haldensteiner calanda for sore legs, calanda bier to make them better

earlier on in the week, the order for the weekend had been rainy, windy, cloudy and unsettled, so we were very excited when friday afternoon's forecast for saturday was sun! after the past weeks of rain-enforced sleepins and laziness, it was great to have to get up predawn to head down to a train out into the depths of the mountains.

meeting reto at hb, we headed through bad ragaz to vättis at the base of our goal - Haldensteiner Calanda 2000m above. i think the first part of the climb was the steepest forested slope i've ever walked up - an ice axe would have been quite handy in parts! as we rose (very quickly!) the views across the valley to the pizol massif became even more impressive.



after being severly threatened with ominous rain, wind that was trying to blow us down back into the valley, and 2 "passes" that turned out to be only pretending, we finally made it to the teufels chilchli (the devil's church), and views down to the rhein valley, chur, and further into graubünden. after a wet and windy lunch break, we headed up to do some peak bagging, amazingly without a drop more rain, and even some brilliant sunshine!



having reached the local heights, we gradually descended back down, our horizon eventually shrinking to the handelsteiner village square. (but not before meeting some very friendly locals :) )



the Haldensteiner Calanda looms over the chur valley, and i knew that i'd feel proud of visiting her top from now on every time i train it home after a weekend of graubünden mountains behind me - calanda beer in hand of course.

(more pics)