Loop Hike from Arosa to Ochsenalp Alpine Farm Restaurant

Saturday August 13. 2022 -- After yesterday's long hike (photos still to come), we were OK with doing something easier and shorter this day, especially as the trip to Arosa takes so long, 3.5 hours by train, including an hour with the little red Rhaetian Railway train through an impressive canyon into a "dead-end" valley.

A friend had once mentioned wanting to go to Arosa with us, and as I had actually never been to this very popular ski resort town and the weather was nice for it, we planned a trip there for this day, which was to include a 3- to 4-hour hike and lunch at one of those cute mountain farms which offer some simple meals like cheese toasts or meat and cheese platters.

The day went well, not too hot, not too strenuous, and good views all the way to the Tschingelhörner peaks in the UNESCO Sardona Region of the Glarus Alps. We even got to look at the "back side" of the mountains we had accessed from our holidays in Davos (Weissfluh, Strela Pass) which confirmed to us that we want to walk via the Strela Pass from Davos to Arosa next time we do our Davos vacation.

Highlight of the Day: Near the end of our hike in Maran there is a dairy farm, and the cows were just being herded from one pasture to another along the hiking trail, so we plodded along with them for a while! (I felt so bad for one of those cows who was walking so slowly and held up the whole line: The farmer said the gravel on the trail was sharp and hurts to walk on, and this one cow is particularly sensitive to that...)

On the way back to Chur we rode in an older-version train where you can open the window and let the wind blow on your face. A nice treat in this heat...   

The first section of the 1-hour train ride from Chur to Arosa is through a narrow gorge / ravine

The Schanfigg Valley then opens up. Some impressive "pyramids" carved from the mountain face (Later I realized that Ochsenalp where we had lunch is in the "dip" just above there).

Another look back down the Schanfigg Valley where it bends at Langwies. This is the final uphill stretch before Arosa

Across from the train station in Arosa. As this is mainly a ski-resort, the town itself doesn't really interest us. From here we took a 10-minute bus ride to Prätschli, it saved us 30 minutes of hiking

Description of the Ochsenalp Circular Tour which we did this day. Only we started at Prätschli and ended at Maran (3.5 hours)

An easy 3.5 hour "loop" hike. Our friend Martin had also done a challenging hike the day before, so he was glad for something "easy"

A look downhill at where we started our hike, at that group of houses (Prätschli)

There is a park with live bears near the middle station of the Weisshorn cable-way nearby, that's why there is a sculpture of a bear here. 

We took a detour to that summit called "Maraner Hauptji" for the views it offered

Heading up to the summit of the hill called Maraner Hauptji

Arosa is nestled in a kind of cauldron dead-end valley. This is the back of the valley. Below is the middle station of the Weisshorn cable-way. 

View down on Arosa and the large hotel at Maran where we ended the hike on the way back

We returned on a trail below this hill. At the back is Mt. Weissfluh, the main mountain accessed by the Parsenn funicular from Davos on the other side. 

Continuing on through an interesting barren landscape

Ahead of us are the Glarus Alps and the location of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Sardona Tectonic Arena

An easy trail

Admiring the view down the Schanfigg Valley and the Glarus Alps

The zoomed view of this mountain with its glaciers might reveal that this is Mt.Tödi, at the back of the Linth Valley in Glarus

Down below in that dip is the Ochsenalp farm and restaurant. The town on the right is Tschiertschen. We had considered walking down there, but it required too much descent

Last stretch before lunch. Beyond the "V" of the Schanfigg Valley is the city of Chur

Arrived at the Ochsenalp farm at 12:30. We are glad we made a reservation as it was already quite full, mainly mountainbikers, and got even busier later. 

We had asked to be seated somewhere where we wouldn't be exposed to smokers, so they put us next to the barn at a special table!

Simple fare like fancy cheese toasts and baked Käsespätzle

Obviously very popular with the bikers!!!!

It's about the same distance from here to Arosa on either trail

Another look back down the Schanfigg Valley and the Glarus Alps

Even from this distance (zoomed view) you can see the horizontal line beneath the Tschingelhörner mountains, evidence of the Glarus Thrust which took place millions of years ago

This time a final look down the Schanfigg Valley, which we will travel through again on our way back to Chur

On the way back we got another view of Mt. Weissfluh. This time you can see the Strela Pass (on the right), which we have now decided we will cross next time we do a few days in Davos (from the other side) 

Down below is another farm called Prätschalp. You could also get something to eat here, but apparently the Ochsenalp is much more popular!

Cute building (Alp Prätsch)

Passing by the lower Prätschsee (lake)

We walked with the cows for a while as they were headed to another pasture. They seem to know where they are supposed to be going!

VIDEO:

The cows from the Prätschalp dairy farm are being moved to a different pasture. The sharp-edged gravel hurts their feet, so they walk on the tiny strip of dirt or grass next to the road. (2-minute video)

The first cow walked very slowly, as the gravel hurt her feet, and the others just kept in line behind her. The farmer said she was a bit of a "drama queen"

End of our hike in Maran (Bus stop here, and the bus was due in 5 minutes)

Originally I had wanted to walk all the way down to Arosa, another 30 minutes, but as we got to the bus stop at Maran, a bus was just on its way down, so we went by bus. 

As you can see, this is the first time we have hiked in this region around Arosa

The rest of these photos were taken from the train on the one-hour trip back to Chur through the Schanfigg Valley. We traveled in an older-model train where you could open the windows, and on this hot day it sure was nice to have the wind in your face! After Chur, as we traveled on the regular train to Zurich, we saw three of the airplanes from the Swiss Airforce PC-7 Team practicing formation flying over Lake Walensee.

Just leaving Arosa to head back down the Schanfigg Valley

Schanfigg Valley

Langwies concrete arch bridge (railway bridge), looking back up the valley. (Arosa would be around the corner to the right, past the bridge)

Waiting on the train crossing

In Switzerland you are allowed to drink beer in all public places. On the other hand, these two fellows hanging out the window next to mine were already on their third beer, and they were getting pretty loud...

Urs riding in First Class, and I am actually in the foyer of 2nd Class. It's fun riding with the window open!

Imagine the work involved in raking up all this hay by hand!

Up there is where the Ochsenalp is, where we had lunch

Heading back through the wild ravine

Here the railway simply disappears into the vertical cliff wall. Can you see Urs?

VIDEO:

A short section of the ravine before reaching Chur

The train runs right down the middle of the motor vehicle road in the city of Chur

Passing the Sargans Castle (900 years old) on the way back to Zurich

It is always lovely on Lake Walensee with the backdrop of the Churfirsten Mountains. The Swiss Airforce PC-7 Team were praticing formation flying here

One of the airplanes from the Swiss Airforce PC-7 Team flying over the peaks of the Churfirsten mountains. 

Swiss Airforce PC-7 Team practicing over Lake Walensee

Location of Arosa in Switzerland