Jun 28

Jun 28 Cassongrat and Tectonic Arena Sardona: Graubunden, Eastern Switzerland

Not all Swiss hikes are filled with rolling pastoral hills or snow-capped mountains - and that is one of the reasons why I love hiking in this country so much. There is such incredible variety. Case in point: hiking in the Sardona Tectonic Arena in Flims, where the landscape made us feel like we stumbled way, way, way back in time, to a prehistoric era.

The tectonic arena and the upper and lower Segnesboden is the main draw, and rightfully so: it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and gives an incredible glimpse into the formation of the mountains themselves. See that horizontal, razor-sharp line running through the mountains in the top photo? That’s the Glarus thrust, the so-called “magic line.” It was created by the collision of two tectonic plates, when huge masses of rocks from different eras were pushed on top of each other. That line separates the 250 million-year-old Verrucano rock from the 35 to 50 million years “young” Flysch rock. But even crazier, the older rock is **on top** of the younger rock (which is why they call these mountains “upside down”). Nowhere else are the results of the processes that led to the formation of mountains as evident as they are here. A natural spectacle, and incredibly fascinating. This entire area is unique and varied, and the whole hike is beautifully epic.

Pro tip: We stopped for lunch at the Fil di Cassons, thinking that it was the highest point of the hike (without consulting our map, oops). Hike up further for 10 more minutes - that will get you to up to La Siala, where you can have lunch with views of the Upper and Lower Segnesboden.