From Brüsti to Gitschenberg via the Gitschital Valley near Lake Uri

Saturday October 2, 2021 -- First hike of October and perhaps the only one for a while? (Massive rains expected again, and snow to low elevations, and cold temperatures...)

We ended up doing a hike we had done once before, but many years ago (August 31, 2016 -- one of my first albums, those photos are HERE). It wasn't our intention to do the same hike, but once we got to the start of our excursion, we could see that the valley we wanted to visit had too much shade.

The start of the hike in Brüsti near Altdorf in the Reuss Valley is accessed by two cable cars which cover an altitude of over 1000 meters. This is the starting point for the 6-hour hike across the Surenen Pass to Engelberg (a hike we've also done, those photos are HERE), a hike into the Gitschital (Gitschi Valley) to the North, and another hike along the mountainside to the South, which we had wanted to do, because it involved riding two more of those farmer's cable cars which we have not yet ridden, and a walk into a remote high valley below the Pass. But once we reached Brüsti we could see that most of the lower valley was in shadow from the steep mountains to the South, so a hike best done earlier in summer. We decided it was time to redo our 2016 Gitschital hike, one that we had enjoyed at the time.

With the exception that we had thick cloud cover and the winds started up by the time we got to the cable car at the end of the hike (any more wind and the owner would not have let us use the cable car!), we had lots of sunshine and enjoyed walking at the base of these Uri mountains as much as we enjoyed it the last time. There were no cows on the alpine pastures this time, but we did see a couple of marmots again, enjoying a final bask in the sun before heading down for their long winter naps. 

To reach the start of our hike we took two cable cars from Attinghausen, which is in the Reuss Valley near Altdorf and across from the Schächental Valley.  

The two cable cars were took: The first little red one holds 6 people, the blue one holds 8. These cable cars take us about 1000m above the valley bottom.. 

On our way up, we saw deer grazing in the pastures. 

Our original plan was to go left to Alp Waldnacht, but we could tell there was a lot of shade further back in the valley, so we decided to redo the hike to Gitschenberg, just over three hours. 

Even though we had a total of almost 600 meters of ascent, the hike was not particularly strenuous. The descent into the Gitschital Valley is steep and in the shade, so wet and slippery, and we had to be careful there. 

It's nice that the cows are still out in some mountain pastures!

This little vacation house is called Sonnenblick, or "View of the sun", which lives up to its name!

Down below is Alp Waldnacht which we had planned to visit, but the rest of the valley (to the right) is very shady, so we decided to stay higher up.

A view down into the Reuss Valley. 

A view up into the Waldnacht Valley. The steep mountains to the South cast a lot of shadow at this time of year, so we will go there sometime in Summer.

Heading up along a section of the Via Alpina Trail (no.1) which passes over the Surenen Pass to Engelberg. 

This interesting passage along a narrow ridge is called Chräienhöreli. Down below in the back is the Waldnacht Valley. Still in shadow. 

Awesome view into the Schächental Valley toward the Klausen Pass (we had considered going there, but were worried there would be too many people going there. There is popular high trail called "Schächentaler Höhenweg" for which the weather today would have been perfect.)

Behind us is the Gitschen Massif and the little farm called Alp Grat where we had a meal last time we did this hike. (The farmers have gone back to valley bottom as of end of September. They are usually up here from June/July to September)

Here is the saddle where we cross into the Gitschital Valley after passing Alp Grat farm. 

Looking down into the Gitschital Valley. Behind that is Lake Uri, an arm of Lake Lucerne. 

Zoomed look at Alp Gitschenberg, where we will take the other cable car down. 

Panorama view of the Gitschital Valley. The descent into the valley is also on the shady side. We had to go carefully as the trail was slippery in places. 

Descending carefully on the shady side of the Gitschital Valley

Superb view of the (Rophäien) massif above Flüelen (there is a popular trail there called "Wildheuweg", or "Wild Hay Trail" which I walked on my own in 2019, the photos are HERE) and Mt. Fronalpstock behind that.

Above us is the peak called "Gitschenhöreli", approx. 2900m at the summit. Behind it is a glacier and an alpine hut where one can spend the night.

Heading down the Gitschital Valley. Instead of walking all the way out of the valley, we are going through the forested area on the left. 

A look at where we descended from Alp Grat on the other side. 

