Ticino: The Beta

Language:

There are four national languages in Switzerland: German, French, Italian, and Rumantsch. In Ticino, the Southern-most region of Switzerland, Italian is spoken. In Italian if a C is followed by an I or an E, it is pronounced like ‘CH’. Also, E’s and I’s are pronounced different than in English. For example, Ticino is pronounced ‘Tee-chee-no’ and Cresciano is pronounced ‘Cresh-ee-a-no’. This works the other way also, if there is a CH followed by an I or an E it is pronounced like a K. For example Chironico is pronounced ‘Kee-ro-nee-co’. Brione = ‘Bree-o-nay’. Vecchio Leone = ‘Veh-kee-o lay-o-nay’. Hopefully that makes sense!

Magic Wood is in the Graubünden region of Switzerland where German is spoken. I have no clue how to speak or pronounce German, good luck!

Money:

Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. It is also one of the few countries that haven’t switched to the Euro; they use the Swiss franc which, as of this writing, is worth $1.04. One tip for saving money is to shop at Aldi, there is one near the onramp to the autostrada on the south side of Bellinzona. For Magic Wood, there is an Aldi in Thusis; get off the autostrada at the second Thusis exit, turn left, it’ll be on your left after a km. One other tip is to stop eating meat since it’ll quadruple your meal cost. We made a lot of lentil dishes when we were in Switzerland.

Where to Stay:

Camping in Switzerland is expensive, 18 francs per person per night is typical from what we found. Also, camping at the major areas in Ticino (Chironico, Cresciano, and Brione) is ilegal.

Your best bet is to find a place to rent in Bellinzona which is the most central location for bouldering in Ticino. If you’re already over there then you can go to the tourist office for Ticino which is at via Lugano 12 in Bellinzona (or call them at +41 091 825 70 56). They have people there that speak english and can help you find a place. For us it cost 500 francs per week in total for a 1 bedroom apartment with beds for 4 people. We split it four ways so it worked out to 18 francs per night.

In Magic Wood you have the luxury of camping for 5 francs per night which is awesome if you are on a budget.

Weather:

Ticino is best from late fall to early spring. There are several main areas to choose from depending on conditions. Cresciano is at 1,500 feet so it is best in the winter. Chironico and Brione are a bit higher at 2,600 feet so they will be the better bet on a warm day. If it’s hot then you can hit up Magic Wood (4,100 ft) which is an hours drive from Bellinzona and stays cool due to the dense trees. Warning: in Magic Wood it may rain a LOT. We were there in May and it rained almost everyday for four straight weeks. Hopefully you will have better luck with Magic Wood.

Transportation:

If you are flying to Ticino, Milan is the closest major city to fly into; it is just over an hour from Bellinzona. Kayak is my favorite tool to shop for flights. I think most flights to Europe fall in the $650-850 range. I would definitely bring a pad on the flight, normally you won’t be charged an oversized fee (we didn’t get charged on any of our 5 flights). I’ve also heard that you can claim your pad as sports equipment and that will even allow you to bring a big pad without extra fees. I can’t verify that but it sounds good!

Switzerland has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. Even though all these climbing areas are in remote places, you can take a bus to each one. The only problem is you can’t camp at any of these areas except for Magic Wood so I can’t recommend traveling by bus unless you are meeting friends that have a car. If you are staying in Europe for a month or longer then you may want to consider a lease buy-back with Peugeot. That’s what we did and while it is still very expensive, it works out to be cheaper than a standard rental car. Plus they give you a brand new car including full insurance coverage, roadside assistance etc. The other option is to buy a car but I can’t provide any insight into that. If you are in Europe for three weeks or less then I would suggest renting a car.

Finding the Boulders:

There are guidebooks for Cresciano and Chironico that you can buy at the climbing hostel in Cresciano (Via Pro da Cà). Fair warning, they are pricey at about 35 euros. You can also buy chalk, shoes, and other gear at their store. You can download a free topo (top right corner of page). for Magic Wood which is an hours drive from Bellinzona.

There is no guide for Brione so we made a topo using google maps, we also tagged the other climbing areas in Ticino + Magic Wood. This should help you get oriented with the area and find some rad boulders in Brione. We spoke with several locals about Brione and they all told me there aren’t any major access issues except you can’t climb in the upper sector in the summer since the farmers need the grass for their animals.

View Ticino Bouldering Guide in a larger map

Rest Days:

In Ticino there are many lake-front cities where you can spend a relaxing rest day people watching/eating gelato. Lugano and Locarno are two that we enjoyed.

Bellinzona is home to several castles including one that is smack in the middle of downtown. It is free to enter and definitely worth checking out.

From Bellinzona you are also just over an hour from Milan, Italy which is certainly worth the visit.

Like bungee jumping? How about jumping off the world’s tallest bungee jump (720 ft) at the Verzasca Dam on the way to Brione? It’s only open on the weekends and it costs about 200 francs.

If you have any questions or any additional info please leave a comment!