Val Trupchun: beautiful autumn hike in the Engadine

Steel-blue skies, golden shining larches and the deep roaring of the deer – Val Trupchun unfolds its full splendour at the beginning of October and thus offers a magnificent backdrop for a beautiful autumn hike just in time for the autumn holidays.

The circular hike through the Val Trupchun, which belongs to the area of the Swiss National Park, has been on my hiking bucket list for a long time. Last year we missed the best time for autumn hikes in the Engadine due to our Indian Summer Road Trip through Nova Scotia. This year our timing was better aligned with the autumn spectacle in Switzerland and so we were finally able to tackle this tour in combination with a weekend at Castell Zuoz.

Full autumn splendour in the Engadine

Last year, we were out in Val Cluozza at the height of the deer rut in September and were annoyed that we didn’t have a telephoto zoom lens with us. When my friend asks me shortly before this year’s trip to the Engadine whether now is the time for a corresponding purchase, I wave it off. “By mid-October, the deer rut is over,” I say precociously, basing my statement on information from various websites that limit the deer rut to the period from mid-September to October 5. But why should the deer adhere to such guidelines? It was simply too hot for them in September to exhaust themselves in mating behavior. And so we once again hike into the middle of the Eldorado of every animal photographer without the appropriate photo equipment. At least the autumn scenery lives up to my expectations. The slopes of Val Trupchun shine magically golden.

Irene Müller, hostess at Castell Zuoz, recommended that we walk the circular hike counterclockwise and first follow the high-altitude trail towards Alp Trupchun. And so we keep to the right and hike uphill on a gently ascending forest path through an alpine mixed forest. From time to time, a nimble squirrel crosses our path. Castell Zuoz has lent us binoculars for this tour, with which we look for chamois and ibex on the steep slopes on the opposite side of the valley.

After almost two hours we reach the high valley on which Alp Trupchun is located. Numerous hikers and animal watchers are already bustling around the two marked resting places – some have a telescope in front of them and search the thicket. But around noon there is no red deer to be seen. You have to lie in wait a little longer for this. Instead, two bearded vultures appear in the sky.

We look for a nice spot and watch the hustle and bustle for a while. Without telephoto zoom, however, we decide against holding out and follow the hiking trail downhill after a short break. On this side, the circular trail runs close to the rushing “Ova da Varusch” and offers a completely different perspective of the valley landscape than the high-altitude trail on the left side of the valley.

About an hour later we reach the Varusch park hut. The sun terrace is already well occupied. However, we still find a quiet spot and order a “Varusch Plättli” with Bündnerfleisch, raw ham, bacon, dried venison, salsiz and Engadine mountain cheese; I would think that’s how an all-round perfect autumn trip ends!

Practical tips for your hike in Val Trupchun

The route of the Val Trupchun circular hike can be found on the map below. The distance from the Prasüras car park to Alp Trupchun and back is 13.8 kilometres. Up to Alp Trupchun, the hiking trail leads mostly uphill – there are 635 meters of altitude to overcome. The pure hiking time is four hours. About half of the circular hike runs in the area of the Swiss National Park. In this section, you should only leave the paths where it is explicitly marked (at the picnic areas not far from Alp Trupchun). Guests of Castell Zuoz are chauffeured from the hotel to the Prasüras car park free of charge and picked up there again (a great service).

If you are travelling by public transport and start the hike at the S-chanf train station, you have to add two additional kilometres in each direction. Alternatively, the “Express Parc Naziunel” serves the route Zuoz – S-chanf – Parkhütte Varusch between June and October. You can find the timetable and ticket costs on this page (the ticket Parkhütte Varusch to Zuoz costs 10 CHF): alpintrans.ch

Extra tip: Val Trupchun is known for its species-rich flora and fauna. Every Thursday – and during the rutting season additionally on Fridays – the Swiss National Park offers guided day hikes to Val Trupchun, which are dedicated to the flora and fauna: Val Trupchun – Wildlife Arena of the Alps

Other beautiful autumn hikes in the Engadine

Other beautiful autumn hikes in the Engadine are the two-day tour through the wild Val Cluozza with an overnight stay in the Chamanna Cluozza, the challenging day hike to the Lais da Macun, or the hike along the fourth stage of the Way of St. James Graubünden from Ftan to Guarda.

Note: Castell Zuoz supported our stay in the Engadine – all opinions and impressions are, as always, ours.