Unknown Val Gierm

There is no marked hiking trail leading into Val Gierm, only shepherds with their animals inhabit this unknown valley at the foot of Piz Gierm.

At the parking lot above the Nalps reservoir, we first follow the marked hiking trail towards Cuolm Cavorgia, which we soon leave after the Cuolm Nalps alpine hut. We hike uphill along a lively mountain stream until we reach a meadow ridge. Here we have our first glimpse of Plauns in Val Gierm, a lush green plain with sparkling watercourses and ponds.We continue our way south. In front of us lies the Piz Gierm with its steep sides. The ground becomes increasingly barren until we only have stone, rubble or moss under our shoes. Then we scramble up a grassy slope to the right. We reach a wide ridge, partly overgrown with grass and interspersed with rocks. The water has collected in stony hollows - if you want to take a quick swim here, you don't need a swimsuit. With a view of Tödi, Oberalpstock and even the Disentis monastery, we walk gently up and down the wide ridge until we come back to the place where we first saw Val Gierm. From here we take the same route back down to the dam wall.

Warning: Not suitable for beginners

Take binoculars with you.

From the car park above the reservoir we follow the signs towards Cuolm Cavorgia. Approximately at an altitude of 2200 m above sea level we leave the hiking trail and continue in pathless, but harmless terrain to the deepest punt of the meadow ridge. We descend to the pastures in Plauns and rise again in a southerly direction to the left of the stream. We meet a great stone man. Shortly afterwards we see on the right the steep grassy slope which has to be overcome to get to the wide ridge. On this we go back until we reach the lowest point of the meadow ridge again. Then we keep left, further down the valley on the ascent route and descend down to the reservoir.