My week in Val Müstair marked the conclusion of this year’s summer program, filled with exhilarating hikes in the majestic Swiss mountains of Grisons.
The last two months have somehow been dominated by my suitcase, as I have visited so many different places and gathered so many different impressions. It all started with three weeks in New York, which were interrupted by a few days on the beach on Fire Island. Then, after some days in Basel, I packed my bags again to spend another week in Ticino. After that, I spent a further eight days in Basel before packing my bags for another trip to the mountains. The hiking week is always the most strenuous part of my summer program. I still find it difficult to break out of my comfort zone. But that makes the reward for overcoming the challenge all the greater. As soon as you arrive in the beautiful Val Müstair, you can feel the relaxed atmosphere that pervades the area. On the first hike, any fears that you are not fit enough or too untrained to climb the peaks you have set your sights on disappear. Everything fades away and all I can see around me is the beauty of nature, the peace and tranquillity, the air, the colors… After two days, I am so immersed that I can think of nothing else but the here and now, and at most, dinner. The quiet, dark and cool nights have allowed me to sleep more than I have in a long time.
View from the peak of Mount Umbrail
Monday
Over Mount Umbrail to Lai da Rims and on to Sta. Maria Val Müstair
For the first hike, we took the bus up to the Umbrail Pass. This is located right on the border with Italy, just before the Stelvio Pass. From there we hiked up to the summit of the 3032 m / 9947 ft high Mount Umbrail, which also marks the border between Switzerland and Italy. The view is stunning, mountains stretching to the horizon! The descent leads through a landscape reminiscent of the moon. Only stone and very sparse greenery. Once again, I was struck by the different colors of the rock formations. How quickly we generalize all this to grey, when in fact the entire colour spectrum is present. The breathtaking landscape is trumped after a while when the green returns further down and the Lai da Rims comes into view. This is one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland, nestling in the midst of this magnificent natural setting. The beauty is simply overwhelming. After a rest at the lake, we continued down into the valley to Sta. Maria Val Müstair, from where we returned to Müstair by bus.
Piz Plavna Dadaint seen from Val Mingèr
Tuesday
Through three valleys to Scuol
A bright blue and completely cloudless sky accompanied us all day today. We first took the bus to Il Fuorn in the Swiss National Park, where we started today’s hike. This first led us steeply up through the Val da Botsch to the Fuorcla Val da Botsch pass at 2677 m / 8783 ft. I was particularly impressed by the moss-green hills interspersed with light gray stone fields that cast beautiful shadows in the morning sun. The pass then opened up the view into the next valley, the Plavna, framed by mighty mountains and a wide spectrum of colors. First, however, it was a steep descent through a black and gray stone field that was slippery and somewhat difficult to hike through until the path led through grass again. Hiking steadily uphill, after an hour we reached Sur il Foss, the second pass, at 2317 m / 7602 ft slightly lower than the first. From there, it was all downhill in Val Mingèr through beautiful Swiss stone pine forests. On the way, we met a ranger from the national park who showed us numerous deer through a telescope, which were sitting high up in the rocks of the mountains and could not be seen with the naked eye. At the end of Val Mingèr, we took the bus to the train station in Scuol, from where it was a two hour train and bus ride back to Müstair.
A white mountain range in Valbella
Wednesday
Around the Munt da la Bescha to Lü
The day started unusually gray, but still dry. We took the bus up to the Ofen Pass and started our hike there today. I like these semi-cloudy days in the mountains best, when the clouds are constantly appearing and disappearing on the mountain peaks and the sky looks more dramatic than in bright blue weather. The colors of the landscape also appear much more harmonious and the sun breaking through every now and then sets exciting accents. The Valbella, the beautiful valley, through which we passed first, lived up to its name. It offered views of the back of the mountains we had hiked along yesterday. The gleaming white mountain range was particularly eye-catching. As the weather app warned of approaching thunderstorms, we decided to descend towards Lü, which again led us through beautiful coniferous forests. The thunderstorm didn’t come after all, but shortly before we arrived we were surprised by a meadow with autumn crocuses in bloom.
A rainy day in Val Müstair
Thursday
A walk to Sta. Maria Val Müstair
The rain came during the night. And it stayed the whole day. At first, we waited hopefully for the rain to stop, but around midday, we set off with our rain jackets and umbrellas for a walk to the neighboring village. Even a rainy landscape has its charm, especially when something like autumnal melancholy is already resonating towards the end of summer. And there are beautiful things to discover everywhere. The lush green of the wet leaves, for example, or the bright orange-red of the rowan berries that grow everywhere.
Clouds and sunshine in Val Avigna
Friday
Through the rainforest to the Mitteralm
It rained all night and only stopped in the middle of Thursday morning. We hit the road for the Avigna Valley, which starts right after Müstair on the other side of border in Italy. The route we picked was super steep and gave us a good workout. Even though it was cool, I was sweating bullets! Cloud wisps kept popping up from the valley, shrouding us and the forest in a mystical glow and making it hard to see. I’ve always wanted to walk through a humid rainforest and breathe in the fresh, moist air that smells like nature in the past few weeks of heat. Well, guess what? My wish came true, even though I didn’t think it would be so tough. Once we reached Mitteralm, it was time for our usual picnic before we started the descent. This was just as steep as the way up and just as stunning in terms of the interplay of the clouds with the forests and mountain peaks.
View on Rotund castle
Saturday
Monasteries, castles and churches
Saturday again started off rainy. TThe clouds were no longer hanging in the valleys, but there was snow on the mountain peaks. So, we decided to hike down in the valley again. We crossed the border into Italy and climbed up to the two castles of Reichenstein and Rotund. Rotund Castle is the highest castle in Tyrol and was quite a climb, but the view of the Münstertal valley was amazing! We descended back down the valley on old paths lined with irrigation channels for the fields and meadows. We checked out the churches and chapels along the way. I always find the art in them really interesting and beautiful. Even though I don’t find my answers in religions anymore, a lot of it reminds me of my childhood. On our way back to Müstair, we joined a guided tour of the Heiligkreuzkapelle chapel at the Saint John monastery in Münstair. The chapel was built in the 800th century and is one of the most impressive sacred buildings of Carolingian architecture in Europe.
Back to reality
Despite the less than ideal weather in the second half of the week, this hiking trip was once again full of positive experiences and impressions. And like every time I return filled with inspiration and a renewed desire for my work and my everyday life. The city feels surreal at first, too much noise, too many people, too much restlessness… welcome back to my reality. After arriving in Basel, I took care of everything and washed my clothes. And the suitcase went back into the cellar, where it will stay for a while before I set off on another trip hopefully later in the year.
