The Bedretto Valley extends from Airolo to the Nufenen Pass, forming the topmost section of the Leventina Valley. This is the location of the headwaters of the river Ticino, which is fed by various mountain streams from both flanks of the valley. The hike starts at the traffic junction in Airolo. If you prefer to shorten the steep route up to Alp Pesciüm by taking the cable car, you can save almost two hours of hiking time. As you climb, you cross the downhill bike route in places. You leave Pesciüm on a beautiful high-level path where you will also encounter mountain bikes as you walk through a sparse larch forest and across lovely meadows.

The new Gotthard road is clearly visible, but all you can see of the old Tremola road is one hairpin bend. Always staying high above the Bedretto Valley, the trail leads via the Cascina della Croce pasture to the Ri di Cristallina stream. At this junction, the Sentiero Cristallina trail branches off to the left, leading up to the Cristallina hut. Shortly afterwards, the Alpine Passes Trail reaches the magnificent Alpe di Folcra pasture. A tiny lakelet and streams that seem to flow at random invite you to rest awhile here. Continue downhill for about three kilometers on a gravel road until the mountain bike route splits off from the hiking trail again.

Then for almost two hours, beautiful paths take you up towards the Nufenen Pass. The path is so deeply embedded in the dense vegetation that hiking is almost no effort at all. The picture changes at Paltano: you continue walking near the pass road as far as Alpe Cruina, where the hiking trail becomes steeper again as you gain the last 300 meters of height to reach the Capanna Corno-Gries SAC (hut).