Multi-day hike in evergreen Graubünden, Switzerland
In short
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Duration: 5 days (can also be shortened)
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Distance: 65 km and 3900 height meters
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Wildcamping: tolerated above the tree line
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Seasonality: July – September
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Public transport: Lavin (arrival) and Monstein (departure)
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Highlights: the culture of canton graubünden, Fuorcla Radönt.
Since it was summer holidays for most of us, we wanted to take some extra time and do a longer hike. Loki, our allaround best planner, planned a five-day hike in the canton of graubünden, south-east of switzerland. Graubünden is famous for its apfelstrüdel, nusstorte and many spätzli pasta-variations. They speak either swiss-german, Romansch (the fourth official language of switzerland) or italian. Graubünden is the largest canton of Switzerland, yet the one that is most sparsely populated. They are a stubborn and proud folk, but helpful as everyone on the country-side. Graubünden reminds me of the many endless meandering rivers and evergreen grasslands, with flowers of all colours growing around them.
![Hiking through Graubünden's evergreen valleys [picture made by Emme Perreve]](http://hikersguidetoearth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/graubunden-valley.jpg)
The hike
A rainy start
Although we did this five-day Graubünden hike mid-summer, the weather was not perfect and there was still snow in some higher, north-facing areas. The first day we hiked up all the way to 2600m, where the weather was cloudy, but not rainy. At some point during the day it started pouring on us, and completely soaked and cold we arrived at Berghaus Vereina. Here we decided to get inside to get a cup of tea and get warm, maybe even sleep if the weather would stay like this. Unfortunately being students, our budget didn’t allow us to sleep overnight, but the kind people from the hut said we could stay down at the river on their ground. We walked down to the river, had a quick dinner and dissappeared into our tents to hide for the incoming rain and fog.
The next day we woke up with still a cloudy sky, but at least sun seeping through every once and a while. We had a nice breakfast where we warmed ourselves and started setting out to Jöriseen. Here we actually got some occasional sun, and were able to nap a bit after lunch. In the evening we had the best weather we had so far. The skies were completely clear and we slept outside while watching the setting sun and later the stars.
![Camping along the riverbanks, next to Berghaus Vereina [picture made by Sofia Tynelius]](http://hikersguidetoearth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/camping-river-graubunden.jpg)
Furocla Radönt
The third day was the best day we had during this hike in Graubünden. There was a lot of sun, we hiked up to the highest point of our hike which was Fuorcla Radönt (2788 m). Due to the sun the thick snow fields we crossed were very soft, and this could cause falling through them up until your knees. Emme’s leg got stuck in the snow, so much that at some point they couldn’t feel their leg anymore. I started digging like crazy to get their leg out of the snow, and luckily we got it out. In the evening we set up our tents still in the sun, but during the night it got foggy again.
The fourth day was rainy and foggy again, and since we were all cold, most of us decided to cut the hike short and make it our last hiking day. We hiked down to the valley where we had a very traditional graubünden dinner, which meant spätzl or rösti for all of us. We camped at a beautiful waterfall just a kilometer away from the village, while setting up our tents when it was still raining. The next day we took the bus from Chleinalp back to Zürich.
The route
How to get there
For this multi-day hike in Graubünden we started at the Lavin and ended at the busstop Monstein. It takes you respectively 2.5 h hours from and 3h back to Zürich HB (main station). For a more detailed travel schedule check the swiss national train company.
Good to know
- Language – In graubünden they normally speak either swiss-german, romansch or italian.
- Weather – In my experience it is mostly a bit colder and more rainy then the rest of switzerland and snow stays longer on lower altitudes. For a more detailed weather report, check meteoswiss or SRF Meteo.
- Shortening your hike – You can do parts of this hike, since there’s two busstops that you pass: Wägerhus/Abzw. Jörisee (around km 25) and Chleinalp (around km 52).
- For more information on hiking in switzerland make sure to check this page, and before getting out on your first hike read this article!
Best time to hike
In my experience Graubünden is mostly a bit colder and more rainy then the rest of switzerland and snow stays longer on lower altitudes. Therefore this multi-day hike can best be done between July and September. For a more detailed weather report, check meteoswiss or SRF Meteo.
![Preparing dinner during the sunset in Graubünden [picture made by Sofia Tynelius]](http://hikersguidetoearth.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/preparing-dinner-graubunden.jpg)