The beautiful forest of Chironico in Ticino is well known for its fantastic bouldering opportunities. Over easter, together with my friend Theresa, we travelled from Innsbruck to Chironico by public transport to spend a few days there for bouldering and it was fantastic!
How to get there
From Innsbruck you travel to Zürich by train in around 3.5 hours. From here, there are two options how to reach Lavorgo in around 2.5 hours: you either take the train to Bellinzona and then to Lavorgo, or you take the direct train to Lavorgo. The latter option is more expensive but easier.
From the train station at Lavorgo, a bus leaves to Chironico and takes around 15 minutes. In Chironico, you can either get off the bus at the stop at the parking space (‘Chironico boulder area’), or you get off the bus in the town center (‘Chironico Paese’), depending on where you want to climb that day.
Depending on the train routes, the whole journey takes between 7 and 9 hours.
Where to stay
We stayed in the town Chironico in an Airbnb. There is no campsite in Chironico, the closest campsite is in Faido, which can be reached by bus in 35 minutes.
How to reach the crag(s)
From Chironico, you can walk to the various boulder areas within 5-40 minutes. The trail leads through a beautiful forest, with new bouldering opportunities around every corner.
Tips
You can find a very small grocery shop and a restaurant in Chironico, but we recommend bringing some food if the shop is closed.
On a rest day you can stroll through the beautiful town or take a walk in the lovely surroundings of Chironico.
How to book the trip
We can recommend early booking for the train from Innsbruck to Bellinzona via ÖBB, as this can lead to very favourable prices. For the train routes in Switzerland you need to book the ticket via the SBB. Bus tickets can be bought via the SBB or directly from the bus driver. Depending on the train route and the booking date, the whole trip one way costs around 45€ – 115€.
About the author
Photo gallery
Thank you for the excellent article and the information provided by Chironico. We would like to point out the possibility of staying in rooms with bathroom and shared kitchen at In lak’ech EXPERIENCES, where Boulderers are welcome.
Hey Stefano, thanks for your comment! We actually stayed at your place during this trip 🙂 It was very nice and close to the boulders so we can recommend it, All the best