St. Martin - Alp Sardona - St. Martin

From 1346 to 1653, the Calfeisen Valley was home to the free Walser people who had migrated from the Upper Valais. As in other Walser settlements, the struggle against the forces of nature gradually outstripped human strength. Gradually, the farmers emigrated to the Rhine Valley.

We hike along the dirt road from the small church of St. Martin above the Tamina to Hochegg. Our gaze wanders to the other side of the valley to Alp Schräa, where the Tüfwald hut sits enthroned on a rocky pulpit. The highest mountain in St. Gallen at 3247 m, the Ringelspitz, is also already visible. We climb up through the shady forest to Malanseralp, which the Walsers called Alp Calfeisen. The shrill whistles of the marmots greet us in this magnificent alpine world. Around us we recognize Heitelspitz, Sazmartinshorn, Gigerwaldspitz, Simel, Orgeln and the Panärahörner. Our path leads us to Malanser Obersäss, where the well-known Heidelpass route branches off into the Weisstannental valley, then we continue over high moorland to Alp Platten Obersäss, where we enjoy the panoramic view of the front Calfeisen valley with the green-blue shimmering Gigerwald reservoir. We continue with easy steps across colorful meadows to Hinterer Plattenbach. Here we look north towards the Heubützli Pass, which served the Walsers as a link between the Calfeisen, Weisstannen and Sernftal valleys. We reach the Älpli Untersäss via Plättli and Chäsboden and our path leads us through the Sardona forest to the Sardona alpine hut. The SAC Sardona hut stands on a rocky pulpit below the Sardona glacier at 2157 m above sea level. We hike over the Tamina to the other side of the valley and reach the fifth alp, the Ebni. The last ascent takes us to Tüfwald, then it's downhill back to St. Martin.