It was a surprise to catch sight of a couple of marmots. They usually head off to their winter hibernation at the end of September. So this is the last time they will be enjoying the sunshine!

Two cute marmots enjoying the last rays of sunshine before their winter sleep

It is so overwhelming to stand below these massive rock formations. 

A final look back at the Gitschital Valley before we head up the hill through the forest. 

Autumn Saffron (Herbstzeitlosen) remind us that winter is coming... 

No, wait, here is a last look into the Gitschital Valley behind us!

And now we get a stunning clear view into the Schächental Valley, all the way back to the Klausen Pass. The plateau at the front is called Haldi, where we have also been often. The hills on the left are also a favourite. 

Ahead of us is Gitschenberg, the cable car which we are going to ride back down on. 

A close-up look of Gitschenberg, the cable car station, and behind that Lake Uri (Urnersee) and the city of Brunnen at the back. 

Pretending to be enjoying the view.... It now quickly got cold and windy with the start of the Föhn winds.

We discovered that there is only one cable car which runs on these cables, and it was currently down in the valley. So first we had to call Mrs. Arnold to operate the cable car. She has to drive there from her home, and then it took at least 10 minutes for the cable car to arrive!

Lucky we got here first! Five people arrived right after us, and three of them had to wait a full 20 minutes till they could ride down (i.e 4 people per trip), meaning that it was 30 minutes before they got to the bottom!!!

It's a steep 900-meter descent to valley bottom, and the cable car is slow. It's a full 10-minute ride! (At the arrow is the base station of the cable car!)

The ride is slow enough you have lots of time to enjoy the view of Lake Uri and the Reuss Delta at Flüelen. 

A lovely view over Altdorf / Schattdorf / Bürglen... i.e. the Reuss Valley area near Flüelen

Down below is the lower cable car station. (The castle is called Schloss A-Pro)

Castle "Schloss A-Pro" is a restaurant

After 20 minutes, the second cable car finally arrives at the bottom with the three other people who waited with us. Good thing there are not very many people who use this cable car! Mrs. Arnold has to wait there also, until everyone is down!

A final photo with the cable car before we catch the bus back to Altdorf

What our hike looks like on Google Earth Satellite Maps. 

Location of this hike, not far from where we live in Zug

This photo was taken from the other side of the valley, when I walked the "Wildheu"Trail. From here you get a good view right into the Gitschital Valley. 

Short walk between Andeer and Zillis near the Hinterrhein River

Saturday September 25, 2021 -- Day 4 of our 4-day trip to Nature Park Beverin... and unfortunately not what we had hoped for!

Our plan for the day was a 4-hour hike starting at the San Bernardino Pass (the second main passage besides the Splügen Pass from this valley to the South), which was only a short ride from our accommocation, and would have been a fairly quick way home at the end of the day.

But even though the day dawned cloudless in the Rheinwald Valley, we should have checked the webcam for the Pass. Not 10 kilometers away and barely 500 meters higher up, the pass was shrouded in thick fog, and there was thick cloud cover in the Mesocco Valley south of the pass. Not wanting again to hang around and wait for the clouds to dissipate, we rode back down to Nufenen, back past the five villages of the Rheinwald Valley and the Rofla Gorge, and down to Andeer, which is the next town North of the Rofla Gorge.  

Unfortunately, due to the two-hour delay, it was too late to plan a longer mountain tour, so Urs said "it doesn't always have to be a 4-hour hike" and we settled on a valley-bottom walk along the Via Spluga Trail from Andeer to Zillis (Basically, this is the section between the Rofla and Via Mala Gorges). It was barely a two-hour and 8-km walk but it was hotter than the entire summer we had had, and not the best choice for a valley-bottom hike, but this walk was mainly about pretty houses, churches, flowers, painted walls and other unique features. But with the heat and the longing to be higher up, this walk made me more tired than any four-hour hike in the mountains. 

(In the village of Zillis at the end of our hike, is an old church called St.Martin's. It has the best-preserved painted wood-panel ceiling of its kind in the world. We know this because we visited it on the day we walked through the Via Mala Gorge, so we didn't go in this time. But pictures of the ceiling and the gorge hike can be viewed HERE).

But all in all, we had a good four days in this beautiful area! Top weather, few people, and a very special accommodation in the 300-year old former traveler's Inn in the village of Nufenen...

