or a bridge has been washed away – it will be necessary to wade through a torrent. Choose your crossing place with care, and only attempt the manoeuvre with caution.
When snowmelt raises stream levels and there are no bridges, it may be necessary to remove boots and wade through
The majority of trails are straightforward and well maintained, but if they are wet, covered with snow or skimmed with ice, there could be potentially dangerous sections calling for additional care. Remain alert throughout each day.
Where trails cross cattle-grazing pastures you may well find an electric fence barring your way. There is almost always a ‘gateway’ to enter or exit these pastures, with a rubber- or plastic-covered grip to enable you to unhook a section of wire and pass through without receiving a minor shock. Always re-attach these behind you.
As mentioned above, accommodation will mostly be in mountain huts or the occasional berghaus, each of which is manned throughout the summer. Meals are provided for those who stay overnight, as well as snacks and/or packed lunches to eat on the trail, thus enabling trekkers to travel light, unencumbered by large rucksacks. Backpacking and wild camping are not options here; Alpine trekking is a delight of small sacks, big horizons and the conviviality of a cosy hut at night.
Note that on practically every stage of the treks in this guide, there will be no opportunities to buy refreshments (food or drink) between leaving the hut in the morning and arriving at the next one later in the day. Before setting out for the day make sure you have enough provisions to sustain you on your walk.
Please be considerate when making a toilet stop while on trek. Keep well away from water sources, burn used toilet paper and bury faeces as effectively as possible. Remote buildings or ruins should not be used as public toilets; they could serve as a shelter from storm by a shepherd, other walkers – or yourself. Please leave no litter, but take packaging with you for proper disposal in a village or town out of the mountains.
Clothing and equipment
On the final stage of the Silvretta tour, trekkers contemplate the wild upper reaches of the Seetal (Trek 1, Stage 6)
What you select in regard to clothing and equipment could be crucial to your comfort and enjoyment. Weight is an important factor; carry too much and you’ll regret it on every uphill trail, so choose with care and pare your load down to a minimum. With plenty of versatile and durable lightweight equipment available, there’s no point in using a heavier alternative, and it should be possible to limit your load to about 8–9kg (17–20lbs).
As camping is not an option on any of these treks, a conventional sleeping bag will not be required, although you will need a sheet sleeping bag (sleeping bag liner) for use in mountain huts – blankets and pillows are provided. Silk liners are much lighter and easier to pack than the cotton variety. As for what to wear and to have spare, one complete change of clothing should be sufficient, for it’s usually possible to wash and dry clothing overnight.
Experienced trekkers will have their own tried-and-tested favourites, but the following list may be useful.
2 shirts, 2 T-shirts, 2 pairs trousers, 3 pairs underwear, 3 pairs socks, 1 pair lightweight sandals or crocs (for indoor wear).
Boots should fit well, be comfortable and tested on long walks before leaving home. They need to provide sound ankle support and have thick cleated soles with plenty of grip. For early-season trekking a pair of lightweight crampons or microspikes could be useful. Change your socks daily to avoid discomfort.
Good waterproofs are essential, not only for protection against rain, but to double as windproofs. Jacket and overtrousers made from a ‘breathable’ fabric are recommended, as is a lightweight collapsible umbrella – indispensable for those who wear glasses.
Even in mid-summer conditions can turn wintry above 2000m on sunless or windy days, so a fleece or pile jacket should also be taken, plus a warm hat and gloves. (One of the simplest and most effective ways of regulating body temperature is to either wear or remove your hat and gloves.)
In addition to protection against inclement weather, it is essential to avoid overexposure to extremes of sunshine and heat – the intensity of ultraviolet rays increases by ten per cent with every 1000m of height gained. A brimmed hat, ultra-high factor suncream, lipsalve and sunglasses should therefore be taken.
Carry a first aid kit, water bottle (1 litre minimum capacity), guidebook, map, compass, headtorch with spare batteries and bulb, and a whistle. Also a penknife and emergency food.
Take a lightweight towel and personal toiletries (plus toilet paper and lighter), and a sheet sleeping bag for use in huts and dormitories.
Telescopic trekking poles have many uses, including aid when crossing streams or snow slopes; they help maintain balance on uneven ground and ease the strain on legs during steep descents, of which there will be many.
Your rucksack needs to fit comfortably, with the waist belt adjusted to take the weight and eliminate unnecessary movement when walking. A waterproof cover is highly recommended, and a large thick polythene bag in which to store your spare clothing and gear inside the rucksack will safeguard items from getting damp in the event of bad weather. A selection of plastic bags of assorted sizes will also be useful.
Non-essential items you might consider carrying include a camera (plus spare batteries) – but keep it lightweight – and a notebook and pen to record your experiences. For many outdoors folk a GPS is a must-have item – but this should not be an alternative to map and compass, which you ought to know how to use. A mobile phone could be useful in an emergency – if you can get a signal, that is.
Recommended maps
All but a very small section of the Tour of the Silvretta Alps is found on the Kümmerley + Frey Wanderkarte, Unterengadin (Engiadina Bassa) map at 1:60,000 scale. The only section missing includes Klosters and Monbiel at the start and finish of the trek, but this is covered by the same publisher’s Prättigau-Albula sheet. Trails and huts are clearly marked in red on both maps, whose scale should be perfectly adequate for most occasions. Should you require greater detail, the DAV has produced an excellent 1:25,000 sheet covering all the Austrian side of the Silvretta, as well as a good proportion of the Swiss flank, under the heading Alpenvereinskarte 26 Silvrettagruppe.
Kümmerley + Frey’s Prättigau-Albula not only overlaps a section of the Tour of the Silvretta, it’s also ideal for trekkers following the Prättigauer Höhenweg where the whole route is covered.
The same sheet (Prättigau-Albula) includes all of the Rätikon Höhenweg, although if you plan to approach Nenzinger Himmel or Brand from the north, you will need an Austrian map such as Freytag & Berndt’s 1:50,000 scale WK374 which covers the Austrian flank of the Rätikon and Silvretta Alps as far east as the Fimbertal.
Available locally, a very fine map at a scale of 1:40,000 with the title Schesaplana Wanderkarte shows all the huts and footpaths highlighted in red (the Prättigauer Höhenweg is marked in green). On the reverse is a depiction of the main footpaths with estimated walking times between selected points. This sheet includes the whole of the Prättigauer Höhenweg trek and that of the Rätikon Höhenweg, but does not extend into the Silvretta range.
Safety in the mountains
