Itinerary: Alp Trida Skihaus (2261 m) – Alp Bella – Grübelekopf (2894 m) – Flimjoch (2757 m) – Alptrider Sattel – pt 1748 m on main road 2 km below Samnaun village
Distance: 18,9 km
Time: 6 hours 10 minutes (plus 45 minutes for the stops)
Vertical distance: 1230 m uphill; 1740 m downhill
Partly cloudy in the morning, better in the afternoon. The road up to Alp Trida needed a special permit from the municipality of Compatsch, which took some time. So it was another late start (9.40 a.m.). The road was untarred and steep in places. Sally was terrified driving down again and swore she would never do such roads again. So I had to allow time to descend into the valley. However, all went smoothly, the only problem was finding the right path when most red and white markers were hidden under snow on the way across to the Flimjoch. I was there shortly after 2 p.m. but there was no time to do the next summit (Bürkelkopf, 3033 m, steep scree, with a lot of snow at the top, guidebook time 1 hour up) and get down again before dark. Once again, I saw nobody all day, except 2-3 workers at the Alptrider Sattel checking ski lifts and cable cars to be ready for the ski season.
Night: Hotel Post, Samnaun
Photos:
1. View from summit of Grübelekopf, looking south
2. Signpost at Flimjoch