Senda Sursilvana Trail from Oberalp Pass to Rueras

Saturday September 20, 2025 -- One of the final nice days of September, before a switch in weather (snow expected in the mountains the following week!). Furthermore, unbearable temperatures of 30 degrees were expected in the lowlands, so we had to think of something higher up where we could keep cool and enjoy the sunshine.

The Oberalp Pass is easily reached by train, and even though we had walked down the valley from the pass to Rueras (on the east side of the pass) back in June of this year (photos HERE), there was a different mountain trail between those two locations, i.e. the westernmost stage of the Senda Sursilvana trail, of which we have done many sections to date. It was a good choice for this day and possibly the last such mountain hike we might be able to do!

It's amazing how quickly the landscape has turned from green to red and brown, beautiful colours on this day. There was a cool breeze, and the trail was very nice, and visibility was very good for views down the Surselva Valley. We had only two negative experiences this day: 1) We had to put up with the noise of a helicopter setting up a solar farm EXACTLY where our trail was, although it was interesting to watch, and 2) There was a 30-minute delay of our train from Rueras back to the Oberalp Pass due to a medical emergency on board... but we still caught our connection in Andermatt on time!

Leaving home at 7 a.m., we got to Andermatt at shortly after 9 a.m., and then changed to the 9:28 train to Disentis. This is a look down at the town of Andermatt as the train makes its way up to the pass.

Up ahead is the Oberalp Pass where we started on our hike. In the local Romantsch language, this is called "Alp Su". The water level in the lake is very low, something we have not previously experienced here.

Just before 10 a.m. we started on our hike. Looking behind us, we see that our train is still waiting for the train from the other direction, as they cross here. This is the red train from the Gotthard-Matterhorn line.

The temperature here was perfect for our hike at these elevations (about 2000 meters). At the lower elevations, temperatures of 30 degrees are expected this day.

This 12-km hike we are doing this day is part of two themed trails: "No.43: St.James Trail Graubünden" and "No.85: Senda Sursilvana" of which this is Stage 1 of a total 105 kilometers from the Pass to the city of Chur.

This hike we did is part of Senda Sursilvana, a high trail above the Surselva Valley. We started at 10 a.m. and got to Rueras at 3:15 p.m. Back in June of this year, we walked the valley trail (No.62) from Oberalp Pass also to Rueras. (Photos HERE)

There were about five other people walking on this trail, but several bikes passed us, as this is also an official mountainbike trail. We are headed into a side valley called Val Val on the left.

Looking down the side valley, those structures on both sides are avalanche fences. There are also chair lifts on both sides, which are currently being upgraded, as the ski region is being expanded from the Andermatt region all the way to the Sedrun region to the East.

Ahead of us is the side valley called "Val Val".

Suddenly at about 10:30 we heard the noise of a helicopter, which was extremely unbearable for the next hour until we actually got beneath the helicopter. (At that point it was louder, but less annoying.) We found out later that the helicopter was transporting solar panels.

Crossing the bridge in Val Val

Now we are headed out of the first side valley again.

From here we get the first glimpse of the huge Curnera Dam on the south side of the Surselva Valley. We did a fantastic hike to the lake behind it back in September 2021, and walked out from the dam along that red mountain on the right.

The landscape is now a fiery red due to the blueberry bushes.

It was a very pleasant and comfortable trail to walk, not at all strenuous

You can't make them out, but there are mountain bikers on the trail below!

This is looking back to the west, to where we came up from. Where the cars are parked is called the Tiarms Pass, and that's where we left the road for the mountain trail heading toward the right. In the far back you can see the wind turbines and the cable-car station at Gütsch above Andermatt, and past that to the Damma Glacier at the back of the Göschener Valley. Side Note: Back in July 2020, we had started another hike from Oberalp Pass and hiking up to the right, continued on a high trail through the gray landscape to the turbines and down to Nätschen, which is on the railway line to Andermatt.

By 11:30 we had reached the construction site at the top of Cuolm Val, where the helicopter was busy flying back and forth. Some proud cyclists stopped here to take photos in this gorgeous landscape. On the photo at the back where the arrow is, that is the source of the mighty Rhine River. (Lake Toma, or Tomasee). We have been there several times, for example in September 2016, almost 10 years ago!

