Piz d'Arbeola

San Bernardino, at the very top of Misox (Mesolcina) valley, offers an impressing variety of hikes, just have a look at the CNS 1254 and adjacent maps !!
After having left the car in the large parking area at the entrance of San Bernardino, me and Toto followed the comfortable dirt track that goes around the Isola lake; after maybe 15 minutes you will find a deviation (right) indicating Pass di Passit. It is a rather good path which makes it's way through the wood, never too steep. A couple of streams need to be crossed, problemless though. You will then get out of the wood and ignore a deviation left leading to the Pian Grand hut; actually now the wide saddle of Pass di Passit can already be guessed. A further soft ascent and you will be at the lovely little lakes (ponds, really) of Pass di Passit. The spot is magnificent and definitely deserves a halt. Looking to your left (south-west) you will now be able to see Piz d'Arbeola and the evident Pass de la Cruseta: that's where you have to target now as, from Pass di Passit there are really very few signs to guide you and practically no track. You will go up with no worry along the moderate slope. What has to be taken into account is that you don't need to get to Pass de la Cruseta if you want to ascend Piz d'Arbeola, as explained also on the Brenna's CAS guide vol.4 "Alpi Mesolcinesi". A short while before the Pass, perhaps a 100 meters, you have to turn left and contour the summit dome of Piz d'Arbeola by a gentle ascent until you hit the eastern ridge. You will then be at very few easy steps from the summit. Needless to say we went straight to Pass de la Cruseta and then tried somehow to get on the western ridge; not impossible, actually, but too much of a danger for Toto, so after a couple of "tries" we wisely went for the eastern ridge meeting also some tiny residual snowfields. From the summit you have a superb view on most of the upper Mesolcina peaks and, in the distance, you may pick the mountains surrounding Madesimo plus those of Rheinwald and Calanca.
Ascent took a little less than four hours (because of described mishap); we made it back to San Bernardino in two-and-half hours. So say six hours plus stop on the summit.