. So take your time, if necessary, to have lunch or something to eat in the many hamlets you encounter. In the end, you are more than 120 kilometers away and that’s no small feat.
Questions & tips
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