Trek through the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps and discover two of the most rewarding and contrasting mountain ranges on the borders of Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein, where the snowfields and glaciers of the Silvretta give way to the dramatic limestone ridges and grandeur of the Rätikon. Easily accessible from the Swiss resort of Klosters, this is a corner of the Alps that rewards the adventurous trekker with outstanding scenery and a genuine sense of remoteness far from the crowds.

Suitable for trekkers with some alpine experience, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook describes three hut-to-hut treks of 5 to 7 days and 12 additional hut-to-hut day routes across the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps. The treks cover the Tour of the Silvretta (90km/56 miles), the Prättigauer Höhenweg (59km/37 miles), and the Rätikon Höhenweg (65km/40 miles), with day routes ranging from 3 to 11km (2–7 miles) and taking 2–5 hours to complete.

• Choose from three contrasting hut-to-hut treks of 5 to 7 days across the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps, from the challenging and remote Tour of the Silvretta with its high glacial passes to the moderate Prättigauer Höhenweg and the spectacular Rätikon Höhenweg traversing the dramatic limestone ridges above Brand and St Antönien.
• Extend your time in the mountains with 12 additional hut-to-hut day routes of 3 to 11km, taking in some of the finest high mountain terrain in the Silvretta and Rätikon, including routes between the Wiesbadener, Tilisuna, Carschina, Schesaplana, and Douglass Huts.
• Discover the highlights of the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps, including the iconic summit of Piz Buin, the Vereina Pass and the Furcletta, the dramatic peaks of Schesaplana, Sulzfluh, and Drusenfluh, and the charming villages of Lavin, Guarda, and St Antönien along the way.
• Navigate every route with confidence using sketch maps included for all routes, with detailed guidance on the recommended Kümmerly and Frey, DAV Alpenvereinskarte, and Schesaplana Wanderkarte map sheets covering the full area.
• Prepare thoroughly for trekking in the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps with comprehensive practical information on mountain huts and their facilities, transport to and from Klosters, clothing and equipment, mountain safety, wildlife, and alpine flowers throughout the region.
• Plan your visit for the best conditions, with the treks best tackled from late June to the end of September when the high passes are clear of snow, and all mountain huts are open.

Explore the huts, passes, and peaks of the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps with confidence using this trusted Cicerone guidebook. From the glaciers of Piz Buin to the limestone ridges above Brand, this is the essential companion for hut-to-hut trekking in one of the Alps' most rewarding and least-visited border regions.

Trekking in the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps – Quick Facts

Location: Switzerland, Austria, and Liechtenstein – the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps
Treks covered: 3 hut-to-hut treks of 5–7 days; 12 additional hut-to-hut day routes (3–11km/2–7 miles; 2–5 hours)
Trek 1: Tour of the Silvretta Alps – 90km (56 miles); challenging; several remote and demanding high passes; suitable for experienced trekkers
Trek 2: Prättigauer Höhenweg – 59km (37 miles); moderate; 5 days starting and finishing near Klosters
Trek 3: Rätikon Höhenweg – 65km (40 miles); moderate; 7 days traversing the dramatic limestone ridges of the Rätikon
Difficulty: No technical difficulty under normal summer conditions; Tour of the Silvretta challenging and remote; Prättigauer and Rätikon Höhenwegs moderate; all routes require some alpine experience
Key centres: Klosters, Lavin, St Antönien, Nenzinger Himmel, Brand
Highlights: Piz Buin, Piz Linard, Dreiländerspitz, Schesaplana, Sulzfluh, Drusenfluh, Vereina Pass, Furcletta, Pass Futschöl, villages of Lavin, Guarda, and St Antönien
Navigation/mapping: Sketch maps included for all routes; Kümmerly and Frey Wanderkarte, DAV Alpenvereinskarte 26 Silvrettagruppe, and Schesaplana Wanderkarte recommended for on-the-ground navigation
Accommodation & logistics: Detailed information on mountain huts and their facilities, transport, and practical planning advice
Best time to go: Late June to end of September when high passes are snow-free and all huts are open

Author Highlight

“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.”

- Kev Reynolds, author of Trekking in the Silvretta and Rätikon Alps

Introduction

The Silvretta and Rätikon Alps
Trek Outlines
When to Go
Getting There
Accommodation
Notes for Walkers
Clothing and Equipment
Recommended Maps
Safety in the Mountains
Wildlife and Alpine Flowers
Using the Guide
Information at a Glance

The Treks

Trek 1: A Tour of the Silvretta Alps

Prelude: Klosters Platz to Berghaus Vereina
Stage 1: Berghaus Vereina to Lavin
Stage 2: Lavin to Chamanna Tuoi
Stage 3: Chamanna Tuoi to the Jamtal Hut
Stage 4: Jamtal Hut to the Wiesbadener Hut
Stage 4a: Jamtal Hut to the Bielerhöhe
Stage 5: Wiesbadener Hut (or Bielerhöhe) to the Tübinger Hut
Stage 6: Tübinger Hut to Klosters Platz
Stage 6a: Tübinger Hut to Schlappin
Stage 6b: Schlappin to Klosters Dorf

