Hiking (mountain trail, in places narrow and exposed)
Alpine route (equipped or very exposed section, snow field, blocks)
R53
Schröcken » Buchboden
|
6h05 |
22.5 km
|
849 m
|
1190 m
After the sheer mountain world of the Allgäu Alps, this stage offers an early foretaste of the lovelier, green hilly landscape of the Große Walsertal valley and the western Lechquellen mountain range. One last rocky bulwark, the Hochkünzelspitze, lines the trail before it leaves the high mountain region.
From the central signpost in Schröcken, the route first of all heads to the roadbridge over the Schröckbach river, before which it turns left onto a footpath and leads into the dingle of the Bregenzerach river. From there, continue mainly following the historical “Saumweg” (mule track) at a leisurely pace along the Bregenzerach river to the so-called Landstegbrücke bridge. This marks the end of the leisurely descent through the valley. From the Landsteg bridge, walk along a little alpine road, which is rather steep in parts, to the Schadona pass and the Biberacher Hut (1,846m), where you come to the head of the Große Walsertal valley after a three-hour hike from Schröcken. The next destination is the little village of Buchboden, 3h away. The trail leads on a gentle decline from the Schadona pass to a fork in the road at which you must keep to the right. Head uphill again for a short while and then walk over the panoramic alpine pastures to the Alpe Oberüberlut (1,585m). Continue along a roadway to the lower Überlutalpe mountain (1,360m). Here you have the choice of staying on the roadway or taking the historic (shorter but also steeper) alpine trail into the valley. People usually prefer to take the road downhill and the footpath uphill. The two trails meet at Buchboden (910m), the uppermost mountain farming settlement in the Große Walsertal valley. (Christina Schwann, OeAV)
Natural and cultural heritage
This stage at the doors to the Mercantour National Park between the Ubaye and Tinée valleys leaves the military epics behind and enters into the heart of an exceptional natural heritage. Walk along the Ubayette valley, where a torrential stream carried everything away in 1957 and the valley was annihilated at the end of the Second World War, and you will come across the Méane house (from the Provencal word “méane” for environment), heir to this part of history with its modern Ste Marie Madeleine chapel restored in 1960. The Larche pass, the lowest road pass between France and Italy, can be seen to the East. A little later, the trail dips into the central zone of the Park (created in 1979) by the little glacial Lauzanier valley (from the patois las lauzas niera = the black slates). It has already been listed as a nature reserve since 1938, and was granted very early recognition for its floral wealth (nicknamed “the sea” for its carpets of blue thistle) and exceptional wildlife diversity. The valley stretches out between marshland and siliceous rock, terrain that is favoured by ibexes and chamois, a promised land for botanists (ever since the exceptional congress organised in 1833 on the Lauzanier flora) and an area dedicated to pastoralism since the post-war period. The trail climbs up to the source of the stream, the Lauzanier lake, close to which a chapel puts up some painful resistance and is nevertheless the site of an annual pilgrimage. Numerous lakes are scattered along the route, over which stands by the Enchastraye peak (from the patois enchastre = sheep enclosure) overlooking the intense pastoral activities of the valleys, to the Cavale pass, the name of which is taken from the term for donkey track in patois and which offers access to the Alpes-Maritimes administrative department. Further downhill the trail reaches the Haute-Tinée valley in the hollow of which nestles the abandoned hamlet of Bousiéyas. The Fourches camp, an early XXth century relic and an example of the defensive architecture during the last world war, imposes its few impressive ruins on the heights of the hamlet at the foot of the mountain by the same name. The ruins of a small fort, a lookout point for the camp below, are located here. Today, Bousiéyas has only one gîte whose access road is frequently cut off by avalanches. But the church, built in 1718 for the Count of Dalmas, who gave his name to the community (Saint Dalmas), is still standing and the patronal feast every 28 July breathes new life into the place. (Sara Zeidler, Gilles Chappaz, Grande Traversée des Alpes)
Useful topographic maps
Wanderschönes Feldkirch ~ Amt der Stadt Feldkirch (1:25.000)
Wandern in Vorarlberg - Walgau-Sonnenseite ~ Amt der Vorarlberger Landesregierung (1:40.000)
Wanderkarte Biosphärenpark Großes Walsertal ~ Tourismusvereine u. Gem. des Großen Walsertales (1:40.000)
WK 364 Bregenzerwald ~ Freytag&Berndt (1:50.000)
Nr. 3, Allgäuer Alpen, Kleinwalsertal ~ Kompass (1:50.000)
ÖK 50 112, 113, 142 ~ Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen (1:50.000)
Useful guidebooks
Großes Walsertal ~ Rother (ISBN )
Der Große Walserweg ~ Geocenter Medienvertriebe Stuttgart (ISBN 3-930187-00-0)
Picture gallery
Add your own pictures!
