Capanna Cristallina

The Cristallina area is a true hiker-paradise. Still, I had never been to the Cristallina hut. Plan was to add the simple ascent to Cima di Lago, but the day worked out differently. Anyway, there is little to say about getting to the hut, lots of reports. We parked at Lago Scuro, then went up to the Naret dam and contoured the Naret lake clockwise, having the majestic beauty of Cristallina in sight for most of the time. Next, at a signalled deviation, we turned left climbing with moderate effort to the Naret pass. A pretty windy place. The path (always neat and marked) then loses some 180m altitude (there’s a rope to assist on a brief rocky step) in order to gain the opposite side of Val Torta. Up again, once close to the hut we encountered a couple of residual snowfields; nothing really difficult, but some caution was needed. Once at the hut, fatigue hit me (I had slept some 2,5 hours only) and I gave up the planned summit. Right time for a break, and what a break! We treated ourselves a couple of the pies baked at the hut… extraordinary! So with pie, tea and the superb vision of Basodino… close to what Heaven must be… also Ginger’s Heaven. Mad went on ascending a little while to see what it looked like approaching Cima di Lago: straightforward. Capanna Cristallina is very well run, immaculate, efficient. Went back to the car exactly by the same route.
A final note: on the way down Val Lavizzara we halted at Mogno… can a modern architectural achievement inspire spirituality? The reply is “yes”, having seen the tiny San Giovanni Battista church designed by Mario Botta.