ReneKMueller.com: 2026: Grisons: Bivio - Septimer - Val Duana - Spluegen

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After good sleep, the moisture in and around the tent is like it has rained (but it didn't) - so I pack and wait a bit until the tent is more dry. I say goodbye to this "blessed" spot, somehow dear to me - and I descend from 2500m to 1800m slowly, entering the Valley of Safier / Safiental - another long winding valley I was curious to explore. I follow the narrow street and not the higher up hiking path, after some annoying re-ascend (not neccessary but signage hinted so), I descend to Safien Platz, with a small shop I get some bread and local cheese - I feel overheated, the temperature change was abrupt while I descended (from having a jacket and hat to remove both) and at 1300m the afternoon sun was strong heating up the entire valley - what a contrast to previous days with 5°C at night and now well over 20°C. After apprx. 1 hr further down but still hilly path - hiking north = sun in the back and not in the face - I find a good spot for tonight near Neukirch.

2026/07/28 09:20

◈ Safiental (Δ 2546m), 2026/07/28 09:23

◈ Safiental (Δ 2546m), 2026/07/28 09:24

◈ Safiental (Δ 2538m), 2026/07/28 09:28

◈ Safiental (Δ 2312m), 2026/07/28 09:57

◈ Safiental (Δ 2311m), 2026/07/28 09:57

◈ Safiental (Δ 2313m), 2026/07/28 09:59

◈ Safiental (Δ 2178m), 2026/07/28 10:13

◈ Safiental (Δ 2106m), 2026/07/28 10:21

◈ Safiental (Δ 2101m), 2026/07/28 10:23

◈ Safiental (Δ 1985m), 2026/07/28 10:34

◈ Safiental (Δ 1994m), 2026/07/28 10:39

◈ Safiental (Δ 1958m), 2026/07/28 10:48

◈ Safiental (Δ 1898m), 2026/07/28 10:55

◈ Safiental (Δ 1895m), 2026/07/28 10:57

◈ Safiental (Δ 1897m), 2026/07/28 10:57

◈ Safiental (Δ 1820m), 2026/07/28 11:24

◈ Safiental (Δ 1778m), 2026/07/28 12:09

◈ Safiental (Δ 1762m), 2026/07/28 12:14

◈ Safiental (Δ 1763m), 2026/07/28 12:18

◈ Safiental (Δ 1746m), 2026/07/28 12:22

◈ Safiental (Δ 1748m), 2026/07/28 12:25

◈ Thalkirch, Safiental (Δ 1728m), 2026/07/28 12:34

◈ Thalkirch, Safiental (Δ 1708m), 2026/07/28 12:43

◈ Thalkirch, Safiental (Δ 1737m), 2026/07/28 12:46

◈ Thalkirch, Camanaboda (Δ 1727m), 2026/07/28 12:55

◈ Camanaboda (Δ 1712m), 2026/07/28 13:09

◈ Camanaboda (Δ 1708m), 2026/07/28 13:12

◈ Camanaboda (Δ 1626m), 2026/07/28 13:33

◈ Inner Zalön, Safien Platz (Δ 1381m), 2026/07/28 15:07

◈ Dörfli, Safien Platz (Δ 1347m), 2026/07/28 15:17

2026/07/28 15:27

◈ Dörfli, Safien Platz (Δ 1336m), 2026/07/28 15:43

◈ Nüwchilcha Boda, Safiental (Δ 1272m), 2026/07/28 16:54

Very good sleep again, and I decide to get up and leave early, 7:00 departure and still a bit hilly along the river I reach Egschi, and turn right to a path on the slope and entirely in the forest, good for today where heat is climbing all over Switzerland, the 4th heatwave of this year here.

The mountain slope are steep, the path partially passable for a single car, but some passages are only as wide as to walk for a person - yet, some passages have tunnels, looking like handmade or very little machinery involved (hard to transport there) - very diverse forest sections all along and their distinct smell - after 2-3hrs I reach the first hamlets and the path turns into asphalt until Scombras, where the hiking path forks away from the street and becomes a nice gravel path again, decending from 950m to 650m through forest, but the wind is already hot, and some open field to traverse before I reach Bonaduz, the final destination of this hiking trip, it's nearly 30°C air temperature, and higher in the direct sun - and no public water fountain is running (!!), I still have 0.5L water left, but that's not enough.

2026/07/29 07:14

◈ Nüwchilcha Boda, Safiental (Δ 1308m), 2026/07/29 07:14

◈ Nüwchilcha Boda, Safiental (Δ 1270m), 2026/07/29 07:20

◈ Neukirch, Safiental (Δ 1239m), 2026/07/29 07:38

◈ Safiental (Δ 1220m), 2026/07/29 07:45

◈ Tenna (Δ 1206m), 2026/07/29 07:55

◈ Tenna (Δ 1193m), 2026/07/29 08:01

◈ Tenna (Δ 1195m), 2026/07/29 08:03

◈ Tenna (Δ 1223m), 2026/07/29 08:04

◈ Tenna (Δ 1182m), 2026/07/29 08:04

◈ Innerbärg, Tenna (Δ 1258m), 2026/07/29 08:17

◈ Innerbärg, Tenna (Δ 1259m), 2026/07/29 08:18

◈ Innerbärg, Tenna (Δ 1248m), 2026/07/29 08:25

◈ Innerbärg, Tenna (Δ 1233m), 2026/07/29 08:26

◈ Innerbärg, Tenna (Δ 1234m), 2026/07/29 08:31

◈ Usserbärg, Tenna (Δ 1217m), 2026/07/29 08:44

◈ Usserbärg, Tenna (Δ 1240m), 2026/07/29 08:45

2026/07/29 08:50

2026/07/29 08:53

2026/07/29 09:01

◈ Arezen (Δ 1223m), 2026/07/29 09:02

◈ Arezen (Δ 1232m), 2026/07/29 09:08

◈ Arezen (Δ 1223m), 2026/07/29 09:35

◈ Arezen (Δ 1208m), 2026/07/29 09:39

◈ Scardanal, Bonaduz (Δ 1193m), 2026/07/29 09:45

◈ Scardanal, Bonaduz (Δ 1191m), 2026/07/29 09:46

◈ Scardanal, Bonaduz (Δ 1144m), 2026/07/29 09:56

◈ Viauls, Bonaduz, 2026/07/29 11:09

The village turned off all public water fountains to preserve drinking water . . . . after weeks of little to no rain, they felt to do this. Luckely a shop is open to buy some chilled apple/water mix called Apfelschorle to hydrate myself sufficiently for the train back to home.

◈ Viauls, Bonaduz (Δ 732m), 2026/07/29 11:32

◈ Tamins (Δ 727m), 2026/07/29 11:36

◈ Viauls, Bonaduz (Δ 718m), 2026/07/29 11:45

◈ Viauls, Bonaduz (Δ 724m), 2026/07/29 11:47

Both the Pass da la Val da Roda (~2800m) and Safierberg (~2500m) were unlike other places I have been before and left a deep impression in me. The dramatic changes of temperature during the past week, from higher altitude to lower region and the start of another heatwave in Switzerland, the 4th of this year, and visiting an ordinary village like Bonaduz, residing beside the mighty Rhein river turning off their local water fountains to preserve water - the contrast of beauty and severity of the impact of climate change side by side.

That's it.

(End of Article)

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Content:

2026: Grisons: Bivio - Septimer - Val Duana - Spluegen - Safiental

Tuesday 2026/07/28: Safierberg (2483m) - Safien Valley - Safier Platz

Wednesday 2026/07/29: Safier Platz - Bonaduz

(Brief) Reflection