The Schanfigger Höhenweg with the starting point Chur circumnavigates the entire valley of the Schanfigg and can be completed in six days.
background
The Schanfigger Höhenweg leads from Chur on a high route Tschiertschen to Arosa and back to Chur on the north side of the valley, it is classically divided into six daily stages.
preparation
First of all, it must be clarified whether the weather and snow conditions (there is residual snow at high altitudes until June) permit the tour; Maps of the Swiss national topography are available, an individual map section can be ordered printed as "MySwissMap" or the maps can be found on the website of Switzerland as a hiking country can be viewed.
For most of the accommodations, prior reservation is necessary as the availability of beds is limited.
getting there
The suggested starting point is the train station Chur, Of course, the route can also be started as a round trip from other stage locations (e.g. Arosa) or shortened to one or more daily stages.
Here we go...
Chur - Passugg - Tschiertschen, 
, about 4 hours
, about 4 hours
From the suggested starting point, the 1 Chur train station take the path through Bahnhofstrasse and Poststrasse to cross the old town, this part is signposted as Route 64. When you reach the Plessur river, follow the Plessurquai upstream and cross it 2 Plessure at the RhB Sand depot. Behind the crematorium, the little road climbs a little, then a footpath leads back to the banks of the Plessur.
You get to the road to Meiersboden - Passug, cross the Rabiosa stream. Of the 3 Postbus stop Rabiosabrücke from one can more leisurely over the hamlet 1 But Get to Passugg with the old Kurhaus, today the building is used by the hotel management school. Alternatively, from the Rabiosabrücke you can take a steep footpath up to Passugg, Route 64 is signposted here.
From Passugg, follow the route signs 43 (You don't want to be on the 64 in the Lenzerheide or on Septimer pass ends) and reaches the hamlet on an uphill path 2 Untergrida and Obergrida. We continue on a gravel road in the direction of Usser Praden. After the clearing of 4 Ricaldei a footpath leads down into the 5 Steinbachtobel, the Steinbach is crossed on stepping stones (be careful with high water!). After a few steps on the opposite slope, you gain height and get to it 3 Usser Praden.
Follow the canton road 4 Inner Praden, the reformed church from 1642 is worth seeing here, the oldest organ in the canton of Graubünden is located here. After leaving the village, the path branches off at a steep angle ("back" in a south-westerly direction). After an ascent, there is a hairpin at 6 Dürregga almost reached the height. The path leads through a sparse larch forest over a stretch parallel to the cantonal road. The last ten minutes to the center of 5 Tschiertschen you go on the cantonal road.
Tschiertschen - Ochsenalp - Arosa, , approx. 4½ hours
A paved road leads up over the upper village, a corridor road leads further up to the houses of the hamlet 6 Clues. The path crosses the 7 Alpbach and leads through the sparse lead forest to 8 Solver bridge.
over 9 gate the path leads on the flank of the Weisshorn up to the Ochsenalp with an inn.
- 1 Bergbeizli Ochsenalp, Ochsenalp, 7050 Arosa. Tel.: 41 (0)81 377 42 31, Email: [email protected].
On the 10 Red kick, a vantage point with a great view over the Schanfigg to the Chur Rhine Valley, the path continues up to the 11 Prätschalp.
- 2 Prätschalp Beizli. Tel.: 41 (0)79 669 54 41. Seasonally operated mountain economy.
The descent begins here, the path leads past the upper Prätschsee down to Arosa - Maran. From there it goes on 12 Squirrel Path to the valley station of the Tschuggenbahn and to the center of Arosa to the Obersee.
Arosa - Medergen - Jatz (Langwies), , about 4 hours
Of Arosa, the south bank of the Obersee, take the Unterseestrasse to 13 Submarine. The little street crosses under the line of the Rhaetian Railway and leads to the 14 Isel reservoir.
The path leads along the eastern bank of the reservoir and then climbs right up to the one that is cultivated in summer 1 Furggenalp. Through the Tieja forest and across the 15 Tiejaalp you get to the alp 16 Tschuggen. In the nearby Arosa Naturfreundehaus there is an overnight option for self-cookers. Without a great difference in altitude, you can then gallop to Medergen, so you can stop off at the Alpenrose inn.
- 1 Arosa House of Friends of Nature. Tel.: 41 (0)76 445 79 74. Three multi-bed rooms, kitchen for self-catering, telephone reservation necessary.
- 3 Restaurant Alpenrose, Medergen, Medergen, 7057 Langwies. Tel.: 41 (0)81 374 21 57. Quaint guest house in the Walser settlement of Medergen.
The path now rises again and circles the Wangegg. From 17 Seeljiboden two routes are possible to continue hiking.
The easier route descends to Jatz, into the Sapüntal. There is a good place to stay at the Heimeli mountain inn.
- 2 Heimeli mountain inn, 7057 Sapün. Tel.: 41 (0)81 374 21 61.
The more demanding one Mountain route is reserved for more experienced mountain hikers and may only be climbed in favorable weather conditions. 
The path first climbs over the Chüpfer Alp and overcomes the 18 Kick the ridge between Mederger Flue and Chüpfenflue, sure-footedness is required here. Via the Hinter Latschüel you get to the transition to the 19 Latschüelfurgga and then along the slope to the 20 Strela Lake and 21 Strela Pass, in the guest house you can eat and spend the night.
- 3 Strela Pass, Strelapass, Davos. Tel.: 41 (0)81 415 52 67, Email: [email protected]. Mountain inn with rooms.
Jatz (Langwies) / Strelapass - Weissfluhjoch - Strassberg , 5 hours
Those who have taken the easier route through the Sapüntal will start the fourth stage with a challenge, the ascent from Jatz to the Strela Pass.
