Mount Flumserberg and the Tectonic Arena Sardona

Wednesday June 15, 2022 -- Today was the first day of a week-long heat wave, and we were fortunate to find a place at a high enough altitude to avoid the heat: Mt. Flumserberg in the Tectonic Arena Sardona (a UNESCO Heritage Site). In fact, it was quite windy, and almost too cold! (Which isn't really a bad thing when you are going uphill).

The one and only time we have ever been on Mount Flumserberg was in winter of 2016, which is actually unusual because it's not at all far for us. But its reputation for being a popular recreation area (mostly in winter it seems) kept us away, so we were very surprised that there were so few people up here.

It is always a privilege and a thrill to be in or near the Tectonic Arena Sardona, knowing you are walking on rock millions of years old, admiring folds and bends in the mountains created by extreme heat and pressure when the Earth's layers thrust up and over. This tectonic region is one of the most beautiful showcases of mountain-building in the world, and one of the most important due to its accessibility to the general public. 

As Mount Flumserberg is a popular ski mountain, there are many cable cars and ski lifts providing access. We rode two of them to get up the mountain, and two of them down. On the first part of the trails around the summit stations are many information boards about the Tectonic Arena. This is where most of the people up here were enjoying their day. Once we got to what is called the Zigerfurgglen is where we actually entered the Tectonic Arena, and we encountered very few people for most of the rest of our fabulous hike. (There were still lots of snow patches we had to navigate, but not a problem). 

One of the highlights of this tour (besides seeing two marmots) was getting a look into the Murg Valley where we had done a 5-hour round tour in 2019 (the only way we could get in and out of the valley was with an alpine Taxi; there are no buses up the valley). The area is in the center of the Sardona Tectonic Arena, and we could see all the way up the valley to the lake. It was indescribable. (The photos of that fabulous hike can be viewed HERE). 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

First there are always a few impressions of the actual "getting there":

By train to Sargans and from there with a bus. A favourite sight as we pass the medieval Sargans Castle. 

St. Georg's Chapel near Flums and Walenstadt, below the Churfirsten mountains. We have also hiked up there before

A view of the Churfirsten Mountains as we head up to Tannenheim on Mt. Flumserberg

The first cable car section is a gondola ride from Tannenheim to Prodalp. This is very popular with mountain bikers

Tannenheim to Prodalp cableway

The second section is a 6-man chair lift to the summit station at Prodkamm, where we had chosen to start our hike

The view across Mt. Flumserberg to the West from the Prodkamm Summit station

From here we are headed 30-40 minutes to the Maschgenkamm summit station of a separate cableway. We could have started our hike there, but we wanted to ride both stretches of cableway! (And make our hike a little longer)

In the end, this was about a 4.5-hour hike. If we had started at Maschgenkamm and made a full loop, it might have been about 30-40 minutes less. The popular mountain trail here is called the 7-peaks trail, which we followed on the West side, but on the East we chose to walk below the peaks. 

Even though we are not yet officially in the UNESCO site, the whole region behind me is part of the Tectonic Arena

The peak called Spitzmeilen is called the "Lighthouse among all the prominent peaks". 

Up ahead is a peak called Ziger, you can see some fantastic folds in it. It is part of the 7-peaks trail, but we are going around it to the left (and along the other side on the way back).

Fantastic landscape

A cool "playground" at the Maschgenkamm summit station.

A look back to where we started at the Prodkamm summit station. It took us about 35 minutes to walk to the Maschgenkamm station. 

Many such boards give information about the Sardona Arena; this one here is about how glaciers carved out sections of this valley.  

As we finished walking along this side of the "Ziger", a new rock formation comes into view. It is called "Sächsmoor" and we walked on the far side of that mountain on our loop back. For now though, we are headed along the flank on the left. 

The Sächsmoor also shows layers of folded rock. 

The "saddle" behind Urs is called the Zigerfurgglen. We came back to that saddle from the other side. 

There were still many patches of snow up here. We caught sight of a marmot crossing one such snow patch. 

A look back toward the Churfirsten Mountains. 

It was here at the Sächsmoor Lake that we officially crossed into the UNESCO World Heritage region. 

