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TREK 1

A Tour of the Silvretta Alps

Start	Berghaus Vereina/Klosters Platz
Finish	Alp Sardasca/Klosters Platz, or Schlappin/Klosters Dorf
Distance	c70–80km
Time	6–7 days
Maps	K&F ‘Prättigau-Albula’ and ‘Unterengadin’ 1:60,000
Accommodation	Mountain huts and hotels

From the Vereina Pass the way descends into the head of Val Sagliains (Stage 1)

This week-long anti-clockwise circuit of the Silvretta Alps begins and ends at the Swiss resort of Klosters, and is the toughest of the three treks in this book, with several challenging passes that need to be crossed.

The first night is spent in Berghaus Vereina, reached by minibus taxi from Klosters Platz. The berghaus is a comfortable, privately owned inn-like hut standing at a confluence of valleys in view of the 3085m Flüela Wisshorn, and it makes a perfect introduction to the area.

Next day the route crosses the Vereina Pass (2585m) at the head of the little Süsertal, followed by descent into the untamed Val Sagliains below Piz Linard, the highest of the Silvretta peaks. The climb to the pass is not difficult under good summer conditions, but there is a fairly long and tiring descent before you reach the Lower Engadine village of Lavin.

The stage which leads to the Tuoi Hut (Chamanna Tuoi) is relatively easy, for there are no passes to confront. Instead you wander along a track to Guarda, one of the loveliest of all Swiss villages, and then strike north into Val Tuoi, at the head of which the Tuoi Hut is dwarfed by the towering walls of Piz Buin.

With two passes to negotiate, the next day is much more strenuous. It begins by climbing roughly eastwards through increasingly wild country before mounting a chaos of rocks to gain the 2735m Furcletta. On the east side of this pass the trek goes down through Val d’Urezzas as far as its confluence with Val Urschai, then heads upstream to the alp buildings of Marangun d’Urschai, where it crosses the river and works a way up to Pass Futschöl and into Austria. An hour or so below the pass stands the large Jamtal Hut, owned by the German Alpine Club (DAV).

As its name suggests, the Jamtal Hut is built in the upper reaches of the Jamtal, a fine valley that flows north to Galtür in the Paznauntal. Instead of descending through that valley, the continuing route of the Silvretta circuit tackles the 2839m Getschner Scharte, a rocky pass in the Jamtal’s western boundary. Descending into the little Bieltal, the main route then crosses the easy Radsattel to gain a splendid view of Piz Buin’s north flank and the glaciers flowing from it. The Wiesbadener Hut, where the day ends, is regularly used as a base for climbing this major Silvretta peak.

That makes quite a demanding day, but on the descent from the Getschner Scharte the waymarked route forks, giving an opportunity to shorten the day by going to the Bielerhöhe instead of the Wiesbadener Hut; this option also reduces the time and effort required for the following day’s stage.

Beginning at the Wiesbadener Hut, the penultimate stage of the tour follows a good track towards the northern end of the Silvretta Stausee, a long and narrow reservoir dammed at the Bielerhöhe, the highest point on the Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse, a sensational road with countless hairpins linking the Montafon and Paznaun valleys. Breaking away from the reservoir the trek turns west into the Kromertal, then up and over the Hochmaderer Joch at 2505m. The path now slopes downhill and curves south to reach the atmospheric Tübinger Hut in readiness for crossing back into Switzerland the next day.

On the final stage of the Tour of the Silvretta Alps there are also options to consider. The main route begins with a steep climb to the frontier ridge immediately above the hut. This is gained at the 2728m Plattenjoch, followed by a very steep descent of the Swiss flank through the Seetal which plunges in steps to the Sardasca valley, where a gentle valley walk through meadows brings you to Monbiel and Klosters once more.

The alternative route (Stage 6A) tackles an easier pass than that of the Plattenjoch. The 2489m Garnera (or Carnäira) Joch lies to the west of the Tübinger Hut and is reached in a little under 1½hrs. Below the pass on the Swiss side of the frontier, a broad hanging valley leads down into the Schlappintal, with the charming hamlet of Schlappin. Here two comfortable berghausen offer accommodation before a short valley walk takes you down to Klosters Dorf and the end of the trek.

PRELUDE

Klosters Platz to Berghaus Vereina

Occupying a prominent position at the junction of the Vereina and Vernela valleys about 14km southeast of Klosters, the privately owned Berghaus Vereina makes an obvious starting point for this trek. The route to it leads through the meadows of a valley drained by the Landquart stream, then cuts south into the wooded Vereina gorge, which spills a series of cascades and has carpets of alpenrose spread across the flanking hillsides. Emerging from the gorge, the hut can be found on a bluff overlooking the Jörital, a short open valley at whose head rises the 3085m Flüela Wisshorn.

