National Park: Grimmels (circular hike)

An ideal hike for families. Following the traces of the pack animals, it goes away from today’s pass road along the former mule track from Zernez towards Ofenpass. Usually, this route is one of the first that can be walked in the spring in the Swiss National Park. It then convinces with a richness of blooming flowers in the meadows. The ungulates also still stay at lower elevations at this time of year. From Champlönch, it goes via Alp Grimmels, a magnificent viewpoint, and back by other paths.

Note: Bringing dogs is not permitted in the Swiss National Park, not even on a leash. Further information as well as all protection rules can be found at nationalpark.ch/schutzbestimmungen.

From parking lot 1 to the turnoff to Alp Grimmels, the route follows the virtual children's trail Champlönch of the Swiss National Park. Using a GPS-supported app, families learn a lot of exciting things about the national park along this stretch. The app is available on the website nationalpark.ch. Furthermore, the National Park Center in Zernez offers a booklet including an audio CD for the children's trail Champlönch.

Right at parking lot 1 on the Ofenpassstrasse and the PostBus stop «Champlönch (P1)» (1838 m above sea level) the hiking trail begins. First, the path ascends to the east, then it follows a small gully to the elongated Alp Champlönch. Here the former route crossed the Ofenpass, before the present road alignment was chosen in the 19th century. The path passes a small marsh fed by springs. One of the streams is collected in old troughs that used to serve as drinking places for herds passing by. To the east of the Champlönch meadow (2015 m above sea level), the trail branches off southwards to Alp Grimmels. The other path leads to Il Fuorn (see route «Champlönch»). Through a mixed forest, the route reaches the forest-fringed meadow of Alp Grimmels (2050 m above sea level), often used as a feeding place by deer, roe deer, and chamois. The foundations of the former alpine building in the middle of the meadow provide shelter for vipers. The surrounding meadows are inhabited by numerous marmots. After Alp Grimmels, the route climbs a few more meters higher and then leads through a shallow hollow between Muottas da Grimmels and Muottas Champlönch, before descending northwest through quite steep terrain. On the Bügliets meadow (1981 m above sea level), the foundations of an earlier alpine building can also be seen. After Bügliets, in the forest of Las Crastatschas, a junction offers the possibility of a variant: the path south leads to parking lot 3 and the PostBus stop «Vallun Chafuol (P3)». To the north, it continues to the former parking lot 2, and somewhat above the road back to the starting point.