Exploratour – geführte Wanderung

Africa, Europe, Asia – today separated, but once united: around 250 million years ago, they formed the primordial continent Pangaea. But deep inside the earth, enormous forces were at work. They pulled this supercontinent apart like tough dough. The earth's crust became thinner, sank, seawater poured in – a new, shallow ocean basin was created.

This dramatic history of the earth can still be experienced impressively on the Exploratour today. On the hike from the Julier Pass, through the Val d'Agnel and over the Fuorcla digl Leget (2711 m) we immerse ourselves in a fascinating geological journey through time. We start on the African continental margin and towards the end of the tour in Val Natons we reach the exposed bottom of the former primeval sea (Thetys).

Here's what you can discover along the way:

• Roman cart tracks, over 2000 years old – engraved deep in the rock
• Breccias – angular chunks of rock formed when the continent was torn apart
• Limestone from a primeval tropical sea, rich in tiny fossils
• Dolomite of the Corn Alv – a gigantic CO₂ reservoir in the history of the earth
• Rock formations such as the natural rock gate "The Kiss", formed by weathering
• Permafrost and serpentinite, which impogate water and create habitats

This hike is more than exercise in nature – it is a look into the depths of space and time.

Leader: Christian Gloor, Parc Ela Guide and hiking guide