Hike to Three Waterfalls in the Unterlavtina Valley

Wednesday May 27 -- Exactly two years ago we discovered a side valley to the Rhine Valley, branching off into the region that is called the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona, where the Glarus Overthrust is a very visible indication of how the mountains were formed when the tectonic plates met millions of years ago. This valley is called the Weisstannental, or Weisstannen Valley. When we walked out of the valley at that time, we noticed another side valley from the main town of Weisstannen, which we found out later ends in three massive waterfalls all joining together to form the river that runs out of the valley.

(For fotos from the hike we did in 2018, CLICK HERE)

This day was the perfect day to walk to those waterfalls. What we had planned, without researching it, would have been a less than memorable and a rather steep 550m ascent to a small suspension bridge -- even the waterfalls weren't quite as impressive as we'd imagined -- if it hadn't been for the lone ibex we watched climbing up the steep flank near us. Furthermore, we started too early, not anticipating the amount of cold shade for the first hour. But we managed the hike in less than two hours. Having to go back the same way would have meant a hike of only about 3 hours, and rather anticlimactic.

But having reached the waterfalls, we made a change to make our hike memorable. On the map was a zigzag path to the top of one waterfall. Only another 200m ascent. Why not go up there and see the waterfalls from a higher vantage point! Well THAT was fantastic, so much better to look down the valleys from up high! And then.... on the map was an alpine meadow, only another 100m altitude, which ended in a cauldron from where you could pass into other valleys. "Well since we're already here, let's just do that as well!" So fantastic up there, lots of snow still, and we spied a herd of chamois, at least 20 of them, with the little ones playing on the snow! 

Afterwards, the descent back to Weisstannen wasn't so boring at all, also more sunshine and a different point of view, and arriving back after a full 5 hours of walking (7-hour excursion) we still had enough time to purchase mountain cheese at the local self-serve cellar shop.

With a total ascent of almost 1000m, I'm getting closer to the goal of the 1200m ascents I have long planned for in the Verzasca Valley!

From Mels near Sargans the little bus goes up the Weisstannental Valley (this is Mels with the Churfirsten mountains in the background)

When we got off the bus in Weisstannen, where you go up the Unterlavtina Valley, we realized we were way too early (it was 08:45), and the shady valley was very cold!

 

But about 30 minutes from the start we met the sunny slopes, and had a nice long break here on a bench, waiting for more sunshine to reach the valley bottom before continuing. For the steep climb to here, it wasn't so bad to have the shade anyway

This Trail no.73 is called the "Sardona World Heritage Trail". We came from Weisstannen in 50 minutes, and our original goal "Batöni" is only another hour from here.

The Weisstannental Valley where we started is at the back on the right. Here at the mountain cabin we stopped for a break on both the way in and the way out. Nice benches in the sunshine!

 

First glimpse of one of the waterfalls. From here we could actually even see the suspension bridge in the trees below the cliffs

Right about here is where we saw the Ibex

I spied a large lone ibex making its way up the slope on the other side of the river

What a wonderful experience to see one of these up close in the wild

VIDEO:

Ibex walking up the hill

The first waterfall up close

The Batöni suspension bridge, and a second waterfall behind that, the Muttenbach Falls

Because the 1 hour 45 minute hike to this point was anticlimactic, we decided to hike up through the forested area to the top of the other waterfall (Muttenbach Falls) in the background. An additional 40 minutes and 200 altitude meters.

We're glad we did the climb, because we got a good view of the waterfalls from above, plus a view into another side valley leading into the popular Pizol region

Lovely waterfall

It was also breathtaking to look down into the various valleys from here: First one is the Unterlavtina Valley which we walked up... Second one is the Weisstannen Valley where we came up by bus, and the third one, below those beautiful jagged peaks, is the Rhine Valley where we caught the bus from Sargans/Mels

Another steep uphill hike but we covered ground quickly!

Here at this point above the third waterfall, and looking into the high alpine pastures below Pizol, this was our second plan, i.e. to climb to here and return down again.... but...

Below me I saw the bridge crossing the waterfall river, and the trail on the other side, leading only another 100m uphill to an alpine meadow on the other side, so we decided to continue to up there

Crossing the feeder river to the Muttenbach waterfall

Other waterfalls on the upper part of the river!

Across the river is the trail where we had originally wanted to stop. This is an unofficial trail and we actually found a way to loop around and return via that trail

Up on the high alpine meadow we caught sight of a lone chamois making its way across the hillside

A beautiful alpine meadow with the summer farmhouse and barns. Pretty soon the sheep or cows will be making their way up here along the same trail that we just walked. I would love to have seen that.

From above the alpine farm

Up here the gentians were just starting to bloom, plus loads of wild pansies, which I have never seen before

And this was our actual ultimate destination. You can hike up the trough on the left to a mountain pass, but it would take another 90 minutes or more, as it's actually another 600 altitude meters! We were fine with our accomplishment to get up to here! This already was about 850m higher than where we started!

As we sat enjoying a picnic break, Urs spied an entire herd of chamois on that snowy patch there. He could see lots of brown dots moving along the white section

With my great built-in zoom lens on the camera, I could actually capture them up close. There were about 20 animals in this herd, with lots of young ones skipping around the snow

From the top of the hill behind the farm, another view down the Unterlavtina Valley where we hiked up

Also from the hill (you could say this was the highest point of where we walked this day), a view into the Pizol region. The peak of Mount Pizol is actually hiding behind this large one. There is a popular 5-lakes trail on the other side, which we have not yet attempted because there are always too many people on that trail

Instead of returning the same way, we did a loop down to the river, the one that feeds the Muttenbach Falls. We hoped to find a way to cross, so that we could take a different trail down

Here we crossed the river. It was easy for Urs with his long legs, not so easy for me. I was sure I was going to slip on a rock and fall into the rushing waters

Once we completed our loop, we got this great view of where we'd walked up the final trail, to behind the round hill where the building was. We also climbed to the top of the round hill

From this vantage point we could actually see all three of the waterfalls

On the way down again past "our" waterfall, the Muttenbach Fall

Back at the Batöni suspension bridge, and after that we walked back down the Unterlavtina Valley

Heading back out of the Unterlavtina Valley. Enjoying the wonderful sunshine compared to the cold shade in the early morning!

Another view back to Batöni and the waterfalls, and the higher Alpine Meadow where we spent an hour or so

Back down near our starting point of Weisstannen, a final look up the valley. How different than the dark shadows from early morning!

Ahead of us the Weisstannental Valley. We walked down that one two years ago

Here at Weisstannen, the Sardona Heritage Trail (no.73) meets the Alpine Panorama Trail (no.1)

The requisite Cow picture!

A small way down-valley is the church in Weisstannen, and next to it a little shop inside a farmhouse where we picked up some cheese, before catching the bus back out the valley

What originally would have been a 3-hour 15-minute hike to the Waterfalls and back, we turned that into a 5+ hour excursion with 300 more uphill meters than we originally would have done, about 850m altitude difference, but almost 1000m of uphill in all! More than I've done in a very long time on a single day-hike.

In May 2018 we started near Weisstannen and walked OUT of the valley 

On the descent by bus out of the Weisstannen Valley, this is the wide open Rhine Valley at Sargans, where the Rhine River flows along the border with Liechtenstein. The mountains in the back are in Liechtenstein

This is the area of the Weisstannen Valley, the Pizol region and the Calfeinsen Valley, all in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona