Sedrun-Chrüzlipass

Pius and Miriam with Mia (from 30.06.18):

After a long journey to Sedrun we start our today's hike on the Chrüzlipass at 13.30 o'clock. Unfortunately, Gypsie is cancelled due to illness and cannot join us for the next three days.

The actual Way of St. James leads from Sedrun through the Val Strem up to the Chrüzlipass and from there down to the Etzlihütte. In March 2016, however, a rockfall in Val Strem buried the path between Valtgeva and Bauns. The rock is still unstable and life is in danger. This section is therefore closed for an indefinite period. There are two alternatives to reach the Chrüzlipass and the Etzli hut. We choose the path via Alp Caschlè to Bauns and continue on the official Way of St. James through the rear part of Val Strem to the Chrüzlipass. This detour requires an additional hiking time of about 1.5 hours with several additional metres in altitude.

From Sedrun station we follow the signposted detour of the Way of St. James on hard surface to Camischolas. We cross the railway tracks, walk across a freshly mowed pasture and start the ascent towards Alp Caschlè. A natural road leads us over meadows steadily uphill. After a few bends we can see a lookout point with a cross and a bench from a distance. Here we take a short break and enjoy the beautiful view over Sedrun and the Val Tujetsch to the Oberalp pass. Opposite we see the glacier field of the Medelser glacier. Meanwhile there is not much snow anymore, only a few small snow areas are left.

Again today the temperatures are very warm and we are glad when we reach the shady forest. In zigzag we quickly gain altitude until we reach the timberline at Pegn dil Capi. We continue walking through high grasses, flowering alpine roses and blueberry bushes. The path is beautiful and always amazes us. The higher we climb, the more sparse the vegetation and the stonier (big stones) the surroundings become. Finally we reach Alp Caschlè at 16.30 hrs. In the middle of a pasture we discover a flat stone. It is the legendary witches' plate. According to the legend, the stone was transported on a spider's thread from the opposite Alp Culmatsch to Caschlè. The witches are said to have danced on it.

Up here a cold wind is blowing and we are a bit cold. From Alp Caschlè to Bauns we have to give up about 300 metres in altitude again. The descent is quite steep and leads in several hairpin bends down to Strembach. From now on we are again on the official Way of St. James. We like it very much here, we are fascinated by the uniqueness and roughness of the landscape. The Strem curves like a glittering ribbon through the reddish moorland plain. The strem horns with their prongs rise up in front of us, several small waterfalls ripple down the rocks. We follow the Strem through the untouched valley until we reach a fork in the road. Now the path climbs up to the Chrüzlipass on the left through grass heaps and between rock formations. The ascent on the narrow but safe path is steep and strict, but is rewarded with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains.

We are happy when we finally reach the top. The Chrüzlipass has an altitude of 2'347 m above sea level and was originally an important connecting path between the 1'300 year old Benedictine monastery of Disentis and the monasteries in Einsiedeln and Engelberg. Today, it connects the villages Sedrun in the canton Grisons and Amsteg in the canton Uri.

At the top of the pass there is a big cross and countless stone men keep watch. Very close by we find a super place to camp with a fantastic view. It is already 19.15 and we are tired from the exhausting ascents and descents. Moreover, it is quite cold up here and there is a strong wind. We put up our tent, cook dinner and go to bed soon after.

For this stage, good surefootedness and a certain amount of fitness are definitely required. On a length of about 11 km we have mastered ascents of 1'316 m and descents of 418 m. However, the wonderful landscape compensates for the effort.