To walk from Klosters to Berghaus Vereina takes about 4hrs, but in summer the so-called ‘Vereina Bus’ operates a scheduled minibus taxi service (reservations recommended) from Sport Gotschna, a sports shop located opposite the tourist information office in Alte Bahnhofstrasse a short distance from the railway station in Klosters Platz. By Vereina Bus the journey takes about 40mins (tel +41 (0)81 422 11 97 sportshop@gotschnasport.ch).

Standing at the junction of the Vereina and Vernela valleys, Berghaus Vereina marks the start of the Silvretta trek

Berghaus Vereina (1943m) is open from the end of June until mid-October, with 40 places, and a full meals service (tel +41 (0)81 422 12 16).

STAGE 1

Berghaus Vereina to Lavin

Start	Berghaus Vereina (1943m)
Distance	13km
Time	5½–6hrs
Maximum altitude	2585m (Vereina Pass)
Height gain	642m
Height loss	1173m

The Vereina Pass is a well-used crossing from Prättigau to the Engadine. It involves a very pleasant climb to reach the pass, but a steep and not-always-evident descent trail through the narrow and uninhabited Val Sagliains to reach Lavin.

Descending from Berghaus Vereina go ahead at the track’s first hairpin bend and shortly afterwards cross the lower of two footbridges spanning the Vernelabach. The way to the Vereina Pass rises across the hillside and is signed at all junctions. Before long it curves left into the Süsertal and remains on the north side of that valley’s stream. About 30mins from the berghaus pass a footbridge over the Süserbach. Do not cross here but continue up-valley.

After crossing a couple of minor side streams the path mounts a spur between two more streams. You then have to cross the right-hand of these where there is neither a bridge nor stepping stones. In the early summer snowmelt will no doubt have raised the water level, so choose your crossing place with care, then climb steeply, passing to the right of a small hut at about 2300m. The gradient steepens as you work your way to the head of a narrow section, and then emerge at about 2400m where the route to the Flesspass breaks to the right – about 2hrs to this point from Berghaus Vereina.

Continue ahead on the left-hand side of a small stream before rising to rocks, scree and boulders. Shortly before reaching the pass the trail cuts across a steep slope of shale and scree above a tiny lake. Piz Linard – highest of the Silvretta Alps – is seen ahead on the other side of Val Sagliains. Over a high point descend past a second lake to gain the wide Vereina Pass at 2585m (2½hrs).

The 2585m Vereina Pass gives a direct view of Piz Linard, highest of the Silvretta peaks

PIZ LINARD

Piz Linard (3411m) is the highest of the Silvretta Alps. First climbed in 1905 by V Sohm and K Huber, this rock peak stands entirely in Switzerland above Lavin in the Lower Engadine. When viewed from the south it shows as an impressive towering pinnacle, but its pyramid shape is lost when seen from the Vereina Pass to the west. Although not a difficult peak to climb by its ordinary routes, the rock is notoriously poor. A small CAS-owned hut (Chamanna dal Linard) is located in a hanging valley below the mountain’s south face.

Descend steeply for 200m to the bed of Val Sagliains. The head of this valley is wildly attractive, a small cirque whose rugged headwall is formed by the curving ridges of the Plattenhörner’s Südgipfel (south summit), Piz Zadrell and Piz Sagliains, with the west flank of Piz Linard rising above the east bank of the stream.

The way now heads south down-valley on the right bank of the Aua da Sagliains, and about 1hr from the pass draws level with a footbridge which takes an alternative route up to the Fuorcla da Glims and the Linard Hut. Ignore this and continue on the right bank where the valley descends in a series of steps over sections of rough pastureland.

Trekkers enjoy a much-needed rest on the descent through Val Sagliains

Below 2000m the route is safeguarded in several rocky places with fixed cables, while the lower half of the valley is heavily vegetated – at times the path almost disappears in the undergrowth, so concentration is needed.

A tiny hut is passed at 1735m, and a few minutes beyond this you come to a trail junction at Fop Tiamarsch where the upper path heads for Susch, while we take the lower option leading to Lavin (1hr from here). This brings you to a track where you turn left and cross the river. Over this the track becomes a surfaced road, and 3mins later it forks. For Lavin keep ahead and continue as far as a right-hand hairpin bend. Leave the road and go ahead on a track. When this curves to pass beneath a railway bridge keep ahead between meadows, and shortly after arrive in Lavin.

Lavin (1412m) stands above the left bank of the Inn, a village of old Engadine houses and some modern development. It has a railway station with connections to Scuol (down-valley) and to St Moritz in the Upper Engadine (up-valley). Tourist information is available in the post office (www.lavin.ch). There is a small supermarket and a bakery, and accommodation in two hotels, the Crusch Alba and the 3-star Hotel Piz Linard. There are also several holiday apartments, and the possibility of dormitory accommodation at the Chasa Fliana near the post office.

STAGE 2

Lavin to Chamanna Tuoi

Start	Lavin (1412m)
Distance	11km
Time	3–3½hrs
Maximum altitude	2250m (Chamanna Tuoi)
Height gain	838m
Refreshments	Guarda (1hr)