When I met wild life – Monte Lema / Ticino.

One afternoon early January, when the days were still short, we wanted to take advantage out of it. It was the best time to watch sunset and extend the outdoors experience. We prepared snacking (Italian style aperitivo), tea in the thermos, headtorches, dry clothes to change after sweating our way up and warm jackets.

We started at the bottom station of funicolare in Miglieglia and took the trail underneath the lift (Sentiero Lago  di Lugano #52). It’s kind of steep but shorter. After about 2 hours, we reached the  restaurant at the top station and shortly after that, also the cross on the peak. There we decided to get some energy and have a short ‘apero’ as we were a bit early.

Checking the view, we decided to go a bit down direction to the south ridge and Passo di Monte Faeta Forcola. From there was the view much cooler, with Lago Maggiore reflecting beautiful colours of the sunset. The sky was painted with yellow, lemony, orangey and pinky stripes and the clouds were looking like pinky-grey sugar cotton, which we used to eat when we were kids.

After this beautiful movie, we started to make our way down. We took a shortcut to the trail, which connects Passo di Monte Faeta Forcola and Miglieglia. 

I love this time of the year and time of the day, when you rarely meet someone. As we went deeper to the forrest, the light from the horizon was still making its way through the trees. My friend was walking down and I stopped to take the last shot. I set up my camera, focused, click, and then I was hearing something behind my back. I was talking to myself: “Give me a second, I will finish taking pictures on this side and then I turn my camera and maybe I will get some cool pics of roe deers or chamois on the other side.”

I turned and I panicked. Herd of 20, maybe more, wild boars was running few 15-20 meters from me. You know how it is when you grow up in family of hunters and they always share stories with you? I had it fixed in my head, that wild boar doesn’t think much. It doesn’t stop and evaluate situation, it attacks if it’s in danger. 

So with this in my head, I did everything oppose to staying calm. They were running up the hill in front of me and I started to scream and run downhill. I passed my friend, and I stopped only when reaching official trail. She is still laughing at me that it was probably the best time I have ever achieved when running.

Yes, every time, I’m in the woods, I try to talk as much as I can so wild boars hear me and avoid me.

Location: Tessin

Address: Miglieglia

Car: Parking at Monte Lema Funicolare Station

Public Transport: Bus from Lamone Cadempino to Miglieglia

Trail: 11.4km (4.8km up / 6.6km down)

Elevation: 975m

Highest Point: 1619 m above sea level

Difficulty: moderate

Time: 4hrs 40 mins (2hr 40mins up / 2 hours down)

Condition of the trail: narrow dirt path

Best to visit: All year round

Services: restaurant Ostello at the top (not open during the winter)

More information: Monte Lema website