Day Two of the Two-Day hike via the Highest Elevation Pilgrim Church in Europe.

(Pictures from the first part of this hike are HERE)

Sunday August 11, 2024 -- After a long 9-hour sleep in the large room above the church in Ziteil (highest altitude pilgrim church in Europe), we were woken up by the 6 a.m. church bells ringing right next to us! No matter, as breakfast was at 6:30 and we had wanted to get on our way early anyway. 

Being Sunday, and this being a Catholic church, there was a Mass at 8 a.m., at which a local men's choir were singing (they having started out at 5 a.m. for the 90-minute walk from the parking lot), but we didn't stay for the mass, as the day was already warming up, even at this high elevation of over 2400 meters. We set out for our (what we thought would be) second four-hour hike to the south of the church this time, where we crossed over two passes to a mountain lake, before descending to the nearest cable-car station called Somtgant, from where we could head back down to Savognin, the largest town in the Surses Valley.

Because of the difficult terrain (for example narrow paths on a steep crest), and even though we didn't have as much of a climb as the day before, it still took us about eight hours to get to our destination (at which point we had to pay an exorbitant 24 Fr. each to get down the mountain... they don't offer one-way fares!) and we were hot and exhausted. Originally we had planned to look into the special church in Savognin which we had missed out on when we were there in June (photos HERE), but the heat in the valley bottom was so unbearable by the time we got there at 4 p.m., that all we wanted to do was get home.

Early morning light at Ziteil hostel, at 6:30 a.m. 

Early morning view up the Surses Valley from the Church/Hostel in Ziteil. Apparently you get a view all the way to the Bernina mountains from here. 

Having a look at today's trail before going into the main "Gaststube" for breakfast. 

Breakfast in the main dining hall at 7 a.m. (It was a buffet breakfast)

This is where we had dinner and breakfast when we spent a night here in the hostel in Ziteil. 

Paul showed us the kitchen where he prepares all the meals. He set this all up himself!

Details of the inside of the church in Ziteil (it is a rather modern build from the mid 1900's, although there has been some sort of religious building here since the alleged apparition of Mary to an 18-year-old girl here in 1580).

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The men's choir is practicing for the 8 a.m. Mass. 

They sing in Latin and in the local Romansch language. 

At 2433 meters above sea level, this church is the highest altitude pilgrim church in Europe. 

Side note: We are headed to the Surcarungas Pass. According to the trail markers (measurements done via computer on the map), this should only be a 2-hour hike. It took us three hours with barely a break. 

Morning light in the Surses Valley. You can't even see the town of Savognin, as it is in the shadow of the mountain. 

And we are off to the first pass called Pass Colmet, which we expected to reach in an hour and a half. It's now 7:45 and already getting warm.

At the front of the church, some of the overnight guests are waiting for the 8 o'clock church service to begin, where the men's choir will be singing. 

Heading south awy from the church (which we reached from the north the evening before). 

According to the map and the trail markers, it should have taken only two hours to the Surcarungas Pass, and another two hours to the cable car station at Somtgant. But it took us about 8 hours for the whole tour, with only about one hour total of breaks. At least 6 hours of walking. 

The marmots are up early as well!

Behind that small rise is the first lake, and the second lake is at the arrow in the back. (From the second lake it was all downhill). 

We had to cross several couloirs like this, where the rocks were loose and going was slow. 

In this heat, I soak a facecloth with cold spring water, and wear it on my head!

The best part of the day was when we found this small rivulet, which sprang out of the ground just a few meters further up. The water was ice cold and the best tasting water I had ever had. 

It is always a treat to see flowers in this barren landscape. 

You can see the effects of this heat-wave we have been having on the first little lake we came to. Lakes like this often dry out completely in summer. Urs says he would have gone swimming, if the water had been deeper, 

A look behind us at the terrain we covered in the (more than) one hour it took us to get here!

Another view down to the Surses Valley bottom to the east. 

Leaving the small lake behind. 

On the other side of this valley is where we descended.

Far to the south are snow-covered peaks... this is the Bernina Massif, and on the right a mountain called Piz Corvatsch. 

More tiny flowers among all these rocks. 

This is a vast barren landscape, at elevations of over 2600 meters. Our trail takes us over the crest on the right and down along the dotted line to the larger lake. 

Pass Colmet at 2650 meters. The section behind me was a bit tricky to do, as we came up from the right just behind this "rocky" spot. We got here at 10 a.m., more than two hours after starting. At this point we should have been at the second pass already. 

Continuing along the crest now, over this first peak, then to the right of the "white" peak, to the second pass. Then over the third peak, before descending to the lake. 

Trying to find our way over this rocky terrain using only our GPS, because the trail was no longer marked here. At least it's not too hot and there is a breeze! The peak behind us is called Piz Curvér, and Ziteil is below that peak on the other side. 

Well here we are at the Surcarungas Pass: It's now 10:45. Almost exactly three hours after leaving the hostel at Ziteil. (To be fair, there was some confusion as to where the trail went through, as it was no longer marked and did not match the map). Once again, the trail marker lists our destination of Somtgant as two hours from here. It took us 4½ hours to get there, with minimal breaks. 

Looking down the mountainside to the west, we can see right into the Rheinwald Valley, one of our favourites. The Posterior Rhine has its origin there, and also at the back is the San Bernardino Pass. This is also right on the border with Italy. 

A close-up look into the Rheinwald Valley. The lake is called the Sufnersee. 

