Situated at 2,228m, at the south-west limit of the valle del Drogo, nestling among the rocks between Pizzo Campanile to the north and il Pizzaccio to the south, sparkles lago Caprara. The seductive Valle del Drogo on the right flank of Valle Spluga enchants all year round. But I waited for spring and the flowering of the rhododendrons.

 

I am a photographer, after all. And to best appreciate the trip I chose a slightly elongated but aesthetically satisfying approach. It’s one suitable for experienced hikers and has a height differential of 1400m involving a trek of more than 3 hours. At the village of San Giacomo Filippo leave the main road and follow the signs for Olmo. Leave the car at the delightful SS Trinità church and take the path heading up to Alpe Laguzzolo, with the Lago Grande nearby. We’re winding through magnificent larch woodland up to the vast pastures and the mountain huts of Lagguzolo (1768m) and then reach Lago Grande (1889m) where the rhododendrons along its banks are a genuine inspiration. A drumming woodpecker disturbs the silence. Time now to take a dive seemingly into the past as we move down to Alpe Lendine (1710m) where cows graze nonchalantly among the habitations.

 

And so we head west towards the Lendine. Here the path becomes decidedly more challenging both due to the surface and some pretty steep sections. We take on a series of sharp, twisting bends amidst modest pastures and stony ground to the ridge where the Valcapra bivouac sits (2164m) and then on in rather more leisurely fashion to lago Caprara. It’s an extraordinary place. Simultaneously wild and absorbing. Silence abounds. You begin to appreciate the physicality of the upper mountains. Sensational panorama. The Rhaetian Alps to the east, with Pizzo Stella and il Gallegione in the foreground and then in the distance Val Bregaglia and the Engadine with la Bernina dominating all. The recommended return trip is similar but instead of heading back to Laguzzolo, you might descend more directly to the valley floor via Alpe Corseca and Zecca.