A further day at the centers of our world
The small hiking bus had arrived at Lai da Vons just in time. It was pouring rain on the way down the valley, and the young bus driver did his best to strike a good balance between speed and caution on the narrow mountain road. René HB9CRY and I had activated the Muttans summit. We wanted to catch the connecting bus to Thusis down in Sufers and were already running a bit late.
We had already seen the previous day on the MeteoSwiss weather app that thunderstorms and heavy rain were forecast. So we wanted to complete the mountain hike and the activation quickly, preferring to be back down by the lake a little early. We had exactly five hours to do so. If necessary, we’d be able to take shelter under the roof of an alpine hut nearby.
Forty minutes before departure, we were back down and stretching our legs. Two mountain farmers, working together as a team, were bringing in their last hay in no time at all. Dark clouds loomed overhead, and the wind was picking up slightly. But we had plenty of time to talk about a few highlights of our hike and have a snack.
René HB9PIM had been on the summit some time ago, ascending from the east from the valley near Andeer. Manuel HB9DQM had tackled the steep trail from the south, heading from the main road to Lai Lung. We had a different idea, one that still seemed a bit of a gamble to us. I had happened to spot a bus stop at Lai da Vons on the Swisstopo map – west of the summit, at 2,000 meters above sea level. Could that be for real?
The bus stop turned out to be a hiking bus operated by the regional tourism organization. During the high season in July and August, it runs at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. More information and the full schedule are available on the Viamala Tourism website: https://busalpin.ch/regionen/beverin/sommer . A one-way ticket costs CHF 15. With a Swiss half-fare travelcard or a GA card, it’s half price.
I had drawn our track on the MapOut app. The start was at 1,970 m and the finish at 1,996 m. Wow: an elevation gain of just 26 meters? No, not quite. There was still a ridge between us and Muttans. First, a 160-meter climb, then a 307-meter descent to Alp Durnan, and finally another 176-meter climb. So, along the day, it turned out to be a substantial hike with a total elevation gain of 650 meters. Accordingly, the elevation profile of our hike looked like a sine curve.
For the descent to Alp Durnan, MapOut showed a maximum gradient of 38% over a 500-meter stretch. That’s probably not walk in the park! There’s a marked hiking trail all the way to Alp Durnan. The final portion to Muttans is unmarked, though the Swisstopo map shows a trail between the rock ridges in the middle section. We prepared for the hike with the help of a video by René, HB9PIM. René also uploaded a GPX file to the summit page, which was helpful to us during the final ascent.
All of these factors made the hike somewhat challenging. The estimated time of 1 hour and 15 minutes was too optimistic. We needed an extra half hour in both directions. Usually, the return trip from the summit to the trailhead is an easy thing, and you can save time on the way back. That was not possible here.
A view of the route from Lai da Vons to the Muttans summit is available from the Swisstopo map:
We set off. The easiest section was right at the start – the trail to the lake. Lai da Vons lies picturesquely in a wide valley. You can even fish there and enjoy your day. Behind the lake, the next mountain range rises. The Swiss Alpine Club’s Cufercal hut is also located over there.
In earlier times, this secluded charming spot was even fortified for military purposes in World War II, because mountain infantry could use it to bypass the valley road. A look at the Crestawald Fortress Museum’s website confirms this. Last traces are visible even today.
Nearby the middle of the lake, the real climb begins. The trail crosses the ridge more or less straight from west to east. It’s well-maintained and never exposed. After the highest point, there are two sections with a fairly gentle descent. But then things get serious. The steep section demands your full attention but remains viable. Along the way through the forest, there are repeated magnificent views down towards the farm Alp Durnan and also to the final ascent to Mt. Muttans.
Down by the alp, their animals are grazing, and you can also buy drinks and farm products from the farmers. The farm can also be reached by bicycle on a long and small restricted road from Andeer. We climbed over the fence right behind the houses and walked up the pasture. With the GPX trail as our guide, we had no trouble finding the start of the middle section. The path to the summit is marked there with several red dots what was helpful.
Muttans Hill is forested. Sparse stands of pine trees reward the SOTA activator at the summit. In the summer, it smells simply wonderful up there! The summit itself, however, is the only SOTA summit under 2,000 meters in the immediate vicinity. For radio operations, it’s therefore better to rely on shortwave operation.
With the steep ascent back from Alp Durnan in mind, we kept our sessions fairly short and operated only on 40 m. The radio conditions were typical for the summer period. Some QSO partners reported deep QSB between “very loud” and “nothing.” A few hunters were also incredibly loud on our end, e.g. Hans, HB9BQU, with a signal strength of 59+20.
For me, it was a special day. The six points of Mt. Muttans were exactly enough for my fifth mountain goat. So during some QSOs, you could hear the happy bleating of the new goat. And I’m still having a lot of fun with Summits on the Air, so I’ll keep going. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this wonderful success!
We took the same trails on the way back to the hiking bus. By then, we were familiar with the route and knew where we’d have to push ourselves. The steepest climbs were again in the forest, but not all of them. At the top of the rocky ridge, we were rewarded with a pleasant breeze. But we could also clearly see that bad weather was on its way. With a bit of luck, we managed to stay dry. And that brings us back to the beginning of this report!
René HB9CRY runs his own platform called “SOTA Trails” where a report featuring numerous beautiful photos has also been published to see more of this nice place: https://sotatrails.ch/HB/GR-295
“Medium te mundi posui ut circumspiceres”
A further day at the centers of our world. The center is simply right where we are. More than 500 years ago, the Italian philosopher Pico della Mirandola said: “I have placed you at the center of the world so that from there you may more easily look around and see what the world has to offer.” With five Mountain Goats around me, I’ve seen countless centers of the world around my summits over the past nine-plus years – places I otherwise would hardly have seen at all. I’m looking forward to the next adventures and hope that I’ll be able to keep looking around with curiosity for a long time to come. And I’m counting on all of you to keep participating as well! Enjoy.
Vy 73 de Markus, HB9DIZ
V.