Hike from Lai da Vons via Lai Lung down to Sufers in Rheinwald

Friday July 22, 2022: DAY 2 of our five-day Vacation in Rheinwald, Graubünden

A much better day than the day before, perfect for our first trip with the alpine tourist bus. This was going to be a day about lakes. It was a hot day so a lake landscape was welcome. We caught the alpine bus in Sufers, and got a 5-km ride along a narrow curvy road to a lovely lake called Lai da Vons (Lai being the Rumantsch word for "Lake"). The bus was full (about 15 people), including a family with kids heading up for a day of swimming.

The farmers on these high alpine pastures were feverishly cutting and harvesting the hay before the next day's forecast rains. After a long detour above the Schams Valley (Andeer), we returned South with anticipation of passing several small lakes, all of which were unfortunately dried out due to the heat. The one main lake, "Lai Lung" (Long Lake), was a refreshing welcome though. With the backdrop of pine forests, one might have thought this was a scene from a Canadian back-country... except for the cows, the so many cows bathing their hot feet in the lake.

The 500-m descent to the road was marked at 40 minutes, but we had over an hour as it was very steep and the larch needles made it slippery. It was a grueling descent, and hot. Arrived at the bottom, we followed the "Via Spluga" trail for an hour back to Sufers and had a chance to look at this village, one of five villages in this valley and one we had not seen before. The large number of fountains in the village were very welcome! Total ca. 4.5 hours of straight walking time. From there it was just a 15-minute bus ride back to the apartment in Nufenen, where I was able to relax in the shade and watch the goats come back from the pasture!

Village of Nufenen where we stayed for four nights. Heading to the bus stop for our first excursion with the alpine taxi

Village of Nufenen where we stayed for four nights

Hinterrhein River at Nufenen

The 9:30 bus from San Bernardino heading to Thusis. From here it's a 15-minute bus ride to Sufers, where we can take the special alpine "taxi" up the mountain

Heading through Splügen toward Sufers

This is Lake Sufers

Sufers, one of five villages in the Rheinwald Valley

We got a ride for 5 km up the mountain from Sufers to a lake called "Lai da Vons" (10 SFr. for a trip), and walked back down to Sufers via another lake called Lai Lung

Our alpine taxi driver Michael

This is where we started on our walk

A walk around Lai da Vons

Other people came up with us on the bus/van, and there were bikers here as well. It is a beloved spot for swimming

Another 12-km, 4.5-hour hike (the steep downhill section took much longer than 40 minutes). We started at the lake where we were dropped off, walked through pastures where the grass was being mowed, and returned down to the valley bottom and back to Sufers

Heading away from the lake. Everywhere the grass has been mowed and is drying. 

After a large detour we ended up on the other side of the hill behind the lake. 

Working like crazy to get the pastures mowed and the hay put away. 

This is looking North along the valley from Thusis (down below are the communities of Zillis and Andeer, as well as the Via Mala Gorge). From here we headed South again. 

Heading South, this landscape and mountainside separates us from the lake where we started. 

First of three smaller lakes which we were looking forward to seeing. This one is called "Lai Ner" (Black Lake) and is now almost empty. The water normally comes up around the rock I am on. The other two "lakes" were simply depressions in the landscape.

At least the final lake "Lai Lung" (or Long Lake) was a welcome sight. Our steep descent is just beyond the end of that lake. 

I guess even the cows find the water refreshing on this hot day. 

Heading South along Lai Lung

Heading down the mountain we had to cross this very large section of tumbled boulders

We came down from way up on the left. 

Besides the boulder-strewn slope, the rest of the descent (over an hour) was steep and slippery due to larch needles on the trail 

As we got to the bottom of the mountain, there was a sign which read "Eisloch" (Ice hole). I figured it wasn't just a random sign and hurried over. It really was a hole beneath the boulders radiating ice-cold air. What a relief on this hot day!

A quick detour to the bridge over the Hinterrhein River (from here the river goes through the Roffla Gorge) before continuing on to the bus stop at Sufers, another hour of walking, but mostly through the forest, fortunately. 

This section of trail is part of Trail no.50: Via Spluga

Approaching the village of Sufers. A modern highway runs along this valley to the San Bernardino Pass which gives access into Canton Tessin and is used as an alternate route when the Gotthard Tunnel is blocked. But I wasn't bothered by the noise of the vehicles. 

We had about 20 minutes to look around the village of Sufers before the bus came. 

Urs is always glad when someone has set up a self-serve fridge with cold drinks along the way!

A pretty house in Sufers

I am always happy with the many fountains of cold water in the villages here, good for filling the water bottles and cooling off my head and arms!

The protestant church of St.Salvador was built in the early 1600's. This is possibly the oldest church in the Rheinwald Valley, as it is believed the Romans passed through here long before the Walser peoples settled here. 

Sufers

Waiting for the bus in Sufers. This is a dammed (reservoir) lake

Heading past Splügen again by bus on our way back to Nufenen Village. The region above the village is off limits at the moment due to wolves killing some cows. 

It's still early as we return to our apartment in Nufenen Village (17:30)

This is the 300-year old house which the owners have converted into rentable apartments and B&B. It is nicknamed "Das Schloss" (The Castle). Our studio apartment is toward the back, on the left. 

This is where I would sit in the evenings for an hour or so, relaxing after a long hike while Urs took a nap. The free-roaming chickens would come to visit me. 

These chickens roam free all over the village. They spent a lot of time with me because I fed them grapes....

VIDEO:

Goats passing by the studio apartment at 6:30 p.m. on their way back from pasture to the barn for the night. (This is the "main" street through the village)

Where the Rheinwald region is located in Switzerland