Aug 7, Tue: the Silvretta Alps (4 day trek)

I have 5 days left before returning. How to make the most of it? I read about a remote, beautiful area called the Silvretta Alps and selected a suggested 4-day trek that hit several of the main passes and Swiss huttes.

• Train from Zurich to Landquart, then a small local train to Klosters. This is located just below Lichtenstein on the Swiss border to Austria.


• Bought a local topog map of the region and had them point me in the right direction.


• On the trail by 11am.


• Klosters (1100m) to Schwendi to Alp Sparra to Alp Sardasca (1648m) and finally up to the Silvretta Hutte (2341m). This is at the foot of the Silvrettagletcher (glacier). Hiking in clouds most of the way and just beat an oncoming storm at the time I hit the hut.
• Met a family (dad, mom, 10 yr old son) coming down out of the high pastures next to the hut where they tended their cows. Fun chatting with them.

• Also met 2 ladies (pic), one who has a somewhat unique summer job. The lady on the left resides in a very small 1-person hut about 600m up the trail from the Silvretta Hutte. Her daily routine is to take her daypack and notepage and do a head-count of all 140 cows that reside in this valley. Every cow has an ear tag with a number. She often needs to whistle or chase some of them off the more dangerous higher slopes where they have drifted. The weather can be real interesting up here (like very thick clouds, storms, etc.). One tough lady.


• 47Francs, inc. breakfast.
• Forecast- possible snow on the pass the next day. Darn. Need to rethink the plan a bit.
  
  9.5 miles and 4300 feet ascend.