Via Capricorn (day 1)
I did this hike on the 6th of September, 2024. It was the first of two days hiking on Via Capricorn. This hiking route is originally three days long, but I only had two days and chose stage 3 (this hike) and 1 (day 2), as they looked the most interesting. I stayed over at a really nice small B&B in Wergenstein, where I was the only guest.
Full route: Swisstopo
I started the hike in Turra, which I reached by train and bus from Zurich. The first few kilometers of the hike was almost flat, and went further into the valley. It was a really nice calm start to the morning, and the landscape reminded me of Iceland or the Faroe Islands.
Once at the end of the valley, I turned off the main trail to follow the hiking path leading up to Farcletta digl Lai Grand, the small pass I would cross over. As I moved up on the trail, the views just became more and more stunning. There was already a faint hint of autumn colors in the landscape, which I love.
After the first steeper part, I entered the plateau. I took a break by a small lake, where I had great views to the rogged peaks of Grauhörner in the background. The path over the plateau was only gently inclining up towards the pass, so it was a very pleasant part. There is a lookout post here as well, where you can get information on the different animals to see in the area.
The reason I had chosen this hike was the possibility to see ibexes. There is a large ibex colony living in this area, and just before I reached the pass, the whole colony (30+ ibexes) walked past me on the other side of a smaller depression in the landscape. It was such an amazing experience and I still can’t believe my luck. From here, I continued the last short part up to the pass, where I had another break.
Although a cloudy day, the views when I started walking down on the other side of the pass, were absolutely stunning. I could see really far into Graubünden, and the colors of the sky and landscape were so beautiful.
The trail on the second half of the hike was quite easy and not steep. It was a very pleasant walk down, past rockformations and smaller rivers. I only met a few other hikers on the trail the entire day, and it was generally very calm.
On the last part down to Wergenstein, the trail turns into a gravel road, some places a bit steeper, but very easy to walk on. Along this part, I had a nice overview of the area I had just walked through and the mountain peaks closer to the pass.
I made my way the last part to Wergenstein and found the B&B where I had booked an overnight stay. It was run by a really nice lady, and I was the only guest so I had everything to myself. After a long shower, I spend some time relaxing on my balcony and enjoying the views, before having dinner and good nights sleep.
