A Leisurely Walk from Susten Pass down the Meien Valley in Canton Uri

Sunday August 28, 2022 -- We couldn't pass up another nice day for walking in the mountains, but having recently returned from five straight days of hiking in the Engadine, we didn't want anything strenuous, nor too far from home.

We decided on a walk down the Meien Valley (Meiental) in Canton Uri, a hike we have done before (July 2018) but at that time there was too much snow still to be able to start at the Susten Pass (those photos are HERE). So this time we rode the bus right up to the pass, where we first took a short detour to admire the Stein Glacier and glacier lake (and a beautiful view into the Haslital Valley where we encountered so much fog on a recent hike), before returning to the pass and following mostly the old historical Susten Road. (Our one detour on an unofficial mountain trail was not as charming as we had hoped). 

Last time we stopped to buy cheese at the large dairy at the back of the valley (Hinterfeld), and this time we did the same, also enjoying our picnic lunch there. The backdrop of craggy peaks and glaciers was just as magnificent as last time, a reason I actually prefer to hike in Canton Uri as opposed to where we recently were in Canton Graubünden/Grisons, which, although much wilder, I found more monotonous. Also here, there are cows and cowbells, which I very much enjoy on my hikes in the Swiss Mountains.

Part of the "fun" on this walk was watching all the show-offs in their sports cars and motorcycles playing "leap-frog" and trying to out-do each other with speed and passing and revving their engines. There's just something about a winding pass road which brings the child out in them... 

Our excursion starts with a bus ride up the Meien Valley, with a look at the old Susten Road below, the one we walked down later 

Here at the back of the Meien Valley is the Hinterfeld Dairy (on the left), where we had our picnic lunch and bought some cheese to take home with us. 

The new Susten Pass Road (higher up) is apparently an engineering marvel. We started our hike at the Susten Pass and walked down the old Susten Road, which is the zigzag trail heading down from the pass

The small lake at the Susten Pass. We walked to the small rise behind me for a better look at the Stein Glacier and the Steisee (Stein Lake) below

Panorama view of the Stein Glacier and lake, the Susten Pass Road and the Hasli Valley (Haslital) on the West side of the Pass (This is Canton Bern, by the way. The pass forms the border between Canton Bern and Canton Uri). 

VIDEO:

Panorama view of the Stein Glacier and Hasli Valley from the Susten Pass

A look down the Haslital. When we were here a couple of weeks earlier, this valley was all in fog. 

Close-up of the Stein Glacier. Glaciers are so spectacular. 

Now we head up to the actual Pass above the tunnel and pass road. A look back down on the West side of the pass. 

And this is a look down on the East side of the Pass, the Meien Valley which we are now walking down (along the old Susten Road). This is Canton Uri. 

Our walk down the Meien Valley (Meiental) from the Susten Pass to Meien Dörfli. We could have walked another hour right out of the Valley to Wassen in the Reuss Valley, but we have done that before. This time we wanted to do a leisurely Sunday walk. (3.5 hours instead of 4.5 hours!)

A look down to the Meienreuss river and the old pass road. 

The new Susten Road (very popular with motorbikes and Porsches!!!) was built 1938 to 1945 with lots of attractive bridges, tunnels and stone walls to provide touristic value. 

Urs never gets too close to cows on the trail. 

Down at river level

Behind Urs are both the new Road and the Old Road which we walked down. 

The bridges and walls that support the new Susten Road add appeal.

At this section of the new road is where we started our hike last time. There was lots of snow on this hill at the time. 

Around the corner we get the first glimpse down the Meien Valley

For a long time down this road we have the backdrop of the fantastic peaks and the many glaciers there

Buying cheese and coffee with our picnic lunch at the Hinterfeld Dairy. The sign says "I'm out getting the cows", which they sometimes hang in the door window!

Another look back at the Susten Pass road as we continue down the valley. 

Here we took a detour off the main trail so that we could see the valley from higher up, but for most of the way it was muddy and overgrown. 

Glaciers in every direction you look here!

This close-up view is of the Swiss Alpine Club's Süstli Hostel. In 2016 we walked up from the Pass Road to this Hostel. 

