Rottenmeier's Ultra Trail

If you're looking for the ultimate challenge, this ultra trail with 64 kilometres and 4,000 metres of elevation gain is the right choice for you. The Ultra Trail starts in the valley at the Pizolbahnen Bad Ragaz and then leads through the entire Pizol area.

The trail first leads to Wangs and from there crisply uphill to the ford. We continue to the Garmil lookout peak. Via Gaffia we then reach the route of the 5-lake hike, a real Swiss hiking classic. Afterwards, the trail leads past the Pizolhütte at over 2,000 m above sea level and we attach the 2-lake hike with an additional loop. Via Bettlerweg, Pardiel and Wildboden we return to the valley to Bad Ragaz.

Here the trail leads us into the well-known Tamina Gorge to the Old Bad Pfäfers and on the way back up to Pfäfers. Past the Wartenstein viewpoint, the trail returns to the valley and via the Freudenberg castle ruins to the starting point.

We start on the hiking trail behind the valley station Bad Ragaz of the Pizolbahnen and walk in the direction of Vilters/Wangs. Below the church in Vilters we cross the stream and follow the hiking trail via "Rappagugg" to Wangs. We walk past the Wangs valley station of the Pizolbahnen, cross the concrete bridge and turn left immediately afterwards in the direction of the grotto (wooden signpost). We walk past the grotto and follow the following tarred road to Bazal. Here we take the steep "Geissgass" in the direction of Maienberg/Furt. This path leads us along the Grossbach over meadows, through forest and a gorge to the junction Gaspurweg and later Gampidels. At the end of this mountain trail we see the Alp Mugg. Below this alp we walk along the forest road on the left, cross a stream shortly afterwards and then walk right again along the marked mountain path to Furt. If the ascent from Wangs to Furt is too steep for you, you can walk up via the forest nature trail and the hiking trail Furt. Although this path runs mostly on asphalt, it is less steep and easier to find.

Behind the valley station of the chairlift we turn right towards Wasserwald to Fürggli, continue to Unter- and Obervermii and then to the summit cross of the Garmil. Despite the prospects of a long tour, a short pleasure break is worthwhile. On a great and varied trail we reach after our well-deserved break via old Alp Gaffia and the well-known 5-lake hike to Wildseeluggen. On the way we walk past a Steinmandlifeld, the Baschalva, Schwarz, Schotten, and Wildsee. The surroundings are amazing and will certainly distract from the hardships. From the Wildseeluggen it goes past the Pizolhütte and the Wangsersee to the 360° view at the Tagweidlichopf. A look back and a photo through the photo spot let you capture the memories for home. Via laufböden we walk over a long descent to Pardiel. At the junction above the gondola lift we walk past Geissen towards the Schwarzbüel viewpoint. The next stopover is Alp Schwarzbüel. Once there, we walk left towards Vilterser Obersäss. We reach this point via a great trail through forest, over meadows and past a moorland. From Vilterser Obersäss it goes uphill towards Viltersersee. Above the Viltersersee we walk left towards Laufböden and at the next possibility right again in the direction of Wangsersee.

At the end of Lake Wangsersee, the hiking trail runs to the left towards Lasa. Now a completely different view opens up with a view towards Graubünden and the Tamina Valley. Arriving at Alp Lasa we walk left again and follow the signs "Bettlerweg". This leads us over a varied trail to Pardiel. At the mountain station of the Pardiel gondola lift, we follow the junction to Wildboden/Bad Ragaz and walk through the forest and over meadows down to the Guschachopf junction. Here we go to the right, enjoy after a few hundred meters a magnificent view of the extended home of Heidi and then walk left towards Bad Ragaz (turnoff with 30 min use!).

Once in the valley floor, we walk towards tamina gorge and old Bad Pfäfers. Above us sits the 265 meter long and thus longest arched bridge in Europe. At the end of this path we reach the historic bathing place of the old Bad Pfäfer. We walk back on the same path and turn right at the junction "Badtobel Steg", walk over the bridge and then uphill through the forest to Pfäfers. Once at the top, we walk along the main road towards Pfäfers/Wartenstein, past the baroque monastery church and the sculpture Cristo Salvador to the ruins of Wartenstein. After enjoying the great view of Bad Ragaz and the Gonzen, we follow the mountain path below the ruins in the direction of Bad Ragaz. We walk past today's Tamina Therme bathing place, although we certainly long for relaxation in the regenerative water. What is not, can still be...

We cross the river Tamina at the entrance to the gorge, then walk right and at the entrance to the village immediately left again towards Freudenberg. To avoid the asphalt we walk for a short time again on the forest road in the direction of Pardiel. At the Pizolbahnen valley station we walk to the right along a meadow and forest path to the Freudenberg ruins. Directly after the ruin it goes over another meadow and forest path back into the valley. Once at the bottom, we walk to the left towards the Pizolbahnen valley station. After a short time we reach our goal and can proudly look back on our achieved ultra run.