Across the valley here is the Curnera Dam and the lake behind it. For us it is very interesting to see where we have previously walked. In September 2021 we hiked from the Oberalp Pass along the valley on the right, and returned high above the lake and back along the road we can see across from here, on that beautiful rust-coloured hillside!

A close-up look at Lake Curnera and the humungous dam.

Beneath the helicopter, the noise was not as annoying, and it was actually interesting to watch them carry the solar panels and have them set up right away on their frames.

Helicopters are fascinating

This is a huge solar panel farm. Many of these are currently being set up high in the Swiss mountains as there is usually lots of sunshine at higher elevations in winter (and fog in the lower elevations, unfortunately).

Now we have the first views down the Surselva toward the town of Sedrun. This whole region is to become one huge skiing arena. (Andermatt to Sedrun).

Some very nice peaks on the north side of the valley, up ahead.

Final look at the solar panel farm and the beautiful Curnera Lake and dam acros the valley.

Down below is the little mountain village of Milez, where we are headed now. (After that, we head into the next side valley on the left). We walked through this little village in November 2015 when we started lower down at the Tschamut train station, and continued to Sedrun, partly along the same trail we are doing this day.

This road winds down to the mountain village of Milez.

We followed the cyclists down into the village. We have been to this village once before when we started a hike at the train line in Tschamut (about 200m lower down) and walked to Sedrun in November 2015. From here we are following part of the same trail, but not going all the way to Sedrun.

This mountain cabin / restaurant called Las Palas, was very popular with the cyclists!

This is the place where we chose to have our picnic lunch (as it is now just after noon).

After a 20-minute break, we filled up our water bottles, and continued on our hike!

Now we are headed into the next side valley called Val Giuv.

A look down the Val Giuv toward Sedrun.

The hillsides here were full of orange and yellow ferns.

Val Giuv

After crossing the valley bottom, we had a bit of an uphill climb along what surely was a glacier moraine.

A look down along the glacier moraine.

Lots of mountain bikes on this trail as well!

You can see the little mountain village of Milez at the back.

The entire hillside was FULL of ripe blueberries, so I picked a handful.

Another break on a convenient bench with a view at 1:30 p.m.

Way down below us, a train from the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway heads toward the Oberalp Pass.

A view to Sedrun. Our trail now descends through this forest here.

It's always nice to have sections through the forest as well. Especially on a nice clean trail with few roots and rocks!

Through a break in the forest we get a look at the village of Rueras, which we passed through from the other side of the valley at the end of our June 2025 hike. (The railway station is further east and above the village.)

Down below is the railway viaduct between Rueras and Dieni.

At 14:43, the train from Disentis passes below, on its way to the Oberalp Pass. (It was a bit late passing through the Rueras train station). We want to catch the next one an hour later, at 15:33. From here, we have another 30 minutes to walk to the station. There was a bench here, so we also sat for a while.

A little river comes down from the mountains to the north to join the Rhine River below.

A look at the peaks above us on the north side of the valley.

We had a nice stretch of path before reaching the paved road.

Final stretch to the Rueras train station, which is above and to the east of the village of Rueras.

We got to the Rueras train station at 3:11 p.m., so had to wait about 20 minutes for the 15:33 train. It was quite hot here so we had to find a place in the shade!

This is what the 12-km hike from Oberalp Pass to Rueras looks like on Google Satellite Maps.

At 15:18 the train heading toward Disentis and Chur passes here. After that we were informed that the train we were waiting for was stuck on the line due to a medical emergency. We thought we might have to wait a couple of hours!

Our train, which should have come to this station at 15:33 (for the three-hour trip home), finally showed up at 16:02. As it turns out, we would have had to wait 25 minutes along the way anyway, and the train caught up, and we managed our planned connection anyway.

A look back down the Surselva valley (the Rhine River descends here) at the village of Rueras as the train heads back up the valley.

Lovely brown, red, orange and yellow colours on this mountainside on the way back to Andermatt. There is a very nice and easy hiking trail there, from Oberalp Pass to Nätschen, or to Andermatt via the Unteralp Valley, which is a wonderful hike we did in June 2023.