Stage 3: Alpine Passes Trail

Flowers abound in the meadows on Alp Flix plateau above Sur village. The mosaic of meadowland, forest, moors, lakelets and rocks is home to impressive biodiversity. The hike starts amid this protected moorland, which is a Landscape of National Importance. A gravel road soon takes you from the high plateau (between 1,900 and 2,000 m.a.s.l.) to Tgalucas hamlet. From afar, you can see the Mongolian yurts where you can stay overnight if you wish. The route branches off here and gains about 500 meters in height. At the highest point (about 2,450 m.a.s.l.), you leave Parc Ela.

This stunning high-altitude trail now snakes its way towards Alp d’Err pasture for more than two hours. If you look carefully, you will discover a beautiful – and protected – Alpine edelweiss along the way. Marmots sound the alarm as you make your way from Alp d’Err to Motta d’Err. They seem less shy than usual. The marmots are cave-dwellers who live in family groups. Red deer, chamois, ibex, golden eagles and bearded vultures also live in this area – so it's worth keeping your eyes peeled. You hike along the high-level trail below the outcrop of Pizza Grossa, through the hamlets of Bartg and Castelas. As you continue your descent through beautiful stretches of forest, you reach the meadow at Senslas.

The trail becomes a gravel road here, and from this point onwards you are in Parc Ela again. The park offers an exceptional diversity of plants and animals, sweeping views of high peaks, dry grasslands strewn with blossoms, and gentle hedgerow landscapes. You can find out everything about the park at the information point in Savognin, which is now about one hour away. Located in the vast high valley of Surses, between Tiefencastel and the Julier Pass, Savognin ranks as the economic and political centre of the valley community. There is a strong southern influence on the climate in the Surses region, which is non-irritating and dry with many sunny days.