Chamona da Cavardiras: Graubünden and Uri
What’s better than a hut situated on the border of two of the best hiking cantons in Switzerland? Not much, I tell you. Not much. This hut will be closed for renovation in the summer of 2026, so summer 2025 will be the last time to stay at the hut in its original form!
Day 1
We started our hike at the top of the Caischavedra cable car above Disentis, taking the shortest approach to the hut. It’s a beautiful hike, with amazing views at the top of the Brunni pass. This is an alpine (T4) graded trail, and there are boulder fields, ladders, passages secured with chains, and a short crossing on the edge of the Brunnifirn glacier. Crampons or micro-spikes are necessary for the glacier, and pylons and cairns mark the path across the ice toward the east. That said, this is not too technically difficult, and a rather approachable alpine path. We reached the hut in about three hours of hiking.
The hut itself is a classic Swiss mountain hut, with a cozy common room and even cozier dormitory. Everyone sleeps in one big room. The wardens have been at the hut for years, and are very friendly and knowledgeable about the surrounding area - and about how it is changing. We were sad to hear that the lake (in the above photo) is a new addition to the glacial landscape.
Day 2
Originally, our plan was to descend via the Maderanteal valley (one of the most beautiful valleys in the country). However, we were greeted with rain and fog in the morning, so we decided to take the Val Russein route instead. It’s a long path down, and while we didn’t get many views, it was moody and dramatic.
