Radsattel Pass Circuit

This strenuous-but-straightforward 2,652m pass crosses between two superb valleys rising southward up to the line of 3,000m Silvretta summits along the border ridge with Switzerland. 

You can walk a wonderful circuit across the pass from the Bielerhohe dam-lake between the valleys that drop down to Gaschurn and Galtur.

Of the valleys on each side of the pass, the western (right-hand) valley, which contains the lake, is the finer once you are past the reservoir, albeit more walked. 

From the head of the lake (reached in perhaps half an hour), you can climb the Klostertal valley to the right (west) up to a vast head-bowl right in below the Swiss  border-ridge, and on over the  2,737m Litznersattel pass and drop to the superbly-sited Saarbrucker hut (at 2,538m) at the head of the Kromertal valley. See our Silvretta Alps page.

For the Radsattel, however, you will want to take the left-hand (eastern) valley from the lake. This track meanders steadily up the really marvellous wild valley towards the high border ridge, with its vast serrated summits nesting their glacier remains in their stony laps. This is a bit over an hour's steady climb to the Wiesbadener hut at 2,443m, which sits on a ledge high above the final bowl, below a double curve of peaks and sadly-dwindling glaciers. A short map-count yielded Walkopedia 15 or more summits over 3,000m, including the jagged lump of Piz Buin, famous as a sunscreen brand, at 3,312m.

The Radsattel pass is another 1.25 hrs and above the hut. A steep 15 minutes gets you to an undulating plateau with the rough ridge and Radsattel on the far side. Fine views in all directions, and a pale blue tarn. The final climb to the pass is another steep 15 minutes.

It would be cruel to undemonstrative call the pass an anti-climax, as it has wonderful all-round views across two valley-heads to the border ridge.

You have a choice of two routes back to Bielerhohe.

The more adventurous (and demanding), insisted on by Walko's 24 year-old-son to Walko's regret, is a high traverse immediately below the cliffs of the valley-dividing ridge, with superb views, but several large and un-fun boulder fields: a huge one before a small higher pass, then another forming a steep drop from it, thena third filling a bowl at the bottom. Walkopedia manage to destroy its loyal boots here. Thereafter, a beautiful steady descent across meadows and greenery then a long but reasonable zig-zag get you back down to the lake. 

Or you can drop, as recommended by the Cicerone guidebook, on a fairly straightforward path to the valley floor, and follow a lovely path by the stream, before joining a track to swing around the hillside back to Bielerhohe. 

This is a joy of a walk.

For more information and photos, including detailed practical information

and some warnings, see our Silvretta Alps walk page.