Comments
Favourites, criticisms ? Make your personal comments on this stage. For more general notes please use the comments section of the page Over to the Via Alpinists.
Kat - 2023-06-29
Descending from Schröcken, do not cross the bridge at Unterboden. The GPX file is way out of date. It initially looks good but at the second of three side steps you will spend an hour stomping around a steep field, in the sun, looking for a way down into a ravine, hurting your ankles and getting cross.
Julien Trieste Monaco - 2022-08-28
Stayed at Biberarcher Hütte. Super scenic. A place you don't want to miss if you like sunset or sunrise. Kind of an old school hut, without hot showers. Very good food tho.
Piet Clerinx - 2022-08-07
An Alternative to stay a little while longer in the higher mountain area, is the track from Biberacherhütte to Faschina via the Hochschere. Only in good weather conditions. From Faschina you can easily reach the Franz-Josefhütte in about three quarters of an hour. Nice and agreabke stay there.
POPEYE GG - 2019-02-03
Samedi 30 juin 2018
Encore une belle étape bien ensoleillée.
Après Biberacher Hütte, le chemin est en balcon en travers d'une pente raide, attention à la glissade!
La descente est longue et commence sur de la route en terre. Il ne faut pas rater le chemin qui coupe et l'évite dans un virage vers l'altitude 1200m, en suivant la pancarte et en quittant la trace GPX du site de la Via Alpina.
A Buchboden, paysage bucolique depuis la pension Zum Jäger.
Automatic translation
[Google]
Saturday, June 30, 2018 Another beautiful sunny day. After Biberacher Hütte, the path is in a balcony across a steep slope, watch out for the slip! The descent is long and starts on the dirt road. Do not miss the path which cuts and avoids it in a turn towards altitude 1200m, following the sign and leaving the GPX track of the site of Via Alpina. In Buchboden, bucolic landscape from the pension Zum Jäger.
In Schröcken there is a little convenience store (SPAR). Beautiful trail (lost the waymarks here and there, but easy to navigate your way back) once the road turns into a hiking path, loved it!
From Ober-Überlutalpe to Buchboden there is a short-cut, which will save you from walking down the zig-zagging motorway going down. May be slippery when wet. It is not on the GPS track, but the way is sign-posted -with beautiful Via-Alpina logos! You can't miss it.
In Buchboden there are just 3 places to stay: Gasthof Kreuz, Pension Jäger and Haus Schönacher. The latter is the first white house in the village. Everything was full, but when I called at Schönacher, the very friendly lady let me in a room that was originally closed for cleaning. €40 B&B. There is a reading table with books about local history and culture.
Von Buchboden in Richtung Schröcken: Auf halbem Weg von der Ober-Überlutalpe zur Biberacher Hütte verzweigt sich der Weg. Nördlich geht es über das Töbelejoch nach Schoppernau, während nach rechts bzw. nach Osten die Via Alpina zur Oberen Iscarneialpe abzweigt. Die Beschilderung folgt leider erst zu spät, d.h. nach der Abzweigung!
Automatic translation
[Google]
From Buchboden in the direction of Schröcken: Half way from the Ober-Überlutalpe to the Biberacher Hütte, the path branches off. To the north it goes over the Töbelejoch to Schoppernau, while to the right or to the east the Via Alpina branches off to the Upper Iscarneialpe. The signage unfortunately follows too late, ie after the turnoff!
tof - 2014-12-27
Trieste-Monaco le 11/8/14
Pluie toute la journée. Il est vrai que la descente depuis Schadonapass vers Buchboden est glissante.
A Buchboden pas de logement à bon prix. Bon chocolat chaud à "l'hôtel des chasseurs". Bivouac plus loin en zone humide sur le chemin de l'étape suivante.
Automatic translation
[Google]
Trieste-Monaco on 11/8/14 rain all day. It is true that the descent from Schadonapass to Buchboden slippery. A Buchboden no cheap housing. Hot chocolate at the hotel "hunters". Bivouac further wetland on the way to the next step.
Monaco - Trieste
Biberacher hutte is a great location to stop overnight.
At Biberacher hutte, Schrocken is marked 2h30
Schrocken - Korbalpe is an extra 1h30
Mountain Girl - 2013-10-21
Trail from Biberacher Hut to Oberlutalpe runs along a rather steep slope. Trail is very narrow: not recommended under wet/ poor conditions.
Mountain Girl - 2013-10-21
At Unterboden be sure to stay on RIGHT side of river, following the trail for another ~1.5km until it finally crosses the river on a footbridge and heads steeply uphill.
Margy - 2012-02-09
Biberacher Hutte is so wonderful that we shortened the day and stayed for the night. Beautiful scenery and many close peaks to climb.
|
6h05 |
22.5 km
|
849 m
|
1190 m
Favourites, criticisms ? Make your personal comments on this stage. For more general notes please use the comments section of the page Over to the Via Alpinists.