You can barely see the Swiss Alpine Club Hostel on the upper right ridge. We have hiked up there before, starting from the road at the center of the photo. The small buildings on bottom left are a milking station, so that the cows don't have to descend to a barn every evening. 

Down below us is a hamlet called Färnigen, a popular resting spot for merchants in the "olden days" crossing the pass along the old Susten Road. 

Färnigen on the Old Susten Road

The name of this house is called "Gabrielenhaus".

The old historical hotel, rest-stop on the Old Susten Pass Road

Continuing down the valley along the Old Susten Road

Below is the Meienreuss River, which joins the main Reuss River in the Reuss Valley, which is the perpendicular Valley to this one, up ahead. 

A close-up look back up the Meien Valley. A view which does not cease to fascinate

A broader look up the Meien Valley

The next cluster of houses we walked past is called Fürlauwi

There are always some interesting details along the way

Approaching the Church and school at Meien Dörfli 

A final view up the Valley from the Church at Meien Dörfli

And here below the church is where we caught the bus back out of the valley to Wassen and Göschenen. 

The previous time we walked down the Meien Valley in 2018, we started on the pass road before the actual pass (too much snow) and walked completely out of the valley to Wassen. This time we started at the Pass but walked only to Meien Dörfli, 3.5 hours (from there it would have been another hour to Wassen) 

The village of Wassen in the Reuss Valley, at the entrance to the Meien Valley

Via Engiadina from Motta Naluns to Sent and Scuol

(This blog item was posted on Nov.12, 2022)

This blog entry is a summary of the five days of hiking vacation we had in the Engadine Region of Eastern Switzerland, August 21 to 25, 2022

(Here are the links to the previous four days of hikes we did:)

1) Upper Engadine Day 1:  Albula Pass to Val Beverin
2) Upper Engadine Day 2:  Ibex Paradise in the Bernina Region
3) Lower Engadine Day 1:  Via Engiadina from Motta Naluns to Ardez
4) Lower Engadine Day 2:  Ofen Pass to S-Charl

Additionally, here are photos of the historical 1619 house we had rented for the three days, CHASA CLAVAZIN

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Thursday August 25, 2022 -- On our final day of the 5-day trip to Upper and Lower Engadine, we decided to do another section of the Via Engiadina Trail (no.47), starting again at the summit station of the Scuol-Malans cable car (the idea being that since we had guest passes offering free rides with the local cable cars, why not make use of this a second time?)

Two days earlier we had walked westward along the trail and down to Ardez. This time we walked eastward via Sent and back to Scuol. The trail was very easy to walk, so a comfortable end to five days of hiking. Urs had long talked about the village of Sent and its Engadine houses (although I found Ardez to be much more charming) and he had also often spoken of the walk down from Sent toward Scuol because he remembered it from earlier family vacations. In retrospect, it wasn't an interesting descent, and we would have been better off catching the bus in Sent instead, using the extra time to visit the old part of Scuol, which we did get a glimpe of on the final bus ride to the station. A plan for our next trip in this area, in that case!

The highlight of the day was catching sight of a female cuckoo. This doesn't happen often, as the main sightings of cuckoos are males, and always in flight, never sitting as we saw this one. Generally, cuckoos are heard, and not seen.

PS: The trip home from Scuol took 3.5 hours, and we got home at 8:15 p.m.)

A last look out our rental window in Ardez before leaving for the train station for the final time.

The most impressively-decorated house in Ardez

The date on this house (1597) shows how old the buildings are in this area. And most have been beautifully renovated

For our final excursion, we took the train again from Ardez to Scuol

A now familiar and always impressive view of the Scuol-Tarasp Castle and the mountains of the Lower Engadine

A close-up photo of the magnificent Scuol-Tarasp Castle

Our second time riding the gondola cable cars from Scuol to Motta Naluns

Summit station of the Scuol / Motta-Naluns cable-way. Two days earlier we headed to the left, this time to the right

The walk along "Via Engiadina Trail no.87" to Sent took three hours, then we walked another 40 minutes to Scuol (only as far as the hospital, on the outskirts of the city)

It took three hours to walk to Sent, then another 45 minutes to the nearest bus stop in Scuol. From there we got a bus ride through the old part of the city before arriving back at the train station. 