Of From Jatz the path follows the Hauptertalibach; after 1.8 km and an altitude of 200 meters this is crossed and in a steep zigzag path it goes up another 250 m to the Strela Pass. Here the route joins the mountain route described above, which leads over the Tritt and the Latschüelfurgga to the Strela Pass.
Now one takes the partly carved into the rock resp. expanded with galleries 22 Rock path and, hiking far above the Hauptertali, reaches the practically vegetation-free Totalptal and climbs to the top 23 Watershed on. On the right is the Weissfluhjoch, on the left the Weissfluh summit, both of which can be hiked as a detour; they are connected by a cable car. (If the Felsenweg is closed, you can hike from the Strelapass on the Panoramaweg to the Höhenweg stop and take the Parsennbahn up to the Weissfluhjoch.)
Take the path towards Grünsee, which follows the masts of the Schiferbahn, but then to the left in the direction 24 Casanna Pass turns (to the right / northeast) one would go to Serneus resp. Monastery reach.
You pass this to the right of the summit of the Seehorn 25 Weather hole and rises to the 26 Grünsee from. From there the 27 Duranna Pass reached quickly, it forms the watershed ins Prättigau. The path turns west, past the 2 Duranna Beizli one slowly descends to Strassberg. Here the mountain inn offers itself as an overnight and stopover location.
- 4 Mountain inn Strassberg, Strassberg, 7054 Langwies. Tel.: 41 (0)81 374 22 32.
Strassberg - Berghaus Hochwang , 3 ½ hours
Behind the hamlet of Strassberg, the path climbs slowly on the right side of the valley and soon reaches the Casanna ski house, where there is an alternative overnight option.
- 5 Casanna ski house, 7057 Fondei / Langwies. Tel.: 41 (0)81 374 20 82. Accommodation in twelve simple rooms, heated hot tub on request; Half board.Open: open in the summer and winter seasons.
The path now climbs into the 28 Blackter Fürggli and then runs at the top, from Tamial through a boggy area with heather, alpine roses and blueberries. On the 29 Zalünja - Alp benches invite you to rest. The Hochwang ski house is reached after a short downhill stretch.
- 6 Hochwang ski house, 7028 St. Peter - Pagig. Tel.: 41 (0)79 282 64 47, Email: [email protected]. Ski and mountain house with accommodation in three dormitories.
- 7 Sporthotel Tanne, Fatschel, 7028 St. Peter. Tel.: 41 (0)81 374 16 85, Email: [email protected]. Reached after an hour's descent from Akihaus Hochwang.
Berghaus Hochwang - Chur
, just under 6 hours
From the Berghaus Hochwang you can take the Panoramaweg to Triemel at the height of the Hochwangbahn mountain station, which is in operation on Saturday and Sunday in summer.
- 4 Triemel mountain restaurant, Triemelstrasse 126a, 7028 St. Peter. Tel.: 41 (0)81 374 16 33, Email: [email protected].
Behind the Triemel restaurant, the path climbs a little, it continues past blueberry bushes at the top and crosses several streams. At the huts of 30 Bargun there is the possibility to descend to Castiel.
The way leads to 31 Lafet (Here, too, you can descend on a tar road to Castiel) now a bit exposed and partly secured with chains as a handrail into the Castieler Tobel and climbs up 32 Crossing of the brook again to 33 Huts to reach.
On a gravel road it goes down to 7 Balnettis, the footpath shortens some of the hairpin bends in the driveway. You can go to Balnettis on the street 8 Calfreisen get off and take the bus to Chur.
The high path branches off to the right, runs at the same height and crosses the two streams of the Calfreisertobel on stepping stones, here partly secured by ropes as handrails. The former mule track leads straight down through the sparse forest 9 Maladers. There is also a post bus connection from here to Churif you want to save yourself the descent.
The Höhenweg leaves the village of Maladers above the cemetery and leads over the hamlet of Tumma, at the houses of Brandacker and the bus stop, it crosses the cantonal road and continues through the forest. As a gravel road it leads through the episcopal vineyard and past the seminary, then past the 34 cathedraland the Rhaetian Museum in the old town of Chur.
security
Most of the Schanfigger Höhenweg is easy to walk on for hikers who are used to the mountains, but always bear in mind that you are moving in the high mountains and sudden weather changes and precipitation, which can trigger rockfalls, can be dangerous. Cell phone coverage is also not given at every point of the hike, you may have to look for an exposed location at an altitude in order to be able to establish a telephone connection. The REGA app makes it possible to call for help, the coordinates are automatically inserted into a telephone equipped with GPS.
The mountain route from the Seebjiboden over the Tritt to the Strelapass and the passages through Castieler Tobel and Calfreiser Tobel, in which mountain streams have to be crossed on stepping stones and the path is exposed on steep slopes, place increased demands on the surefootedness. For the route to the Strela Pass, a less exposed route via Jatz is described, on the last stage you can descend into the valley early and bypass the difficult sections of the route.
A rain cover, drinking water and a snack are always part of the equipment for mountain tours in addition to hiking boots suitable for the mountains.
trips
Literature / web links
- Hiking map 1: 33`333, Arosa - Davos 3309 T or 1: 50,000, Prättigau 248 T or national map 1: 25,000 Arosa 1196 der Swiss national topography
- Information about the Schanfigger Höhenweg on the website for Tschiertschenwww.friiischtailer.ch
- Information about the Schanfigger Höhenweg on the website www.wandersite.ch
- A printed brochure on the Schanfigger Höhenweg was previously available from Schanfigg Tourismus
