Trin Mulin – Ruinaulta – Valendas (GRF)

While the Senda Sursilvana runs high above the anterior Rhine, the Ruin'Aulta, its counterpart, is laid out mostly along the Rhine. In the 1980s, the Graubünden Association for Hiking Trails (BAW) started to dig and connect paths so that one can hike from Trin Mulin along the Rhine to Ilanz and from there further upstream. This route has since been used by countless hikers; it has the advantage that you can always abort the hike and return by the Rhaetian Railway.

The great Rhine Gorge Ruin'Aulta (high Rüfe) could previously only be viewed from the train; a hike, however, provides deeper knowledge of this natural wonder and becomes a real experience. In Trin Mulin (post bus stop), turn towards the houses below the main road; at the lowest houses, turn left onto a good path that leads us into the open field. At the fork, keep left and after crossing a footbridge, ascend gently to the former settlement of Pintrun, where you continue a short distance through bushes and meadows up to the fork where you descend into the forest. You reach the forest and meadow plain Ransun. The comfortable forest path leads to the western end of the terrace, from where you get a first view of the strangely shaped area, the light-colored rocks which are not massive but consist of breccia (consolidated debris) from the famous Flims rockslide.

You look across to the mouth of the Rabiusa, which flows from the Safien valley, and to the various "Islas", mostly cultivated meadows on the Rhine bank. At this edge begins a rather steep descent to Isla Bella, where the Rhaetian Railway iron bridge leads over the Rhine. Midway down the descent, you reach the edge of the rocks and are surprised at the peculiar formations created by erosion. The erosion of the rocks continues, albeit extremely slowly. A pedestrian bridge is attached at the railway bridge. Over this you enter the alder forest, where the path leads to the projecting wedge that forces the Rhine into a distinct loop. This ridge is called Chli Isla or Chrummwag, and moraine gravel on it testifies to a last advance of the Rhine glacier after the prehistoric rockslide.

The Chrummwag is crossed; you reach the Rhine shore and walk between RhB and river to the station Versam RhB (inn). After the station building, we continue upstream, again accompanied by white limestone walls with their bizarre shapes. After crossing the second quarry site, the hiking path moves slightly left away from the RhB tracks and the river, to run along the river and the RhB tracks again near Isla after a small climb, where we enjoy a nice view at the Carrera gorge. We reach the station Valendas, where we board the RhB to later return by post bus to the starting point Trin Mulin.

Trin Mulin – Pintrun – Versam RhB – Ruin'Aulta – Valendas RhB