Usually it is very green here, but because of the very hot summer we had, the hillsides are all brown-looking

I wouldn't mind living like this!

Some butterflies and flowers

The moutain farmers find creative ways to offer refreshments! Here the water is diverted from the mountain stream through a case of bottled drinks! They weren't cold enough yet, this early in the morning, so we didn't buy any. 

Our trail continues on the other side of this ravine, and for a moment, the state of this bridge surprised us!

A rare sighting of a female Cuckoo Bird (cuckoos are rarely spotted sitting, and those in flight are usually the males, as the females are very secretive).

Luckily there was an alternative bridge to cross!

An easy trail to walk and a fantastic landscape all around!

The side valley across the way is part of Val S-Charl and it's from there that we descended from S-Charl (by bus) the day before. 

The meadows full of autumn crocuses are maybe an indication that the summer is soon over?

The first sighting of the village of Sent below us, the main goal of our hike. (The side valley on the opposite mountains is called Val d'Uina, a popular and beautiful valley which I have yet to visit). 

A close-up view over the roofs of the village of Sent

Approach into the village of Sent

The roof tops of Sent

We are always very happy to find these fountains where we can refill our bottles with fresh cold water!

We spent quite a lot of time walking up and down the narrow roads in Sent

Some of the beautifully-painted details on the buildings in Sent

I can't remember what this building was, but it is a recognizable landmark of Sent

This house has a name, it is called "Haus Poo" (because the owner's name is Dumenic Poo). The date above the door is 1607. The bay windows were built at the time so that one had a better view of the local fountain. 

So many interesting bay windows and painted winter shutters

A detour to go look at the village church (San Lurench, late Gothic architecture, built 1496).

So pretty

Each doorway and entrance is also a work of art.

This building, named "Haus Tschalär" is apparently one of the most important architectural and structural buildings that the village displays. The most important village person used to live here. Interesting is that a lot of these buildings were whitewashed, and the frescoes only appeared when the houses were cleaned and renovated in the 20th Century. 

The painting of the house corners was done much later than the original frescoes

The stunning spire of the 15th Century Late Gothic village church

There was also an old church ruins on a steep cliff, but we couldn't find the access, so we continued along the trail to Scuol

A look back at the village of Sent, as we continue down to Scuol

A look in the direction of Sent and the Austrian border as we head down the hill to Scuol. This last stretch wasn't particularly interesting. 

Down below is the east side of the city of Scuol, where we caught a bus at the hospital, because we didn't feel like walking any more. 

The river below is called the Inn. It has its source near St.Moritz and flows down the Lower Engadine Valley to cross into Austria. The city of Innsbruck gets its name from this river. 

A detour to taste the waters at the mineral springs called Funtana Sotsass, (calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron). The water didn't taste great!

Our almost 4-hour hike as seen on Google Satellite Maps. The last section between Sent and Scuol wasn't really interesting, and it was very hot. We should have taken the bus from Sent, and rather had a look at the old town of Scuol. 

On the ride from the eastern edge of the city to the railway station, the bus detoured via old town Scuol, so we got a taste of what we might want to look at next time!

Impressions of the old town part of the city of Scuol as seen from the bus. The bus actually drove through the narrow street on the bottom left!

VIDEO:

A short section of the bus ride through the narrow alleyways of the old part of Scuol

Heading home now from our vacation in the Lower Engadine. A final look at the castle Schloss Tarasp. 

And a final look back at the village of Ardez (and the fortress tower) where we had rented a house for three days. 

Location of Scuol in the farthest southeast corner of Switzerland. 

SIDE NOTE: We have friends who went on vacation in the same area at the end of October. When they were there, it was almost greener than when we were there, because it had rained some in between, since we had been there!

This is the view from West of Scuol, from the village of Ftan, looking over Scuol. The village of Sent can just be seen above on the left. On our first day in the area we did a hike higher up, above the village of Ftan.