Day 50 : Rifugio Gattascosa to Gondo

Mostly down, but still quite a stretch. Zwischbergen makes for a a nice place to have a break, but expect to pay Swiss prices.

From Rifugio Gattascosa, go back and through the Bochetta di Gattascosa (2158m). After the Bochetta, turn left, traversing along the mountain side to reach the very beautiful Blausee (Blue Lake). After the Blausee, continue around towards lake Tschawiner. After the lake, the path starts to descend more quickly, reaching Alpe Waira (1854m) where you can buy cheese or even have a cheese-and-sausage tasting. Continue down, slowly entering a likghtly forested area. The path then starts to drop more quickly, roughly following the power lines, down to Zwischbergen. When you reach the road, turn left if you want to pass by the Restaurant Zwischbergen (Pension Bord). Otherwise, turn right towards the dam and tunnel. There is also the option to take a bus from Zwischbergen or from the dam; this is a mail-bus, so limited capacity but it runs a few times a day; you are expected to call for reservations, but in the season you can probably try your luck. The walk down is also pleasant, though and passes by old gold mining facilities.

From the restaurant, cross the field to pick up the Stockalperweg, a pleasant path which meets the road near a tunnel; there is a footpath outside the tunnel. Keep following the signs to Gondo; the path takes you to the right side of the valley where in the forested area there used to be gold mining activity; it then loops back  to the road, at which point you can have a look at the overgrown old mining building which house the (water-powered) stone mills that were used to crush the stone. The path now follows the road for a bit, but with plenty of shortcuts, as Gondo slowly comes into view on the other side of the valley. Go up to the main road in Gondo to reach the Stockalperturm with its excellent Posto Tappa (hotel rooms also available).