Giro della Greina
Paradise on a gentle slope
A hike at the tail end of the autumn across the high Greina plateau is a solitary voyage into preserved areas. The steppe or tundra atmosphere enters Ticino and Grisons…
Text and photos: Stéphane Maire
Linking the Rhine valley to Ticino and, further south, to Italy, the passage of Greina was adopted by small businesses and the cattle trade, which supplied the Ticino markets until the end of the XIXth century. The inhabitants of the Val Blenio crossed it to reach their high mountain pastures, located behind the Vrin in Grisons. Nevertheless its importance has never reached that of the neighbouring Col du Lukmanier. In the 70s and 80s, a hydroelectric dam project, launched by the driving forces of the NE, was abandoned following strong mobilization of the population, who had thus renounced an important source of income. Since 1996, the region has been registered within the IFP (Federal Inventory of natural landscapes, sites and monuments of national importance). The State ensures the conservation of the river in its natural state by assigning 1 million Swiss francs each year to the local authorities.
Some preserved spaces
When you travel across the “Giro della Greina”, you aren’t immediately aware of the threat which shrouded this little corner of paradise. It appears so normal that these natural spaces have always been preserved… These high plateaus which brighten up the weaving, meandering river, which harbours vast marshy zones and an incredibly rich flora. Those who frequent Le Valais know only too well that the valleys saved by human exploit, whether it be hydroelectric or linked to the ski piste, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The inhabitants of Ticino have seemingly fiercely resisted the mechanical invasion of their piece of the country. The steep landscape – we often forget that Ticino is a mountainous country – scarcely lends itself to the installation of vast skiable zones. In this sense, the region of La Greina is not an exceptional area, to the great delight of those who are enthusiasts of wild spaces.
Watery tales
You can set off on the discovery of this sanctuary by opting for a single, fairly long stage but if you are planning to spend more time on zone, the mountain refuges are not rare in the region. Whoever favours access from the Grisons side may well rely on Camona da Terri, whilst on the Ticino slope, the Capana Scaletta or Mottersascio provide the hospitality.
For our part, we opted for the Val Blenio, in Ticino, and one night in a tent prior to getting going in the early hours, hoping to loop the loop within the space of a day. We slowly leave the hamlet of Daigra and set off for the Passo della Greina, better known as the Crap Pass on the Grisons side. What becomes apparent quite quickly here is the abundance of water. The reservoir, the rivers, the torrents, the streams, it gushes out from everywhere! Each waterfall is more beautiful than the next, plateaus washing over the lazy waters and marshland. Those who love the precious liquid won’t be disappointed…
Central Asian Steppe
Close to Capanna Scaletta, we didn’t want to miss the natural rocky arch which the reports and signalling boasted so we momentarily follow the blue-white signposting as far as the latter. A foray across the Grisons territory, gives us a chance to admire the Greina Plain (“Plaun la Greina” in Romansh). Little by little the landscape opens up before us. The path disappears into the distance and we let ourselves be guided along it as if in a trance. Here we find ourselves projected, for the duration of a dream, into these vast steppes worthy of Central Asia. The fawn tinge of the grass at the tail end of the autumn only reinforces this sentiment. Each year, the local flora enchants the numerous enthusiasts and we imagine the very popular region. Today, there are no flowers but instead we benefit from absolute solitude. Prior to returning to Ticino soil, we let ourselves drink in the magical atmosphere which bathes this area. It’s true that it’s difficult to leave a place where quietness reigns. The silence, coloured only by the gentle murmuring of the river, has something hypnotic about it.
Crossing the Crap la Crusch, we begin the gentle descent towards the Capanna Motterascio. For a while the recent sense of grandeur at the vast high pasture plateau of the same name is extended. At the mountain refuge, it’s a desert. The warden’s season ended one or two weeks earlier and solely a few workers are finishing off their tasks before the winter. The last part of the course, diving in the Laggo di Luzzone, brings us back to the heart of the most alpine landscapes. The Valle di Garzora, planted up to perfection, contrasts dramatically with the gentle plateaus of the Greina. The flamboyant tinges of larches soften the ruggedness of the setting a little and we reach the southern bank of the stretch of water via a beautiful forest. All that’s left is to return to the point you set out from via a road suitable for motor vehicles. Just the time for the mind to recover from the strong impressions, which leave no doubt about its appeal to all its pretenders…
Read the rest of the article in the Mountain Report magazine - Where to find ?