As we climbed toward the pass where our trail would loop back to the cable-way, the peaks from the famous Glarus Thrust became more visible (At the back on the left). 

Another great view of the Spitzmeilen peak

We ran into quite a bit of snow as we crossed to the western side of the ridge. But it was manageable. 

Now we've arrived on the crest and joined the "7-peaks Trail". This magnificent view to the West is the Mürtschenstock and the steep Murgtal Valley ahead. This region is all part of the Tectonic Arena. It was extremely cold and windy here on the saddle, so we descended quickly. 

Following Trail no.932: "7-peaks Trail", only without going over any of the peaks!

Here is where we had our picnic lunch

Behind me, the steep drop into the Murgtal Valley. At the back, the magnificent Mürtschenstock. On our hike to the Lake Murgsee in 2019, we returned via that side valley on the right

Absolutely out-of-this-world panorama view of the Murg Valley (Murgtal). You can see all the way to the lake (Murgsee) from here. We did a tour of this mountain in 2020. Those photos are HERE. 

This map shows the Murgsee Tour we did in 2019, and the blue star is where we were when I took the pictures of the Murg Valley and Mt. Mürtschenstock. 

Ahead of us is a lone farm building. Our trail heads uphill to the right.

The signs of the farm building inform us that we still have 2 hours to get to the cable car station at Maschgenkamm. (We've been walking for at least 2.5 hours by now!). We had to be careful to get there on time, as the last cable-car down was at 16:45

A look at the trail behind us, where we had come down from the saddle on the left. 

On this North side now, lots of snow still!

A peek at Lake Walensee below

Up ahead is the Sächsmoor formation, we are approaching from the West now, and will go around it on the left. 

The weather finally got sunny and warm!

Heading to the next saddle called Chrüzen

This is the Sächsmoor rock formation from the other side!

Some more snowy patches to navigate through

Up ahead is the Chrüzen saddle. From there we head around the hill to the right, back to the Maschgenkamm station. Those are the fabulous peaks of the Churfirsten mountains.

Here we are at the Chrüzen Saddle (the peak on the left is the Sächsmoor again, it looks so different from this side!). At this point we are "leaving" the UNESCO Region, or looking back into it. 

Down below is Seebenalp with its three lakes and hotel. This is where we did the winter hike in 2016 

Now we are always on the look-out for marmots!

Seebenalp

Heading back to Zigerfurgglen, and then to Maschgenkamm station on the left.

Another lovely view of the Churfirsten mountains from a conveniently-located bench on the Zigerfurgglen saddle. 

Between the peaks of the Churfirsten mountains, you can see the weather station on Mount Säntis

Across the Seez Valley and within the Churfirsten Range is a peak (Sichelkamm) whose folds were actually described at the start of our hike near Prodkamm, but at that time the sun was in the wrong place to get a good look at the folds.

A description of the creation of this 500-meter thick fold 30 million years ago, a process that took about 5 million years. The folded layer apparently happened 7 km below the Earth's surface, but has been pushed up millimeter by millimeter over the past 25 million years. 

As much of this area was once under water, the remains in the lakes also help geologists determine Earth's history. 

Back at the Maschgenkamm station, we now get to take the next cable-way down to a different place called Tannenboden. This cable-way is called the BergJet. 

Maschgenkamm to Tannenbodenalp cableway

VIDEO:

Riding down the BergJet Cableway from Maschgenkamm to Tannenbodenalp

Out of the cableway cabin we saw a bobsled run below. Looks like fun!

VIDEO:

Watching a young lady ride the Tannenbodenalp Bobsled run

Down at the Tannenbodenalp we had about 30 minutes to wait for the next cablecar to valley bottom at Unterterzen, so we found a place to have some ice cream.... 

The fourth and final cableway of the day: Tannenbodenalp to Unterterzen on the shores of Lake Walensee, from where we took a train back home. Down here at lake level we could really feel the heat, and were glad we had cool weather up on the mountain!

Our 4.5-hour hike starting at Prodkamm station and returning to Maschgenkamm station. Cable-ways on both sides. 

The UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona.... and in the area with the circle is we did this day's hike (approximately)