Nationalpark-Panoramaweg

A gentle uphill path leaves Il Fuorn and passes the only hotel in the National Park. Crossing the south slope of Piz dal Fuorn you continue across scree slopes, through light stone pine forests and past the remainders of a lime kiln. Not only was limestone burnt here, but in the late middle ages, iron ore was also mined and melted down. This is where the name of the Ofen Pass comes from. It is based on the term fundaria for melting furnace or smelting works.

But things are different now: in the strictly protected, wild landscape of the Swiss National Park it is not permitted to walk off-trail, pick flowers, mow grass, kill animals or cut down trees. Also, there is no agricultural use of the land. The entire habitat and its natural processes such as fallen trees, avalanches and landslides are left untouched by human intervention.

A short descent takes you to the trough of the Ova da Val Ftur river. The route then continues to wind up a well-constructed trail to the Grimmels lookout. With some luck and patience, you might even spot marmots on the clearing. Through a larch and stone pine forest you now go downhill again. Cross the Ofen Pass road near the P3 parking lot and shortly thereafter a footbridge takes you across Spölschlucht gorge. Far below you can see the icy white-blue water flowing past. Now follows a steep, challenging ascent of about 900 altitude meters leading to bare Fuorcla Murter.

Part of the narrow path runs along a vertical cliff. Once on top, the views open up to the east and the west. In southwestern direction and towards the heart of the National Park there is nothing but rugged, untouched nature. Steep mountain slopes and rocky peaks are jutting out of the tree-covered valley. In the centre of this panorama is the bare rock and scree basin below Piz Serra and Piz Quattervals. A tour to Val Trupchun leads across the pass in between.

The last part of the tour descends to rugged Val Cluozza. The valley was made available to the emerging national park as early as 1909. Zigzagging over two large steps and a traverse in northern direction take you to today’s destination. Remote Chamanna Cluozza is the only hut open to the public in the National Park. The log cabin is beautifully situated on a terrace above the Ova da Cluozza river in the middle of a stone pine forest.