Trekking in the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps. Kev Reynolds

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      A clutter of limestone is turned into a natural rock garden on the way to the Schesaplana Hut (Trek 2, Stage 4)

      Defining the borders of Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein south of Lake Constance (the Bodensee), the Rätikon Alps give the appearance of an abrupt wall of limestone erupting from meadows and screes full of flowers. That frontier wall pushes southeastwards to blend into the glacier-daubed range of the Silvretta Alps which extends as far as the Samnaun Group above the River Inn.

      What mountains these are!

      Although they form an almost continuous line, the two ranges are scenically and geologically very different. One is almost dolomitic in character, the other is reminiscent of the Western Alps. The Rätikon displays big blank faces of rock topped by turrets and towers; the Silvretta boasts snowfields and a number of retreating glaciers. No Rätikon summit reaches 3000 metres (the highest is the Schesaplana at 2964m), while the Silvretta claims at least 40 peaks in excess of that figure. To the south the Rätikon falls away into the lush green meadows of the Prättigau, to the north into Austria’s Montafon valley in Vorarlberg, while the Silvretta is partly contained by the upper reaches of the Prättigau on one side, by the lower Inn valley in Switzerland’s Graubunden on another, and by the Paznauntal east of the Bielerhöhe where the Austrian Tyrol contains its northern limits.

      Despite many contrasts, the Rätikon and Silvretta Alps share glorious scenery, a wealth of alpine flowers, attractive villages in their outlying valleys, a fine selection of mountain huts, an abundance of walkers’ passes, and wonderful trekking opportunities.

      This book is a guide to the huts, peaks and passes, and to three of the best multi-day routes of the district, each of which is ideal for fit trekkers. Easy of access and infinitely rewarding, these treks, and the mountains they traverse, will appeal to all hillwalkers with a love of high places.

Trek outlines

      A Tour of the Silvretta Alps

      This fairly strenuous hut-to-hut tour makes a counter-clockwise circuit of the Silvretta Alps over the course of about a week. With magnificent scenery throughout, there are several rugged passes to negotiate and a number of beautiful valleys to wander through – some of which exude a surprising sense of remoteness. Add to that the glorious flower meadows, one or two extremely attractive villages and a variety of accommodation, and you have a trek to savour. The route crosses and recrosses the international border that runs along a high crest of peaks, providing wild but inspiring views, but there are some extremely steep ascents and descents to make, and several exposed sections that might deter anyone with a history of vertigo.

      The Prättigauer Höhenweg

      The Prättigauer Höhenweg is a medium-grade multi-day route that works its way along the south flank of the Silvretta and Rätikon mountains between Klosters and Landquart. Signed with the number 72, the route is described in this guide from its official starting point of Klosters Platz as far as Seewis, a village overlooking the Prättigau valley into which a bus descends to the railway station at Grüsch, a short distance from Landquart. This very fine trek is demanding in places, but it rewards with numerous memorable views, especially of the abrupt walls of the Rätikon mountains.

      The Rätikon Höhenweg

      The Rätikon Höhenweg Nord runs along the Austrian flank of the mountains, while a roughly parallel route known as the Rätikon Höhenweg Sud takes a similar course on the Swiss flank. For much of the way the two routes are never far apart, but are separated by a crest of frontier mountains. By linking them at either end of the range, a first class hut-to-hut circuit can be achieved.

      There are two obvious starting points for this clockwise tour; one on the Swiss side of the mountains, the other on the Austrian. Both St Antönien and Brand are accessible by public transport (see Getting there). The route described in this guide begins in St Antönien, but trekkers preferring to start in Brand on the Austrian flank should go to the end of Stage 4 and follow the route from there.

Linking all three treks

      Given sufficient time and energy, it would be possible to link all three treks in a 14-stage, figure-of-eight tour, as outlined below.

      Begin by following the Tour of the Silvretta Alps from Berghaus Vereina (Stage 1) to Schlappin (Stage 6A). Since Schlappin is reached at the end of the first day’s walk along the Prättigauer Höhenweg, it’s possible to join that route at the start of Stage 2. This heads northwest to St Antönien and continues to the Schesaplana Hut at the end of Stage 4.

      The Rätikon Höhenweg also visits the Schesaplana Hut, but then departs from the final stage of the Prättigauer Höhenweg by going up to the frontier ridge leading to Liechtenstein. This is on Stage 3, continuing into Austria at the Gamperdonatal and returning eastwards via the Douglass, Lindauer and Tilisuna Huts before returning to St Antönien in Switzerland at the end of Stage 7.

      Now that would make a great fortnight’s holiday (plus two days for travel)!

Hut-to-hut routes

      The route to the Schlappiner Joch is well signed (Hut-to-Hut, Route 4)

      The three treks described above represent the best multi-day walking routes in the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps. But a glance at a map of the region will reveal numerous possibilities for creating shorter hut-to-hut tours and pass crossings. In fact when it comes to walkers’ passes, the Silvretta/Rätikon district must be one of the richest for its size in the whole Alpine range. The 12 outline routes, working from east to west, described in the fourth section of this book, represent a small sample of what is possible.

Wildlife and flowers

      No summer trek in the Alps would be complete without the sighting of wildlife, while the flowers that adorn both meadow and rock face add their own undeniable beauty. The Silvretta and Rätikon Alps are not short of either.

      Alpine animals

      Marmots may be seen in many Silvretta and Rätikon valleys

      Undoubtedly the most common mammal to be seen here is the marmot, a sociable and endearing creature that lives in colonies below the snowline in a range of habitats, their burrows sometimes having been excavated beside the busiest of trails. Growing to the size of a large hare and weighing as much as 10kg, the marmot spends five or six months each winter in hibernation, emerging in springtime looking rather lean and scrawny, but soon fattening up on the summer grasses. The well-known shrill whistle – given to warn of danger – is emitted from the back of the throat by an alert adult sitting up on its haunches.

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