Calanda
2,806 m
Switzerland
Also known as Haldensteiner CalandaAlso known as
Haldensteiner Calanda
- Elevation
- 2,806 m
- Prominence
- 1,449 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: B (Bergwanderung) (Clubführer summary on de.wikipedia.org (from the hut via the east flank))
Chur's house mountain as a long two-part walk: a T2 alp path climbs 1,500 m from Haldenstein in the Rhine valley to the SAC Calandahütte (2,073 m), then a T3 mountain path over pasture and scree on the Calandasiten leads up the east flank to the ridge and the 2,806 m summit cross. About 2,230 m of ascent; 6–6½ hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 12.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,249 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,806 m
- Time Up
- 9h 02m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 03m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start in Haldenstein (about 570 m), reached by Chur city bus 3. The SAC normal hut route goes past the castle ruin and climbs by the old alp path through forest and meadows via Arella (988 m), Nesselboden (1,392 m) and Funtanolja (1,494 m), cutting the bends of the alp road, to below the Haldensteiner Alp and up to the Calandahütte (2,073 m) on its terrace above the Rhine, about 4 hours (T2, 1,530 m). There is little water on the lower half. Most people spend the night at the hut; mountain bikers ride the road, and a toll road from Untervaz to the Vazer Alp (about 1,750 m) cuts the approach to about 1½ hours. From the hut, a marked mountain path (T3) climbs north-west over cow pasture, then on a narrow path through scree on the broad east flank (the Calandasiten), almost entirely on steep grass and scree, to the main ridge at about 2,700 m and a signpost at about 2,715 m. Follow the ridge north over point 2765 to the summit cross; the SAC gives 2¼ hours and 750 m from the hut. Snowfields linger on the ridge into early summer, and shaded patches on the west side can be icy. Descend the same way. A popular alternative is to cross the ridge to the south: a white-blue-white route drops through slippery, partly exposed scree on the south-west flank, with an easy scramble over the Tüfels Chilchli (2,458 m), and the trackless but easy Mittelegg leads back to the hut (T4). Chur Tourismus also suggests returning from the hut via the Felsberger Älpli to Felsberg.
Start
Haldenstein572 m
- Train to Chur, city bus 3 to Haldenstein; Haldenstein also has a railway station on the Chur–Landquart line
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haldenstein → Calandahütte | 9.0 | 1,511 | 7 | 6h 10m |
| 2 | Calandahütte → Haldensteiner Calanda | 3.0 | 738 | 7 | 2h 51m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Haldenstein572 m
Bus stop Haldenstein, Dorf (Chur city bus 3); paid car park at the village entrance
- Feature: Arella987 m
- Feature: Altsäss2,035 m
Below the Haldensteiner Alp, about 100 m below the hut
- Hut: Calandahütte2,074 m
- Summit: Haldensteiner Calanda2,806 m
Key Passages
- 1,500 m approach from Haldenstein to the hut
- Steep grass and scree slopes of the Calandasiten
- Summit ridge from the 2,715 m signpost via point 2765
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The limestone massif that walls in Chur to the north-west, topped by the 2,806 m Haldensteiner Calanda. A long but straightforward walk with 2,200 m of ascent, best split with a night at the SAC Calandahütte, gives one of the widest views in eastern Switzerland.
The Calanda is the easternmost massif of the Glarus Alps, a south-west to north-east ridge between the Rhine valley at Chur and the Taminatal, separated from the Ringelspitz group by the Kunkelspass (1,358 m). Its summits are the Taminser Calanda (2,390 m), the Felsberger Calanda (about 2,697 m), the highest point, the Haldensteiner Calanda (2,806 m), and the Berger Calanda (2,270 m). The Rhine side is a long, sunny slope of forest, alp pastures and dry, almost Mediterranean vegetation; the Taminatal side drops in steep, broken faces.
For walkers the mountain is mainly a matter of stamina. From Haldenstein the summit is more than 2,200 m above the valley, and there are few places to fill a bottle on the lower half. The SAC Calandahütte at 2,073 m splits the climb neatly: about 4 hours to the hut on easy T2 paths, then 2¼ hours on a T3 mountain path over pasture and scree to the ridge and summit. A toll road from Untervaz to the Vazer Alp shortens the approach to the hut to about 1½ hours.
The summit, marked by a large cross, has a 360-degree view over the Swiss Alps and down the Rhine valley; on clear days a corner of Lake Constance is visible. Traverses along the ridge to the Felsberger and Taminser Calanda are harder: loose rock, exposed scree and some scrambling. Since 2012 the massif has been home to Switzerland's first wolf pack since the species returned.
Climbing Notes
Technically easy (T2 to the hut, T3 above), but long: 2,230 m and 6–6½ hours up from Haldenstein. Most parties walk to the Calandahütte in the afternoon, stay the night and climb to the summit for sunrise, then descend to the valley the same day. Alternatively drive or cycle up to the Vazer Alp and do the summit as a day trip.
The south-east facing approach is hot in midsummer; start early and carry plenty of water. Above the hut the path is steep grass and scree; good boots and poles help on the descent. Snow can linger on the ridge until June, and shaded patches on the west side may be icy. The variants via the Tüfels Chilchli and the south-west flank towards Vättis are T4 with slippery, exposed scree. In winter the Haldensteiner Calanda is a ZS+ ski tour from the hut, which is closed from December to May with no winter room.
History
The name is usually derived from Latin calare, 'to let down', a reference to the mountain's frequent debris flows and rockfalls; a rockfall in 1843 led to the village of Felsberg building a new settlement further from the slope, and large rockfalls hit the same face in 2001 and 2002. Small amounts of gold were mined on the south slope of the Felsberger Calanda in the 19th century (the 'Goldene Sonne' mine). On 20 August 1943, army firing exercises started what is presumably the largest forest fire in Swiss history, burning about 477 ha. No first-ascent record was found.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut closed, no winter room; rarely enough snow low down for ski touring
- Feb
- Ski tour (ZS+) for experienced parties; hut closed
- Mar
- Ski tour possible in good snow years; hut closed
- Apr
- Snow on the upper mountain; hut closed
- May
- Lower path dry; snowfields on the ridge; hut opens in June
- Jun
- Hut staffed from June; possible snow patches on the ridge
- Jul
- Hot on the south-east approach; start early
- Sep
- Often clear, stable weather
- Oct
- Hut staffed until October; first snow possible
- Nov
- Hut only partly open; snow likely on the ridge
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Calandahütte SAC (SAC Rätia), 29 places, staffed June to October and partly in November. Reserve via the SAC hut page or info@calandahuette.ch; phone +41 79 363 53 80.
- Fees
- Toll for the Vazer Alp road from Untervaz (if driving)
- Paid parking at Haldenstein
- Getting There
Chur (Haldenstein lies across the Rhine from the city)
Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Train to Chur, then city bus 3 to Haldenstein (about 15 minutes)
- By car: A13 exit Chur Nord or Haldenstein; paid parking at the entrance to Haldenstein
- Shortcut: toll road from Untervaz to the Vazer Alp (about 1,750 m), then 1½ hours to the hut
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Exposure
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,073 m
CalandahütteHutStaffedBooking required
29 beds · Staffed June to October, partly open in November; closed December to May, no winter room