If you ever find yourself near Ascona in Switzerland, hiking the Pizzo Leone trail is definitely something you should consider doing. During this hike, you will see the most beautiful views of Lake Maggiore and the Brissago Islands.
This hike is of moderate difficulty but the small effort is worth it. The contrast between the blue lake and the green from the mountains is a treat for the eyes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PIZZO LEONE
Here is some general information about the Pizzo Leone and the area:
- Pizzo Leone is a peak in the Ticino region, in Switzerland. It has a total elevation of 1659 m
- According to the first explorers of the Ticino mountains, Pizzo Leone is the “guardian of the Ghridone”.
- From the top of Pizzo Leone, you will be able to see impressive views of Lake Maggiore, the pre-alps, and the alps.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE HIKE
HOW TO GET TO THE TRAILHEAD? WHERE TO PARK?
The trail starts outside Ronco Sopra Ascona in the Porera Parking Lot. You will know that you are at the correct place because after it, the road will be closed and you will not be able to go further by car. The map below will show you the exact location of the parking.
Tip: Make sure you save and download the map to reach the parking. When we did this hike, we forgot to do this and could not find it since we had no data on our smartphones. We ended up parking our car in Porto Ronco making our hike extra challenging!
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED for this hike?
Here are some recommendation on what you should bring if you are planning to hike to Pizzo Leone during the summer.
- Light and fast drying clothes.
- Sturdy hiking shoes.
- Hiking poles. You don’t need to buy them for this hike but if you have them, they will be very useful.
- A light backpack with water and snacks.
- Sunscreen and a hat.
- Your phone or camera. The views of Lago Maggiore are so beautiful, that you will most certainly want to take some photos!
HIKING THE PIZZO LEONE TRAIL
HIKE STATS
Trail Start/End – Porera Parking Lot.
Distance – 10,9 km
Elevation Gain – 693 m
Level – Moderate
Route Type – Loop Trail
Estimated Time Needed – 5 to 6 hours (including plenty of time to stop for photos). Remember to stay within the marked trails.
Best Time To Visit – July to September to ensure the best weather conditions.
HIKE MAP
I always use the AllTrails App during my hikes. The app has a GPX map that can help you stay on the right trail during your hikes. For this hike, we followed the Pizzo Leone via Corona dei Pinci Trail.
MY EXPERIENCE HIKING THE PIZZO LEONE TRAIL
1000 Steps To Heaven
This hike began with a few hiccups. We were a bit optimistic about finding the parking lot at the trailhead and forgot to save the exact location while we had wifi access at the hotel. However, since we didn’t have data on our smartphones, we were not able to find the parking and ended up parking our car in Porto Ronco.
This means we started our route almost 400 m lower in altitude than we should have. The way up to the real trailhead was slow and challenging. It felt like a million steps and never ending steep paths.
Reaching Corona dei Pinci
Despite our mistake, the path leading up to the parking and Corona Di Pinci is a very nice one. You have constant views of Lake Maggiore which keep getting better the higher you get. Once you leave the steps and streets of Porto Ronco and Ronco Sopra Asco you get to a path that goes through woods with cute small chappels along the way.
By the time we reached the trailhead, it was already past noon and it was really warm weather. We had to stop constantly to rest and hydrate. This made our ascent to Corona De Pinci, the first part of the hike slower but it was worth the effort. The view from up there is spectacurlar so we decided to have lunch with the best view and rest.
Admiting defeat and the descent
By the time we were ready to start moving again, it was already past 2 pm. There was still 1 hour and 30 minutes walk to reach Pizzo Leone and we also had to return… As much as we wanted to continue the hike and reach the end, we decided that if we did it was going to be too late by the time we got back to the car.
The return was also challenging because of the many stairs, our knees suffered a bit but the view made up for the effort.
Recommendation: Please make sure you park in the correct place to avoid all the extra elevation gain we had to do and avoid being exhausted by the time you reach the actual hike.
It was a pity but I am sure I will return one day to complete the hike!
WHERE TO STAY NEAR PIZZO LEONE?
The best place to stay if you’re planning to do this hike is either in Ascona or Locarno. It takes approximately 40 minutes to reach Foroglio but it will allow you to explore the town in the evening and have a nice dinner in a restaurant.
We stayed at the Hotel Garni Montaldi in Locarno, which was very conveniently located in front of the Locarno Train Station.
Photos from Booking.com
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