Carschinahütte and a walk out of the St. Antönien Valley in the Prättigau

Sunday October 1, 2023 -- This counts as the final hike of September, as it is the last outing of our week-long hiking vacation, when we did seven hikes in 8 days!

We headed to the Prättigau region of Canton Graubünden, having made a reservation on a small alpine bus which took us toward the back of the St. Antönien Valley. (This small alpine bus runs only on weekends in September and October, and it is usually difficult for us to get a reservation for the 9:45 run, which we can reach on a day trip).

Our main goal, besides an actual ride on the bus which saves us a 700 meter ascent in this part of the valley, was the Swiss Alpine Hostel Carschinahütte at the foot of the fabulous Mount Sulzfluh, part of the Alpstein range which forms the border with Austria. From the final point where the bus took us to, it was a one-hour walk on a very nice high trail to the hostel (unfortunately though, all 18 people from the bus were hiking that way). From there we had a relatively easy walk through a jumble of rocks, then a descent to Lake Partnunsee, and a lovely hike out of the valley back to St.Antönien (although the final two kilometers were on the paved road).

A big disapppointment for me was that the sky was very hazy this day, and even though the back of the valley was visible to us, we didn't get the full beauty of the stunning mountain landscape. I have to admit, though, the landscape had a special mystical quality to it. (When we were here in July 2021 doing a round tour of Mount Schijenflue, we had much better visibility: Those photos are HERE)

We left home at 6:45, and arrived by bus (from Küblis) in the village of St.Antönien at 9:45, and the smaller bus up the mountain was waiting for us.

Main street in the village of St.Antönien, where we have been a couple of times before, without the crane!

This one can't have been more than a couple of days old!

Heading up a winding road onto the hillside on the west of the St.Antönien Valley. Saves us 700 meters of uphill walking!

The final stop of the small bus at a farm called Bärgli, from where all 18 passengers started on the way to Carschina Lake (20 minutes) and the Carschina Hostel (an hour). We got here at 10:10, but waited 15 minutes to make sure all the other hikers had gone on ahead! The avalanche fences are pretty cool.

Heading north, with the stunning rocky mountain called Sulzfluh always ahead of us. The hazy air makes it look mystical.

This was another almost 4-hour hike, but not a difficult one. It was over 13 km. We started at the Bärgli bus stop, walked north for an hour to the Carschina Hostel, then joined Trail no.35: the "Walser Trail" for a hike along the valley bottom back to St. Antönien. (Back in July of 2021 we did the round tour of the Schijenflue with much better visibility, those photos are HERE)

Carschina Lake. Unfortunately all the people we had let get ahead of us stopped here for a while, and set out again at the same time as us!

Continuing north toward the hostel now.

These peaks are fantastic. There is a passage into Austria on the left, called the Drusator, which I would love to cross some day.

Approaching the Carschina Hostel

Maybe once when they had bad weather, and no one came to the hostel, they had time to write the name on the hillside with stones?

What a fantastic setting for a hostel.

Checking out the hostel terrace to see if we would want to stop for something to drink, but there were too many people here.

Continuing on through an unusual rock-strewn landscape, all of which are rocks tumbled down from the Sulzfluh mountain.

Mount Sulzfluh, part of the Alpstein range here. The mountains are half in Switzerland, and half in Austria.

Unfortunately, we didn't see much of the mountains on the south side of the St.Antönien Valley.

The fall colours of the shrubby vegetation that has grown over the fallen rocks is very attractive

Continuing on our hike to the east.

I don't know what this mountain is called, but it sure is fantastic! This whole region is very popular for cliff climbing.

And we caught sight of another cute marmot! It is soon time for them to go into hibernation.

We are following both the "Walserweg" trail (no.35) and the "Prättigau High Trail" (no.72). The blue signs indicate all the cliff-climbing areas! (These are known as "Via Ferrata")

Now we turn north again heading toward the very back of the St.Antönien Valley. The tops of the mountains along this entire range form the border between Switzerland and Austria

Back in 2021, we had come over that pass from the other, the Austrian side. Those photos are HERE .

A close-up look at the "Family Via Ferrata". We heard a lot of exuberant cries by the kids, they were having a good time. It actually looks like fun!

Heading down now to the valley bottom to Lake Partnun

Unfortunately, the view to the south is still too hazy to fully appreciate the lake and the valley below.

The fantastic cliffs of the Schijenfluh, the massif which we walked around in 2021

Last time we walked along the west side of the lake so this time we chose to walk on the east side, where the trail was actually nicer.

This is a boat you can rent from a dock on the other side.

Another look to the back of the St.Antönien Valley to the passes into Austria

Now we are coming into more "mellow" landscape

Here at the Berggasthaus Alpenrösli is where we caught the bus back out of the valley last time, as we had done an almost five hour hike that time. This time we hadn't walked far yet (got here at 13:50), so the plan was to continue walking out of this valley to the village of St.Antönien.

Always a look behind us as we head down the valley, as the view of the Schijenflue was so much better than down the valley! Also, the trail goes right along the farmhouse, and the farmer is hard at work.

View down the valley, it really stayed hazy the whole time.

The weird lighting did make for some special photos!

This was the weirdest fungus I had ever seen (and huge!)

Sheep on the other side of the valley

Another look up the valley to the Schijenflue massif. Simply spectacular. (This region is called the Partnunstafel)

I believe that is the summit of Mount Sulzfluh, seen from the south

We were surprised at the large amount of cars parked along the road below. Those people would have walked up to the Gasthaus Alpenrösli or to the lake, but we didn't see that many people!

We passed through several farms on the way down.

A whole pile of black cows and a single white one!

On the outskirts of St.Antönien, these people are obviously enjoying taking care of their garden, and what a lovely old house!

This is an interesting build which you often see where the mountainsides are steep: The hill behind the house is a wedge built on the side where avalanches might be expected. That way the snow barrels over top of the house, instead of sweeping it away.