Daily Archives: 12 July 2016

July 12th

Itinerary:  Pfälzer Hut – Sücka – Triesenberg – Triesen

Distance:  17,5 km
Time: 4 hours 30 minutes (plus 20 minutes for the stops)
Vertical distance:  170 m uphill; 1580 m downhill

It rained a lot during the night. In the morning, it was no longer raining but the sky was overcast with lots of clouds hiding the peaks.  We decide to go down to the Rhine as directly as possible and leave the hut at 8.50 a.m.  After 2 hours walking, we reach the Berggasthaus Sücka where we hope to have at least a coffee.  A notice board announces that they are closed today due to a bereavement.  Interesting view of Steg – houses and barns around a large rectangle of cultivated fields (see photo).

A short climb followed by a small tunnel takes us to the slopes overlooking the Rhine 1000 meters lower down.  It is colder and there is still fog.  A good path takes us to Triesenberg where we get a little lost among the villas and a fitness trail.  It starts to rain slightly and we find the main road going down to Triesen in hairpin bends (no shortcuts or paths found, either on the map or in the field).  It starts raining more and more strongly and is soon pelting down hard. Sally called me from Balzers where she has just arrived and I asked her to pick us up.  Finally, we reach the first houses in Triesen and are able to shelter under trees, where Sally finds us, completely soaked, 1 km from the Rhine. We go to an inn for a snack and to dry out.

This marks the end of the mountain section between the Samnaun and the Rhine (Silvretta and Rätikon mountain ranges).  My thanks to those that accompanied me – Sonia Roschnik, David Hefti, Christoph Brändle and Walter Roschnik and especially to Sally for the logistics!

Photos:

1.  Steg, Liechtenstein
2.  First view of the Rhine