Val da Camp and Lakes Trail

From Sfazù along the Val da Camp to Lach da Saoseo and Lach da Val Viola, admiring the fantastic yellow-orange autumn colors of the coniferous woods

One of the most beautiful in all of Switzerland. Saoseo is, in my opinion, the most beautiful mountain lake😊

Landscape and the sun above all :) Photos?hmmm...and of course with your own eyes it is even more beautiful :) Greetings LG Joanna

The Val da Camp, a side valley of the Poschiavo valley, is a first-class alpine idyll and is considered one of the most beautiful hikes in Switzerland. The Lagh da Saoseo is a true gem. It is widely praised as one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the entire Alps. We learn this from various descriptions of this area, and that is our destination today. After a winding drive, we reach the small hamlet of Sfazù. We park our car in a large parking lot. We snag one of the last parking spaces. So, we know in advance that there will be quite a few people out and about, even though it's a weekday. Private motorized vehicles are prohibited in the Val da Camp. Therefore, the only way to reach the alp is on foot or by small postal bus. We start our hike here on foot. We cross the road and reach a forest road on the opposite side. A path soon branches off here, obviously newly constructed and not yet signposted. At km 1.15, we reach the trail, which is now also listed in Komoot. Through a fairytale forest, occasionally along the Val da Camp stream, then again along the edge of the forest, we hike uphill on beautiful, rooty, and rocky paths. We're still walking in the shade, and the meadows and paths are partially covered in hoarfrost. On the other side of the valley, where the hiking trail crosses the gravel road (our planned return route), the sun is shining, and we're already considering whether to cross. From km 2.97 to 3.37, we leave the trail and hike across the pasture below, where the sun is shining. We're not supposed to walk this way, as it's private property and crossing is prohibited. There are no grazing animals here anymore, and there are no fences that we could cause any damage to. The alpine buildings also seem to be unoccupied. We simply "accidentally" overlooked this sign. At km 3.37, we rejoin the path in the sparse pine and larch forest. The sun now reaches us here as well. We repeatedly pass streams and small, partly frozen lakes, and we cross several footbridges. Over the millennia, landslides have buried the valley in various places, so that the mountain streams behind it dammed up to form lakes. We continue our wildly romantic hike through unique landscapes, through forests, meadows, and plateaus. Then, the climb is a bit more challenging over rocky terrain before we reach Lagh da Saoseo. Here, an impressive display of colors and emotions awaits us. The mountains and the bright golden-yellow larches are reflected in the crystal-clear, cobalt-blue to turquoise-green water of the lake. Standing on the shore, the sky is so clear that you can see every single stone on the lakebed. But Lagh da Saoseo is a tourist magnet par excellence. We can't believe there are so many people here. But once you've seen the lake, you'll understand why. We can't stop taking photos. Then we find a sunny spot by the water and take a break in this magical place. Afterward, we hike a little further uphill through wonderfully colorful forests on fantastic, rooty paths, past the Lagh da Scispadus, a somewhat spectacular mountain lake that looks like a retention basin. Time is too short for the Lagh da Val Viola, so we turn around at some point and begin the descent to Alp Camp. The subsequent descent towards Sfazù is pleasant, less steep, and leads along the road next to the mountain stream, partly through forest passages, and past the Rifugio Saseo. Soon we reach more open terrain and a few isolated alpine buildings. Considering that clouds occasionally move in front of the sun, leaving our ascent in shadow, we made the right choice with the route. We're also full of impressions, so we're glad the trail is easy and don't have to constantly concentrate on the path. We arrive back at the starting point happy and satisfied. What a fantastic hike that was again!

The starting point of this hike is the small village of Sfazù. Now we head into the beautiful Val da Camp and towards Pass da Sach. At the last junction, Pass da Sach and Lagh da Val Viola, we go to the lake, which is quite large for a mountain lake at over 2000m. On the way back we pass the lakes Lagh dal Plan di Giardin, Lagh da Scispadus and Lagh da Saoseo, all of which are simply beautiful. Added to this is the unique autumn atmosphere with the yellow-colored larches. We continue past the SAC hut Rifugio Saoseo and head back to Sfazù. A truly beautiful valley that is absolutely worth hiking through.

I discovered this hike in the Coop newspaper and implemented it today. If you love mountain lakes like me, it's worth it, but good shoes and sure-footedness are required! The descent was very dangerous, especially when the rocks and roots are wet. Hiking sticks are an advantage, but not always usable in rocky terrain. Actually, we didn't want to go back the same way, but the rocky terrain took a lot of strength and therefore we didn't want to take any risks.

Always beautiful, this valley. This time skipped Lago di Val Viola due to the heat. The way back over the wide driveway is not pretty, but it is easy to walk and opens up beautiful views of the colorful meadows if they have not yet been mowed.