Alpine Passes Trail

Vrin is located at the furthermost end of the Val Lumnezia. The Vrin architect Gion A. Caminada played a key part in influencing its villagescape, which was awarded the Wakker Prize in 1998. One unusual building here is the "Stiva da morts" or "Parlour of the Dead" (2003), not far from Vrin's church. It is used for vigils and funerals of the older inhabitants of Vrin. From the village, your route mostly follows an asphalted road to reach Puzzatsch hamlet in a little over one hour. The road turns into a path here; continue across Alp Diesrut pasture to reach Diesrut Pass. This is where you get your first glimpse of the stunning Greina high plain.

Streams, high moorland and lakes are the distinctive features of this high plain, which is about six kilometers long and one kilometer wide. The Greina plain's uniquely diverse biotopes have earned it an entry in the Swiss Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments of National Importance. After crossing the pass, you lose about 250 meters of altitude to reach the plain. Since 2018, there has been a suspension bridge here, 65 meters long and with a height of up to 40 meters, built along the lines of a Nepalese rope bridge. It replaces the old route to the Terri hut, making the walk shorter and safer. You can already see the Terri hut, which is an inviting spot for a rest a little later on. As well as dozens of marmots, you will see families of ibex around the hut if you are in luck. The last conversion of the Terri hut was also carried out by Gion A. Caminada in 2008. Since then, it has had room for 110 guests.

Now comes a gentle ascent back onto the Greina plain. You walk past numerous brooks and lakelets and then, after about an hour, you cross the Rein da Sumvitg, the main stream – and now you are in the heart of the Greina plain. The awesome peaks of Piz Terri, Piz Greina and Pizzo Coroi tower over the plain. After a gentle descent, you are suddenly at the edge of a gorge: the Rein da Sumvitg has burrowed deep into the mountain over the years. A few meters further on, the hike crosses the border from Graubünden into Ticino, via Passo della Greina. This stage ends at the Capanna Scaletta (hut).