homeLago del Narčt
Lago del Narčt Height Climbing height - length
2312m
Sign 2310m
2058m - 55.6 km (Ponte Brolla)
1869m - 31.8 km (Bignasco)
Difficulty Beauty
4-5 (5) 4-5 (5)
How to get there This is a long legendary climb from Locarno by Lago Maggiore near the lowest point in Switzerland. One can count the start for the climb as beginning at Ponte Brolla (254m) at the start of the Valle Maggia – a big valley, but from here there is no other road access to this valley except via Ponte Brolla. The climb only start as a real climb at Bignasco (443m) from where it climbs in sections. After Peccia (840m) comes the first steep section up to Fusio (1281m), from where the next steep section on a narrower road through some short unlit tunnels takes you to the grand Lago del Sambuco (1462m). A long flat road takes you along the lake before the final climb to top starts. Now it is quite steep and after crossing over to the other side of the valley it gets steeper still. Then near the top the road is fantastic, but also has a short descent before the dam itself.
Other comments

The views are outstanding at Lago del Sambuco and in the top section including the dam itself. I had some thoughts about crossing over the Passo del Narčt (2438m) and even if it is a long walk up and then down the Val Torta to Alpe di Cristallina (1800m) where a gravel road starts, it is still likely faster than cycling around if you are going to Airolo or the Nufenenpass, but as the weather was not the best, I returned back and I was not going to Airolo anyway this time.

At Bignasco/Cavergno there is a road up to San Carlo (1040m), from where only a cable car continues up the valley (there is some kind of track, but not anything usable with a road bike). Unfortunately one is not allowed up there in the cable car with a bicycle, but otherwise you could get bicycling above 2000m on asphalt up there too. This is likely the most inaccesible asphalt road above 2000m in the Alps. The road here reaches almost the exact same height as the Lago del Narčt road at Lago dei Cavagnöö (ca. 2312m).


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