Smugglers' trail - Rätikon adventure area

Hiking along historic trails. Fantastic: scenery, surroundings, people, and weather. An unforgettable tour.

We took the Schafbergbahn cable car up to the start of the hiking trail. Billie had barely started walking when she was happily rolling around in a fresh cow pat 😩. Covered in mud, it was clear: We couldn't go on like this. So we grabbed our dog and scrubbed him down thoroughly at the nearest watering hole – amid loud protests, of course. After that, everything went smoothly. The steep climb to the St. Antönierjoch was strenuous, but absolutely worth it. Located right on the border, we were able to constantly switch between Austria and Switzerland 😄. And to top it all off, we were treated to a superb mountain panorama. We continued along the ridge – with a bit of scrambling, but easily doable. We took a final rest at Gafiersee before the final, steep climb. 🥵 Somehow, we managed that too – and luckily, it was all downhill after that back to the mountain station. Conclusion: a challenging tour, with magnificent scenery, highly recommended!

Today we followed in the footsteps of the smugglers. From Gargellen we took the Schafbergbahn up to over 2,000 m above sea level. Then we walked steeply up to the St. Antönier Jöchl, followed by climbing and hiking on a narrow ridge to the highest point of the holiday at 2,477 m above sea level. Then we went down to the Gafiersee with an ideal opportunity to take a break before we went back up to the Gafierjöchle. From there it was only downhill to the mountain station. A fabulous nature hike on the border between 🇦🇹 and 🇨🇭. After the St. Antönier Jöchl you should be able to handle mountains.

... indescribably beautiful !!! Take a whole day (not just the 4.5 hours that are estimated), pack food and enjoy every moment of this tour. That's why I only let the photos speak for themselves ... 👌🏻

The Gargellen Smugglers' Trail is highly recommended. Magnificent views of Switzerland and Austria. From the St. Antoenier Joch, the trail continues over the ridge towards Grafiersee, where there's a small climbing section with rope protection just after the St. Antoenier Joch, but it's easily doable. Currently, you have to descend from the Grafierjoechle to the cable car over an old snowfield that has no incline at the beginning but becomes very steep towards the end. For this loop, you should be in good shape, surefooted, and not afraid of heights.

A beautiful tour—but not for those with a fear of heights! Very tricky and exposed sections (blue/white!) and snowfields. Great views of the mountains of the 🇨🇭 and 🇦🇹!

Altitude meters are wrong again. 670 are there. Time forgot to turn off at break. 30 min

The smugglers' trail starts at just over 2,100m, at the mountain station of the Schafbergbahn 🚠. At first, we went uphill in light fog, but dry, in Austria. After 30 minutes, we had a setback - it was raining cats and dogs ☔⚡, and we could hear a thunderstorm in the distance. The thunderstorm moved away, the rain stayed, and after just a few minutes, despite my rain jacket, I was soaked through. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the wind on the exposed mountain slopes. In no time at all, a piercing cold developed that I hadn't expected in August. It was really unimaginably cold... 🥶 Nothing helps, we went uphill towards St. Antönier Joch, right on the border between Switzerland and Austria. We went into Switzerland over a great ridge. Unfortunately, it rained non-stop and the clouds were low - there wasn't much of a view today. Admittedly, the cloud formations that "flow" over the ridge are spectacular. The trip to Switzerland ends at the Gafierjoch and we head back to Austrian territory. Over snow fields, which after all that no longer shock me, we then slowly head back towards the cable car where today's trip ends. In fact, the sun finally makes an appearance again at the end. 🌞 A great tour of the smugglers' path, unfortunately under the worst conditions today. Wet, cold, lots of clouds - that's just how the mountains are 🤷🏻‍♂️