Susten Pass, Stein Glacier, High Moors and Haslital Valley

July 29, 2017 -- THIS rates as one of my very best hikes, and I will look back on this with fond memories....  

I had just gotten back from three weeks in Canada and was still trying to find my hiking legs, so we picked a trail with lots of downhill, high up in the mountains near the glaciers... and boy was there a lot of downhill! A total of almost 1500m in fact! But I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the landscape was.

We started with a bus ride to the Susten Pass.. (side note, we almost missed our connection because of traffic congestion heading South for the long weekend). The sky was cloudy, and it was COLD at the pass (2224m or 7300ft) at 10:00 a.m. so we ate French Fries at the restaurant at the pass, while waiting for the sun. It warmed up quite quickly after that.

The first descent was to the Steinsee Lake, fed by the Stein Glacier which we'll get closer to another time (we did see several people on "guided tours" across the glacier). From there we did a round trip into the Seeboden Natural Reserve, an upper moorland of national significance, a 2-hour round tour which can be done as a separate hike of its own. On this upper level, unseen from the road, are a myriad of small pools like little gems in an undulating brush-and-boulder landscape, entirely surrounded by the most magnificent glaciers and peaks, it leaves you speechless. I could have stayed up here all day.

After a steep descent out of the upper moorland, we continued down the Haslital Valley another 7 km to the village of Gadmen, fairly parallel to the pass road but in a smaller side valley, so we rarely heard the road. First we bought some Alp Cheese from the local dairy shop, then continued on a wonderful trail which passed through a second moor landscape ("In Miseren") and along and across and past so many streams and waterfalls and down canyons.... every turn in the trail was a new adventure.

In total we did 14 km and it took us 5 hours and 45 minutes, and I couldn't have taken one more step, but every step was worth it.

We came by bus from the East through the Meien Valley. This is looking back the way we came.

Heading up by bus to the Susten Pass from the East

At the pass it was very cold, so we warmed up in the restaurant with French Fries until the clouds cleared a bit.

Lots of ponds filled with or surrounded by cotton grass

So cold! I'm looking forward to a brisk walk all the way down that valley

First stop is the Stein Lake below, then a climb onto the upper moor behind it.

After a tour of the Seeboden Reserve, we headed down the valley to Gadmen

The hike was exhilirating. I love glaciers, glacier moraines, glacier lakes, and mountains in general.

Time for a picnic at the lake below the glacier.

Just beyond the lake we headed up to the right to the upper moor: Seeboden Reserve

This upper moorland is a reserve of national importance.

There are lots of ponds and little lakes, some full of cotton grass

Seebodensee Lake

At the back on the other side of the Haslital Valley is the road to the Susten Pass from the West

The Swiss are good at making holes in everything.

The Steingletscher Glacier. This is the view as we headed back down off the high moor.

Zoomed photo of the glacier and a group of people getting ready to walk along that crevasse

Before continuing down the valley, we bought some Alp Cheese.

Alp dairy / cheese shop near the Susten Pass.

Filling up the water bottles

Walking through the "In Miseren" Nature Reserve (here it was strictly forbidden to leave the trail)

Heading down the steep trail in the Haslital Valley

For a fantastic couple of kilometers the trail was paved like this with flat rocks.

The end is near! We plan to catch the bus in the village of Gadmen below.

Crossing the river at the bottom of the valley

This is a young bull (steer?)

Final leg into the village of Gadmen to catch the bus, with just one minute to spare.

On the way out of the valley by bus toward Innertkirchen and Meiringen.

14 km in 5-6 hours including a detour to the Seeboden Nature Reserve

Hikes we have done in this area to date (each colour is a different year)

To the Southernmost Point in Switzerland: Pedrinato near Chiasso

July 26, 2017 -- After three weeks of hot, dry weather in the Okanagan Valley in BC, Canada, with a fair share of smoke-filled days from the massive wildfires in the Cariboo and an additional fire much too close to home, I came back to Switzerland to this:

Before heading back to work we had a free day, and our choice to visit the most southern point in Switzerland was based on both getting away from the rain and on something short and simple to get our hiking legs back in gear (and getting over jet lag). 

We did a little 8-km loop along the Swiss/Italian border starting in the little village of Seseglio South of Chiasso, through some small vineyards but mostly through forests. The "Most Southern Point" (Punto estremo Sud della Svizzera) is hidden in a dense forest along an unusual fence of metal posts which would not keep anyone from crossing the border. And if you ask around, most Swiss people won't even know where this place is....
 

An easy 8-km walk around the vineyards of Pedrinate in the Southernmost part of Switzerland

We got to the village of Seseglio at 11:30, and started with a look at the town's church.

Checking out the menu of the local inn and restaurant. The owner is from Genoa in Italy.

Heading out now to the southernmost geographical point in Switzerland. 

Our walk alternated between vineyards and forests

  

It's always lovely to watch the butterflies

Shortly before reaching the border, this view is across the villages of Italy and back to the Monte Rosa Massif in Switzerland (highest peak of the Swiss Alps)

This unusual fence forms the border between Italy and Switzerland near the Southernmost Point

This unusual fence between Italy and Switzerland will hardly keep anyone out

Urs is walking in Switzerland and I am walking in Italy

This is what it looks like at the southernmost point in Switzerland

Tourist photo at the southernmost point in Switzerland. There's not even a view, it's in the middle of the forest.

Heading back along our loop toward Pedrinate. In the back is a small hill with a church on top, San Stefano, and part of the plan is to go up there for a view North. We didn't walk into the village of Pedrinate, but skirted it on roads to the north. 

 

View North from the vineyards of Pedrinate across Chiasso to Monte Generoso

View North into the Muggio Valley to Monte Generoso

A very zoomed view of the summit of Monte Generoso to the north. 

Closer look into the Muggio Valley

And this view is across the major city of Chiasso, from where the train crosses the border to Como in Italy. You can just make out Lake Como in the back. 

We reached the mountaintop church of San Stefano at shortly after 3 p.m., but it was locked, so we could not see the inside. 

View down to the church in Seseglio, as we head back down there again to catch the bus back to Chiasso. 

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

The most Southern Point of Switzerland is among the vineyards of Pedrinate