Trek 2: The Prättigauer Höhenweg

Stage 1: Klosters Platz to Schlappin
Stage 2: Schlappin to St Antönien
Stage 3: St Antönien to the Carschina Hut
Stage 4: Carschina Hut to the Schesaplana Hut
Stage 5: Carschina Hut to Seewis

Trek 3: The Rätikon Höhenweg

Stage 1: St Antönien to the Carschina Hut
Stage 2: Carschina Hut to the Schesaplana Hut
Stage 3: Schesaplana Hut to Nenzinger Himmel
Stage 4: Nenzinger Himmel to the Douglass Hut
Stage 5: Douglass Hut to the Lindauer Hut
Stage 6: Lindauer Hut to the Tilisuna Hut
Stage 7: Tilisuna Hut to St Antönien

Hut to Hut

Route 1: Wiesbadener Hut – Rote Furka – Silvretta Hut
Route 2: Wiesbadener Hut – Litzner Sattel – Saarbrucker Hut
Route 3: Saarbrucker Hut – Schweizerlücke – Plattenjoch – Seetal Hut
Route 4: Schlappin – Schlappiner Joch – Gargellen
Route 5: St Antönien – Tilisunafürggli – Tilisuna Hut
Route 6: Tilisuna Hut – Plasseggenpass – Sarotla Joch – Gargellen
Route 7: Tilisuna Hut – Tilisunafürggli – Carschina Hut
Route 8: Carschina Hut – Drusator – Lindauer Hut
Route 9: Douglass Hut – Lünerkrinne – Heinrich-Hueter Hut
Route 10: Douglass Hut – Cavelljoch – Schesaplana Hut
Route 11: Douglass Hut – Totalp Hut
Route 12 Totalp Hut – Gamsluggen – Schesaplana Hut

The Huts

Appendix A  Useful Contacts
Appendix B  Language Notes and lossary
Appendix C  Further Reading

Index
 

Seasons

When snow has melted from the high passes and all the huts are open, the treks are best tackled from late June until the end of September.

Centres

Since these are multi-day routes there are no bases as such, but the treks either bein at, or pass through, Klosters, Lavin, St Antönien, Nenzinger Himmel and Brand.

Difficulty

No technical difficulty or special equipment will be required to tackle these routes under normal summer conditions, but the 7-8 day Tour of the Silvretta has several challenging and remote passes to cross and is suitable for experienced trekkers. The 5-day Prättigauer Höhenweg and 7-8 day Rätikon Höhenweg are both moderate.

Must See

Three great trekking routes among such peaks as Piz Buin, Piz Linard, Dreiländerspitz, Schesaplana, Sulzfluh and Drusenfluh, crossing the Vereina Pass, Furcletta, Pass Futschöl, Hochmaderer Joch, Gross Furgga, Verajöchl and Plasseggenpass, and visiting villages like Lavin, Guarda and St Antönien. The Silvretta has snowfields and glaciers, the Rätikon is limestone and almost dolomitic in grandeur.

All but a very small section of the Tour of the Silvretta Alps is found on the Kümmerley + Frey Wanderkarte, Unterengadin (Engiadina Bassa) map at 1:60,000 scale. The only section missing includes Klosters and Monbiel at the start and finish of the trek, but this is covered by the same publisher’s Prättigau-Albula sheet. Trails and huts are clearly marked in red on both maps, whose scale should be perfectly adequate for most occasions. Should you require greater detail, the DAV has produced an excellent 1:25,000 sheet covering all the Austrian side of the Silvretta, as well as a good proportion of the Swiss flank, under the heading Alpenvereinskarte 26 Silvrettagruppe.

Kümmerley + Frey’s Prättigau-Albula not only overlaps a section of the Tour of the Silvretta, it’s also ideal for trekkers following the Prättigauer Höhenweg where the whole route is covered.

The same sheet (Prättigau-Albula) includes all of the Rätikon Höhenweg, although if you plan to approach Nenzinger Himmel or Brand from the north, you will need an Austrian map such as Freytag & Berndt’s 1:50,000 scale WK374 which covers the Austrian flank of the Rätikon and Silvretta Alps as far east as the Fimbertal.

Available locally, a very fine map at a scale of 1:40,000 with the title Schesaplana Wanderkarte shows all the huts and footpaths highlighted in red (the Prättigauer Höhenweg is marked in green). On the reverse is a depiction of the main footpaths with estimated walking times between selected points. This sheet includes the whole of the Prättigauer Höhenweg trek and that of the Rätikon Höhenweg, but does not extend into the Silvretta range.

August 2019

Updates

Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.