Zernez - Chamanna Cluozza

General Notes:

Altitude Difference: 700 m

Time: 3h (However in 2h we can reach the refuge))

Phisical Effort: Normal

Difficulty: E

Description:

Chamanna Cluozza is a beautiful refuge, located within the Swiss National Park, a protected area among the largest in the Alps, in a completely uncontaminated environment where man does not carry out any activity, trees if fallen are not cut and everything is left to nature, except for the paths that are however limited.

Attention to enter the park there are some rules that CAN NOT be broken and especially concerns dogs, in fact dogs can not absolutely enter even on a leash, for them there is an absolute ban to enter inside the protected area.

Given these premises, the route is very suggestive and highly recommended to better admire the park. The departure takes place from Zernez, a small village in the lower Engadine that is 30km from Cica Sankt Moritz, but fast to reach thanks to a beautiful road, pay attention only where the limits are placed, in order to avoid fines. Once in Zernez we will not park in the village, but we will take the road to Livigno and the Fuorn Pass and as soon as we pass the village we will find on our right a large parking lot near a beautiful wooden bridge.

The departure takes place from this parking lot, we will overcome the wooden bridge and begin to climb along a dirt road, following the signs and signs.

The first part, for about 10', develops along this dirt road until slowly it will become a path and will enter the beautiful fir forest and the national park.

Signs and signs are abundant and making mistakes is almost impossible.

The climb is quite challenging, the slopes are always medium high and there is no moment in which it is possible to re-climb, however in no time we walk the 630m of altitude difference, as you may have noticed we would still miss 70m of altitude difference, but we will walk them at the end.

In fact, the end of the climb takes place near a series of signs, on the left that of the park, while on the right of the signs that indicate Zernez and Bellavista.

From now we will face a first, albeit short, flat stretch where we can also see the refuge, located on the opposite side of the valley; it seems strange, but we will begin to face a fairly long descent about 300 m in altitude, until we reach the river at the bottom of the valley and then go up from the opposite side, in some sections we will also find wooden bridges, where the path has disappeared due to some landslides.

This descent, long enough, we will have to consider when returning, because we will be forced to face it uphill and can be difficult for those who are already tired.

At the end of the descent we will reach the Ova Cluozza that we will cross thanks to a beautiful wooden bridge, and then start again to face the last meters of climb that lead us to the refuge.

The refuge, very characteristic since it is made only of wood and glass, is a beautiful destination from which you can admire the beautiful panorama that surrounds us and above all we can admire the ungulates and eagles that inhabit the valley.