ViaSuworow
Overview
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Distance 23 km
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Duration 8 h 10 min
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Ascent 1650 m
Intro
From Elm the ViaSuworow continues over the Panixer pass, which led to Suvorov's troops suffering disastrous losses in the snow. The route leads through the Jetzbachschlucht gorge up to the pass and then over alp Mer and alp Ranasca down to Pigniu.
Description
An icy cold blizzard buffeted the tired and hungry soldiers’ faces with snow. The valley’s roads and fields were blanketed in white. Despite the iron discipline of the seventy-year-old General Suvorov, the soldiers had grown rowdy: they ripped out fences and used them as firewood, and threw hay on the road to feed their horses or use as bedding. They unleashed cattle and slaughtered it in alleyways. They tore the locals’ clothing from their bodies and the shoes from their feet.
The first section of their escape route, and thus the present-day hiking route, leads from Elm to Alp Jetz. In Elm, you will first walk past the Suvorov house, a baroque town house with painted facades where the general slept. With a view of the Tschingelhörner mountain chain with its famous Martinsloch rock window, the route climbs gently uphill to the Panzerpiste before the entrance to the valley at Jetzloch. In Suvorov’s day, farmers from Elm were forced to walk ahead of the Russians carrying lanterns to guide the way. Although the gradient was not steep, the path had already been churned up by mules, making it more difficult for the rearguard to march. Nowadays, this section is easy walking along gravel or even surfaced road.
After that comes a steeper climb. There are 350 metres or so of upward hiking to cover before you reach Jetz Oberstafel. When the Russian soldiers came here, the snow was ankle-deep. Heavy clouds and dark rock faces cast them into ghostly gloom and the man leading the way was barely visible. Dying of exhaustion, many of them could no longer stay on their feet. Others fell to their deaths when their horses slipped. Next there is another steep section climbing 250 metres, past the upper Jetzbach waterfall to Walenboden. By this point, the men – many of whom were half naked – were waist-deep in snow. By the time you reach Walenboden, you will have covered over half of the altitude. The valley is desolate. After Gurglen, you will pass by the little lake of Häxenseeli and arrive at the Panix Pass a short while later. You might like to look back into the valley and the jagged rock faces behind you. After that, you will enjoy far-reaching views of the Surselva and over dozens of mountain peaks in Grisons and Ticino. Although this route takes around five hours today, in Suvorov’s time it took an unbelievable 23 hours. Many soldiers did not make it before darkness fell over the pass. The weather eased off a little during the night. Several died where they lay due to frost and cold. The locals forced to lead the way sneaked away under cover of darkness.
Now the route carries on with the second leg of the escape route and the hike into the valley to Pigniu. The now leaderless marching column continued on their arduous journey at dawn. The soldiers were not blessed with the magnificent view of Hausstock, Ruchi, Muttenstock and over the Surselva mountains. The path leading over Carauns down to the Aua dil Mer stream is steep. In fact, it was so steep and slippery that hundreds of soldiers tripped and fell to their deaths over the towering rock face.
With Alp Mer behind you, next you will follow a beautiful stretch hugging the ledge of rock until you reach Alp Ranasca. The reservoir located there today will only be visible to you in certain parts. Shortly before you reach the Alp, the path will become a gravel road until you reach your destination for this leg. The remaining Russians did not arrive in Pigniu/Panix until the evening of 7 October 1799. 2,700 men lost their lives on the way from Elm to this point.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Elm
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Pigniu
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
2000 m
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| Ascent |
1650 m
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| Descent |
1300 m
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| Distance |
23 km
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| Duration |
8 h 10 min
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| Duration back |
7 h 45 min
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| Technical requirements |
Medium
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Season |
June - October
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| Theme |
Over a pass, With panoramic view
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Quick Facts
Route number