At 9:15 a.m. we are saying good-bye to the village of Nufenen where we spent three nights in a lovely studio apartment in a 300-year-old renovated traveler's Inn. We are taking the bus through the San Bernardino tunnel to the village of San Bernardino. 

Even though we could see that the pass was in thick fog, we decided to take the bus up anyway (from the South) and just continue right back down on the North side, back into the Rheinwald Valley where we had just come from. 

The bus had a stop of a few minutes at the pass, so time for a couple of photos in the fog. Sometimes the effect is quite nice!

Even though a few people did get out at the San Bernardino Pass, we were the only ones who continued down the North side. Here we are coming back to the Rheinwald Valley, where the weather is beautiful!

Continuing down the Rheinwald Valley 90 minutes after our start, we pass all the familiar villages: Nufenen, Medel, Splügen, Sufers.

We had decided to see the town of Andeer, and to walk from here just eight kilometers northward along the Hinterrhein River to the village of Zillis. 

A look south over the village of Andeer. It is in the region at the back where we did the three previous hikes.

Walking through the town of Andeer and admiring the houses

We always like to come across covered wooden bridges

Crossing the Hinterrhein River in Andeer

The stretch we are following is the Via Spluga Trail no.50 (the old market trail which we had also followed when we descended from the Splügen Pass two days earlier). Clugin and Donath are the two towns we are passing through, and then continuing to Zillis

A short hike for us, not quite 8 kilometers and just over two hours. But it was very hot, especially the stretch from Andeer to Clugin (wide forest road, no shade), so it seemed longer

The little chapel in Clugin dates from the 12th Century and contains frescoes from 1350. 

I was very happy that this chapel was open for viewing, but there was a large iron lock you first had to figure out!

Pictures of the 12th-Century Chapel in Clugin. This is more the style of Catholic churches and chapels of that era, but this region is actually predominantly Protestant with churches with simple interiors featuring lots of carved wood (ceilings, benches, pulpit, organ). This building is a remnant from before the region converted to Protestantism in 1530.

This is the time of year for Autumn Saffron flowers, which are plentiful in the meadows.

After the long section of road between Andeer and Clugin, we were glad to get back onto meadow trails (on the left). 

Heading down through the forest trail to the next village called Donath (or Donat)

Arriving in Donat after passing through the forest below

We never get tired of these beautiful houses. There is so much intricate detail, and often paintings of family crests on the walls. 

I am always happy to find a town fountain, especially on a hot day, to fill up water bottles and bathe my head and back (which gets very hot from the back-pack!)

In the village church, the text indicates that the church was renovated in 1688! (Later as well, but it would be at least that old, at least 1463 according to documentation). 

On this house is painted a saying, and the date 1608

The text here is in the local Rumantsch language. "Tgea" means "House", and the dates would indicate the house was built in 1552!

An interesting "foyer"?

This are very similar coats of arms, found on separate buildings. 

Up the hill are lots of similar chapels. I was so longing to have been up there to check those out! We could have taken a bus up the hill and walked down, but didn't decide quickly enough. 

This calf must have been born in the night. There were two of them lying in the grass, as if they had recently been "dropped". It had just gotten up on its wobbly legs and made its way to the first meal.

The origins of St.Martin's Church in Zillis date to the year 500. It has the best-preserved wood-panel ceiling of its kind in the world. 

(This photo of the ceiling of St.Martin's Church was taken in 2018 when we started here on our hike through the Via Mala Gorge.... Photos can be viewed HERE)

Farmhouse in the village of Zillis

The flowers make all the difference!

We spied some swallows hidden under a roof overhang!

This is cute.

The village restaurant (and Gasthaus?)

Inscription on the restaurant building in Zillis. Presumably the building dates from 1608?

The center green line is the walk we did this day from Andeer to Zillis. In 2018 we walked from Zillis to Thusis via the Via Mala Gorge. The other two green lines are two of the other three hikes we did on this trip. 

Location of the Rheinwald Valley near the border with Italy

Location of the four excursions we did during our trip to the Nature Park Beverin. As well as the planned hike near the San Bernardino Pass

DAY 1 Hike:  Innerferrera to the Rofla Gorge -->  HERE

DAY 2 Hike:  Splügen Pass to Splügen via the Suretta Lakes -- HERE

DAY 3 Hike:  Juf to Cröt via Cresta --> HERE

DAY 4 Hike:  Andeer to Zillis 

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