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ALP TRUPCHUN
Alp Trupchun was the first of two walks we did in
the Swiss National Park while staying in the village of
Susch.
Swiss National Park, located in the beautiful Engadine Valley
at the eastern end of the country, is Switzerland's only national park.
Although the area boasts its share of 3000+ meter peaks,
this is not the same panorama of rock and ice common in the more popular
destinations in the Bern or Valais Alps.
The Swiss National Park is, however, far more pristine, with no lifts
or other artificial devices to mar the landscape. Nor are there the
crowds of the more popular Swiss destinations. We hiked to
Alp Trupchun on 2 August 2003, the day after driving to Susch from
Geneva. The following morning we hiked to
Alp Grimmels
before driving back home to Geneva.
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Val Trupchun [318 Kb]
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From Susch it's a short drive south through Zernez to S-chanf, where
a narrow side road leads up Val Trupchun to a small parking area,
elevation 1660 meters.
The trail continues up Val Trupchun on a pleasant forest trail above
the south bank of the Ova da Varusch, reaching the Parkhütte Varusch
shortly after crossing the stream about 1.5 kilometers from the
trail head. The trail enters the park boundary soon after,
continuing to parallel the Ova da Varusch, crossing it twice
again, as it ascends to more open country.
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Alp Trupchun [197 Kb]
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The meadows of Alp Trupchun, elevation 2040 meters, are reached
about six kilometers from the trailhead. An old farmhouse, now
used by the park, stands by a rest area.
This is a popular spot for viewing wildlife, although all we saw
were a few marmots. Early morning and evening are the best times
to see the red deer and ibex which frequent the area when feeding.
There were a couple dozen people with optical devices ranging from
binoculars to high powered telescopes scanning the hills, but with
little success. We enjoyed a snooze in the meadows, then retraced
our steps back down the valley, stopping at the Parkhütte Varusch
for a refreshing beer before returning to our car.
After a shower and change of clothes back in Susch, we drove down
the Engadine to Scuol for some more sightseeing and supper.
Other stuff:
Other pictures
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