The Wild Engadine
A beautiful train ride away from the well-known mountain resorts of Grindelwald, Zermatt, and Chamonix, the Engadine’s distance from those mountain hubs is exactly what makes it so valued by those who know it. The region is located in the Southeast corner of Switzerland, alongside the border with Italy. Its biggest town is St Moritz, and the area features some of the most scenic villages in Europe, with Belle Epoque period hotels, and ancient villages dating back centuries. Villages, connected by mountain paths, dot the landscape. For a trail runner, the region is a single-track paradise. Wild valleys are home to herds of ibex and quiet mountain huts are tucked into nooks and crannies. The trails here tend to be quieter than other regions of the Alps. It’s a special place that quickly settles into your heart once you have run there.
Our self-guided trips in this region are based out of Pontresina, a relaxed village at the base of 3,262-meter high Piz Languard, which is home to Switzerland’s largest population of ibex. Pontresina is easily accessible by both train and bus. If you like, schedule your trip here around the Bernina Ultraks trail race. Our partnership with the race organization means we can access race entries, at any time of year.
Sample Itinerary:
Day 1 : You’ll arrive in Switzerland, then take a train to Pontresina in the upper Engadine valley where you can check-in to your hotel.
Day 2: Your first run heads up towards Piz Languard above Pontresina, then follows the beautiful Cresta Languard ridgeline. The run back to Pontresina follows the river along the Val Bernina.
Distance 25km; Ascent 1360m; Descent 1360m
Day 3: While the summit of Piz Lunghin is on the cards today, your run starts with a few kilometers warming up by running alongside the Silsersee lake. You’ll also pass through the tiny village of Grevasalvas, the setting for the 1978 movie Heidi.
Distance 20km; Ascent 1050m; Descent 1050m
Day 4: Today you take a bus just over the Maloja pass to Val Bregaglia to the start of a loop around the Piz Lizun mountain.
Distance 19km; Ascent 1440m; Descent 1440m
Day 5: A loop out of Pontresina and passing four mountain huts is on the menu – the best distance-to-pie ratio of any run in the Engadine! You’ll go to Piz Languard and Georgys Hutte at 3200m elevation.
Distance 22km; Ascent 1640m; Descent 1640m
Day 6: Explore the other side of the Pontresina valley today, when you run up the dramatic Roseg valley. You’ll pass a remote glacial lake, a classic Swiss Alpine Club hut and cruise back to town through beautiful forest.
Distance 35km; Ascent 1650m; Descent 1650m
Day 7: Today you’ll say good-bye to the Engadine region, and depart for your post-tour destination.
Make it private and bring a guide. Your companions, your dates, your tour. Contact us to enquire.
