The Albrunpass passage is the most treaded itinerary used to go to Binn. The way up from the side of the Devero Alp takes place among azure lakes, larch woods, and extended series of ridges. The path can always be seen and is well-marked. Along the itinerary we find the remnants of the medieval mule track treaded for centuries by an infinite number of merchants’ caravans, pilgrims on their processional way, soldiers, and smugglers. Hence taking this path means walking amid history.
From Devero we go up to Crampiolo passing from the nice still-paved path which crosses from Ardui Court (Corte d’Ardui). Thus, walking among the most high-altitude mowing meadows of the region, we go up to the Codelago dam, we coast the lake till its bottom end, and via a brief uphill path we reach the Pianboglio Lake. Having passed the small broken dam we coast the lake on the side of the meadows and pass a small bridge which crosses the river and goes down from the Forno Alp, starting to go up till we reach the Arbola Small Mouth (Bocchetta d’Arbola).
From the small mouth we go down through the Vallese side (the path is marked) along a steep descent covered with debris so as to then reach in a small amount of time the Binntalhutte (2,269 m), a stone mountain hut resting amid great stones at the foot of the eastern side of the Arbola Peak (Punta d’Arbola). We thus go down to the high pastures of Oxefeld (2,192 m) and via a long diagonal way we go down to the right to the vast Blatt terrace (2,104 m), encircling a series of peat-bogs which are protected due to their high naturalistic value (the peat-bogs are of regional importance at “Blatt” and of national importance at “Oxefeld”).
Having come down a steep crag and passed across the Turbwasser on a bridge, we reach a track which we follow up to Binn. The valley becomes progressively larger and larger and we pass the alpine pastures of Freichi (1,883 m) and Brunnebiel (1,843 m).
The environment is the severe one of the Alpine valleys colonized by people: coniferous woods that alternate with grassy glades, wooden Alpine lodging houses, and pasturing cows.
Via a pleasant walk we softly go down to Fald, the highest village of the entire valley, a bunch of homes amid woods and pastures. Hence we come across just a little bit more than two kilometers of paved road allowing us to gradually enter the German-speaking Alpine world, and thus enter Binn.
Route legs:
Arbola Way or Albrun Way
The stages of this route:
ARBOLA WAY: Stage 1 – From Baceno to the Devero Alp
ARBOLA WAY: Stage 2 – from Devero to Binn via the Arbola Small Mouth (Bocchetta d’Arbola)
ARBOLA WAY: Stage 3 – from Binn to Mühlebach (Furgangen)
Notable Items along the Track
Stone architecture at Crampiolo, Witches’ Lake (Lago delle Streghe), Devero Lake also known as Codelago, Pianboglio Lake, Arbola Small Mouth (Bocchetta d’Arbola), Blatt Oxefeld peat-bogs, Walser architecture at Fald and Binn, and the Binn museum.