A first close-up look at the second lake we are headed down to, and the main goal of this day's hike. Even here the water level should be much higher. Considering the snow took so long to melt at this elevation, it is surprising at how quickly the water evaporated. (Elevation 2564 meters). 

A look to the north and to a herd of cows below. 

It looks so funny, so many black cows, and only one brown-&-white one!

Further to the southwest, the clouds are thick on the mountaintops. For a change, that's not where we are!

Behind that massif is the Splügen Pass into Italy.

That small lake was our main goal of the day, but we had a bit of a long way to get there!

Last descent to the lake. 

A bit of colour in the rocky landscape

We found a small bit of shade at the south end of the lake where we ate our lunch (it now bein 11:30). All this time we had been all alone in this vast landscape, but with our luck, a group of five people with a dog showed up at the exact same time we did, from the trail coming up from below. As they were making a lot of noise (they also went swimming), we didn't stay long. 

After a 20-minute break here at the little lake called Lai Saletscha, we headed down the valley (Val Cumegna) for the second half of the day's hike. This should have taken us less than two hours, but in fact, we had over three hours to get there, with only one longer break. 

A view down the Val Cumegna. We can not see Ziteil from here, it's over the rise on the left, where we started this morning. 

Cotton Grass is always a joy, especially when the balls have not been deformed by rain!

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The cottongrass looked so cute, as the little heads bobbed in the wind!

Down below is a stream that we have to cross here, and we are very happy to have cold water close at hand again! 

By now my feet were really sore, so I figured it might do them good to step in the water. It was VERY cold water! (And we filled up our water bottles again with the beautiful cold mountain water, as there were no cows upstream from here!)

After a 20-minute break at the stream, we continued down the mountainside. 

I just love watching the little hikers!

Turning the corner now into the Surses Valley, a look behind us shows exactly where we walked in the first two hours of the hike, from the right, and across all the little rocky couloirs to the first small lake in the center, before heading up to the first pass on the left. 

And now the Ziteil church comes into view again, just barely visible without the zoom lens. 

Urs making a detour again, as the cows are all over the walking trail. But they are just little ones, so they scattered when I claimed the trail!

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They're just babies, they want to get out of the way!

Here on this final section were many hikers, coming up from the summit station of the Somtgant cable car. Earlier in the day, they might have walked up to the lake (2½ hours !) but we figure they are walking a stretch and going back, as the cable-car ride costs the same whether you go one way or both! (There are also options for walking back down or renting go-carts). 

Here we now get a really nice view down the Surses Valley to the Landslide from June 2023. Below is the hillside we walked along on our June 19th hike of this year (photos HERE). 

A close-up look at Salouf, one of the villages we walked through on our 14-km hike in June of this year. 

Finally arriving at the Somtgant gondola cable-way at 3:30 p.m.! That means we have been "on the trail" for eight hours! And it was only supposed to be a 4-hour hike. I am sure we only took about three 20-minute breaks. 

What our (8-hour!) hike this day looks like on Google Satellite Maps, starting in Ziteil at 7:30 a.m. after overnighting there, and reaching the cable-car station at 3:30 p.m!!!! 

Arriving at the Somtgant cable-car station at 3:30 p.m. we were shocked to learn that there is no reduced price for a one-way trip. It costs us 24 Fr. each for the ride down (two section). Also, since they used plastic cards instead of paper for the tickets, we had to pay a deposit of 20 Francs for the card, which we got back at the bottom when we returned it! 

This large piece of plastic was a bit of a puzzle. We could see it was covering a heap of snow. I wonder why they would want to save some snow in the hot summer here?

The second section of the cable car takes us into the town of Savognin, where we started our June 2024 hike earlier this year. (At that time there are three churches we hadn't been able to look at, and since it was now only 3:45 p.m., we had considered going to have a look). 

Once we got to valley bottom at Savognin, it was too hot and we were too tired to consider doing more, so we crossed the river on the old stone bridge (it dates from the Baroque era) and headed straight to the bus stop. 

Crossing the Gelgia (Julia) River. That's one of the churches we had not visited last time. It's the only heated church in the town, so the church services are held in winter there. 

Various buildings we passed on our way from the river to the main road. 

"Tga" is a Romantsch (the fourth official language of Switzerland) word which means "House", and it is pronounced "Tscha". "Crap" means "stone" and this design on the house refers to the old stone bridge across the Gelgia River!

Last time we were here, Urs bought ice cream at the little self-serve shop. This time we were hoping for a fridge full of cold bottled drinks, but were were disappointed. There was only cheese, sausages, and ice cream. (Later Urs bought some cold drinks at the local Döner restaurant)

Main street in Savognin, and the main parish church. Last time we were here was before 9 a.m., and the church only opens at 9 a.m. for viewing. But even this close, we just couldn't take in any more. We just wanted to sit in the shade....

Here is what the full two-day excursion looks like, starting with a bus ride to Obermutten, to the only church in Switzerland made entirely of wood, then a 6-hour walk to Ziteil -- the highest altitude pilgrim church in Europe, overnight, and a very, very long walk the next day to the cable-car at Somtgant which took us down to Savognin at the valley bottom. 

From Savognin, a bus ride to Tiefencastel train station, then another bus ride to Thusis through the Schin Gorge. Usually we travel this route by train, but this time we looked down at the train tracks from the motorway! (Upper left). The fortress ruins is one we haven't had a chance to visit yet either. 

These are all the hikes we have done in the region between Rheinwald Valley, Glas Pass, Safien Valley, Domleschg, Albula Valley and Surses Valley. 

Location of the Surses Valley within Switzerland, in Canton Graubünden (Grisons)