It still feels like a dream to live in one of the most beautiful countries in the World, Switzerland. From cheese to chocolates to stunning landscapes, this country has lots to offer. A lifetime wouldn’t be enough to explore this beautiful country. Ever since we moved to Switzerland, it has been a dream to camp not just somewhere in Swiss, but to do wild camping in the Swiss Alps. Imagine spending a night in the alps, disconnected from the city buzzards, enjoying the alpine panorama! Dreamy Isn’t it?
We are not truly a fan of ground camping as it is nothing compared to the beauty of wild camping in the rugged terrain. However the legality of wild camping in Switzerland is kind of a grey area.With different rules for wild camping, we weren’t confident enough to randomly camp on a mountain . Though we had planned to camp on many mountains, we weren’t sure (still are not ) if that peak/place is in the allowed zone for camping. Though reluctant, we decided to go for ground camping to avoid any risk of high penalties with camping in a non allowed zone. We drove to the Italian side of Switzerland, Ticino on the 11th of July 2020 with two of our friends. We started late around 3:30 pm and it was a 4 hours drive from Geneva.
No words could actually describe the beauty of road tripping in Switzerland. We came across many camping site’s symbols all along our trip, but we were determined to drive up to Ticino the same night. We could see landscapes changing as we reached Northern Switzerland. From the lush green meadows to the rocky terrains, from wooden houses to houses made of stones, it was vivid. We had to pass several mountain passes on the way. As we approached the Nufenen pass, one of the highest mountain passes in Switzerland, we couldn’t resist to stopover because of the breathtaking views. It was hard to leave that place and so we badly wanted to camp there. Luckily, we met an amazing guy during our stop and checked with him if it was possible to camp somewhere near. He was so cool to explain every possible doubt we had and to our surprise, he has camped before on top of the mountain pass. What more, we decided to camp there that night though we weren’t prepared for that weather. He even gave us wood and a lighter to warm up in the night in case the weather goes worse.
We drove along the road searching for the exact place he described and landed upon the top of the mountain pass. Though the guy mentioned that he has camped there before, we were sceptical initially if we were allowed to camp on the top, but we saw few people with caravans camping along the lakeside which made us confident. Also we made sure that we were adhering to all the rules stipulated for wild camping in Switzerland. The view on top was mesmerising with the views of the stunning alpine panorama. There were two lakes on the top and apparently one fell on canton Valais and the other on Ticino. The reflection in the lake was spectacular.
It wasn’t difficult to find a flat spot as there weren’t many people up there. It was crazy windy on the top. None of us were prepared for it as with the initial plan, we had planned to camp on the ground with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. From that to 0 degrees, it was hard without jackets but was equally exciting and fun and was also hard to imagine to camp on the ground leaving that stunning view behind. We managed to set up our tent facing one of the peaks of the beautiful alps.
Generally, for mountain peaks camping, you will have to hike to the top with all your bags which is clumsy unless you are an avid hiker. But this came out as a total surprise as we could drive up to the top and park our car just near our tent. Also, the Postbus operates in the route which sounded super cool for a future trip with public transport. It seems to be a paradise for the bikers as we saw many of them. There is even a restaurant and a kiosk so you don’t have to worry too much about the basic kinds of stuff. The restaurant also had a good washroom which is free to use if you buy something from there or you have to pay 1 CHF for using it. It opens from 8:30 in the morning. The nod from the restaurant owner to park the car just around the corner came in as a moral booster while deciding to venture on this wild camping experience.
As it got darker, we cozied up ourselves inside the tent with some wine and cheese. Mountain tops are the best place if you love stargazing. Being photo enthusiasts we came out to see the sky hoping to try night photography. We were astonished when we saw the sky with millions and trillions of stars and not only that, the biggest surprise and luck, we saw even the milky way with our bare eyes. It appeared crystal clear as there was no city lights pollution. That was the moment when we saw the milky way for the first time in our lives.. Another extraordinary experience and memory to add to our travel diaries!! It was spectacular. We stood out for so long though it was freezing cold.
It wasn’t a pleasant sleep inside due to the cold weather and our sleeping bags were meant for 15 degrees temperature but the sight of the Milky Way kept us alive we would say!!! The next morning, we saw the first golden rays of sun touching the alps peak, it is one of the best morning views we have ever seen. Many were already set for hiking as there were lots of beautiful hiking trails. We had our breakfast from the restaurant there.
It was such a refreshing break being disconnected from the digital world and being just close to nature, Nufenenpass is no less than a dream for it. A perfect place to spend a day or more with the stunning views of the alps, even with a glacier on top of one of the mountains! Serene!
With our hearts full of incredible memories and having accomplished the long time dream of wild camping in Switzerland, we bid adios to another marvellous corner of this beautiful country. So for those of you who don't want to hike with heavy backpacks but still want to have the ultimate experience of wild camping in Switzerland's alps, Nufenenpass is the place to be. The possibility of free parking, reach-ability with public transport and proximity to a restaurant makes this even more attractive.
Disclaimer: As already mentioned, we are not 100% sure if you are fully authorised to camp here. Also in case you decide to do it, please adhere to all the rules.
Many rules related for wild camping in Switzerland could be found here: https://www.myswissalps.com/campsites/wildcamping
https://www.sac-cas.ch/de/umwelt/bergsport-und-umwelt/campieren-und-biwakieren/
Find more pictures in our Instagram page: wetravelmiles and also in the Photoblog
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