Canyoning in the Alps. Simon Flower

in Parco Commerciali Laghi, just outside Gravellona-Toce (tel [phone], www.sportway.net).

      Hospitals

      The only hospitals in the area are in Domodossola, Verbania and Brig.

      Weather forecast

      The weather forecast for the area can be found on the Italian-language ARPA website (www.arpa.piemonte.it), but many people use the Meteo Swiss website (www.meteoswiss.ch) because of the reliability of Swiss weather forecasting. Longer range forecasts can be obtained from 3B Meteo (www.3bmeteo.com) and Il Meteo (www.ilmeteo.it).

      Maps

      Both IGC and IGM (official Italian mapping), as well as Kompass, produce maps that cover the whole area at 1:50,000. The Swiss Survey 1:50,000 maps cover the area in just two sheets and are more detailed and reliable. Some 1:25,000 maps are available from IGM and Edizioni Multigraphic, but coverage and availability are currently limited.

      Practicalities in Switzerland (Routes 1 and 2)

      There is a simple campsite, Camping Tropic, just off the road into Brig (between Termen and Ried-Brig). A larger campsite with swimming pool (Camping Geschina) can be found a little closer to Brig. Brig itself is a large town with a range of facilities, including banks, hotels, train station, tourist information and a hospital.

      TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT

      Rail

      The train line from Milan traverses Val d’Ossola on its way to Brig in Switzerland. The slower ‘Regionale’ trains stop in a number of small towns en route, including Mergozzo and Varzo. A small scenic train connects Domodossola and Locarno via Val Vigezzo, stopping at numerous places along the way, including Santa Maria Maggiore and Craveggia (where there are campsites). Details from www.centovalli.ch. Car hire is not available in the area.

      The clear green waters of Variola Superiore (Route 4) (photo: Simon Flower)

      Driving

      Val d’Ossola is linked to Milan by the A26 motorway. North of Gravellona-Toce it becomes the SS33, a dual carriageway free of toll booths, which in turn becomes a single-lane highway at Domodossola. Junctions off the SS33 are not always straightforward. An exit possible in one direction is not always possible in the other. Describing directions is therefore not always easy.

      OTHER ACTIVITIES

      Although Val d’Ossola lacks the crowd-pulling scenery found elsewhere in the Alps, there is still plenty here to attract walkers. The region is home to two surprisingly little-visited protected parks which have a wild, rugged beauty. Visitors could also venture onto the lofty peaks along the Swiss border. A stroll in the forested hillsides has a charm, the slopes strewn with tumbledown hamlets, or baite, usually miles from any road and only sparsely inhabited at best. Some houses are used as summer retreats, while others are falling into disrepair. Many appear to be getting a new lease of life as ambitious building projects of wealthy city dwellers.

      PROTECTED AREAS

      Parco Regionale Alpe Véglia e Alpe Dévero (www.parcovegliadevero.it)

      Parco Nazionale Val Grande (www.parcovalgrande.it)

      For those looking for more action, try the Schmugglerweg near Gondo or the pricey Via Ferrata Gabi-Simplon a little further west (see Appendix B). Alternatively, head for the local crags. The main climbing guidebook to the area is Ossola e Valesia – Sportive e Moderne (available from the publishers direct at www.versantesud.it or through local gear shops). Some route information is also available online – try www.ossolaclimbing.org, www.planetmountain.com or the ‘logbooks’ page of www.UKclimbing.com.

      Finally, it’s worth wandering down to the tourist information office to find out about the frequent festivals that spring up all over the valley throughout the summer months.

ROUTE 1: MASSASCHLUCT

      MASSASCHLUCT V4.A2.V

Rock	Gneiss
Dimensions	Depth 480m (1290m–810m); length 3500m
Ideal season	Early summer to autumn
Location	Switzerland
Time	Approach 20mins (Parking B); descent 4–6hrs; return 25mins (Parking A) Intermediate access 40mins approach and 3–4hrs descent
Shuttle	(Parking A to Parking B) 6.2km (1hr 40mins walk; regular bus service available)
Gear	2x35m ropes; head-torch useful (essential for intermediate access)
Technical notes	Current is splashy and pleasant in summer. Rigging is sturdy but often hard to find among boulders (2011). Two pitches awkward to rig.
Escapes	One, via the intermediate approach path

      Massaschluct is the most spectacular and celebrated canyon of the Swiss Valais region. Being a 1 1/2hr drive from Domodossola, it is also the most convenient for those canyoning in Val d’Ossola. However, it sits beneath a dam holding back the melt-waters of Europe’s largest glacier. On warm days the reservoir fills, causing the dam to purge. If you can overcome this psychological barrier and the inevitable hassle of travel and dam checking, the sculpted, beautifully banded rock and the spectacular finale shouldn’t disappoint. The remainder is rather bouldery and discontinuous, which may taint your overall experience.

       Dangerous dam upstream. Tel [phone] to assess risk. The automated response is in Swiss-German and is refreshed at 7.30am daily. Advice from the local guiding outfits is to wait for cooler periods, and make sure that the water levels at the dam are 10m below the flood gates. A visit to the dam prior to descent is therefore essential.

      PARKING A

      Head into Switzerland, following signs for Sempione (don’t forget passports). From Brig, head towards the Furka pass. Take the road signposted to Naters and Blatten. Above Naters, take an easily missed right turn to Hegdorn. Follow the road for 300m to a small car park on the right. There are further spaces where the road ends another 300m further on.

      GETTING FROM PARKING A TO B

      By car

      Go back to the main road and climb to Blatten. Just above the village, take the turning to Egga and Rischinen. Continue straight on at the next junction (ignoring the second turning to Egga and Rischinen) and continue as far as a large car park with public toilets.

      Before parking up, go and inspect the water levels at the dam. To do this, continue along the road for 150m to where it splits. Right descends steeply to the base of the dam – ignore this for now (this is the way to the start of the canyon). Left leads to a vantage point above the dam. Just back from where this road