The Engadin has been at the top of my best-of list for three decades. In '92, I rumbled down from the Scaletta Pass into the Inn Valley for the first time. And was immediately enchanted by the villages with their sgraffito-decorated stone houses, towered over by needle-pointed church spires and towering mountains. Champfer. Cinuos-chel. Morteratsch. The villages are so charming to the eye, their names so coarse to the ear. I spent the night in S-chanf. And burnt half my Transalp budget in that one night on Swiss soil. A gift!
The next day, as I cycled (or rather pushed) over the Passo Chaschauna to Livigno, I felt a certain affection for the Engadin. It's still there today. Unspeakable prices or not. Today I'm married and have apparently passed on my love of mountain biking to my girls as well as all sorts of mischief. Magdalena (17) and Sophie (15) would certainly like the Engadin too. My wife Tanja is a Switzerland fan anyway. So off to the young Inn! After all, as a father I have an educational mission. But I don't want to go from grand hotel to grand hotel (Rockefeller's heirs should do that), but from hut to hut, on the four-day "Engadin hut tour".
Long, but never boring. Let's go!
And a leisurely Swiss one at that. The route runs very flat up the Val Bernina. Always in sight: the tracks of the Bernina railway, on which a bright red train whizzes up or down from the Bernina Pass every half hour. If you want to make this easy first stage along the "Bernina Express Route 673" even easier, simply take the railway. The four of us prefer to cruise up to the Bernina under our own steam, lying in the sun at Morteratsch station, sipping Rivella whey soda ("But only the red one!") and marvelling at the famous, razor-sharp Biancograt ridge on Piz Bernina.
A fresh breeze is whistling at the top of the pass despite the August sun, so we better not waste too much time - of course, a selfie with the Glacier Express is still possible. But then we shoot down the Poschiavo. On a trail that burns up around 1100 metres in depth over ten kilometres. But what makes it particularly exciting is that the trail tries to keep up with the most winding UNESCO World Heritage Site, namely the southern ramp of the Bernina railway. Most of the time it runs parallel to the railway tracks, sometimes it passes under them. It goes without saying that an unofficial race between the Bernina Express and the Kern Sisters will soon be underway.
My girls have won at the Cavaglia stop, but now they urgently need an ice cream. And that's what they get half an hour later on the piazza in Poschiavo. Life is good! Just like the journey to the first overnight hut, as we take the Bernina railway back up to Alp Grüm. After all, we want the children to be able to sit in the World Heritage Site and experience the incredible view from the terrace of our Albergo in daylight.
Young border traffic Livigno
If I could wish for a holiday flat anywhere, it would be here. Ever since I almost cut my teeth on the Chaschauna thirty years ago, I have had a divided relationship with this pass, but a very warm-hearted one with this place at its feet. I like the stark contrast of mountain hut vs. Rolex shop and Cartier bag vs. neon jersey rummage table. The duty-free village in the outback between Bernina and Ortler is not called "Little Tibet" for nothing. It's just that the Italo-Tibetans up here wear Prada. My ladies have also fallen in love with Livigno: Magdalena learnt how to telemark here in winter 2016 from a local hero.
As befits a village in the main Alpine ridge, there are only a few access roads. Ours goes by the name of "Forcola di Livigno". But before we get there, we buy another ticket for the Bernina railway at Alp Grüm. It takes us to Ospizio Bernina before the few, but very steep metres in altitude up to Fuorcla Minor, which leads us to the aforementioned Forcola di Livigno border crossing. We then speed into Livigno's high valley on a gently sloping gravel track. Here in Italy, the prices are down to earth again: In the "Why not" bar, we pay six euros for an Aperol Sprizz and not 24 francs as in St. Moritz.
Nevertheless, we only have one Aperol. After all, we want to climb back over the Chaschauna Pass into the Engadin today without a care in the world. And this almost 2,700 metre-high pass is like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: on the Livigno side, it's a 600-metre ramp monster. On the Engadin side, a gently sloping angelic carpet of stardust. The Swiss have invested a considerable sum in transforming the north ramp into a marble run of the very highest calibre. So the notorious executioner of old has mellowed with age. Engadin, we'll be back!
Unexpected hut guests
A scurry in the twilight. "What was that?" Sophie asks, her voice fluttering. "I have no idea!" But one thing is clear: we're not alone in this mountain hut. The girls turn pale as chalk in the light of my head torch. I must be going on a night-time search. Outwardly heroic, at least. My beam fires into every corner of the hut, even up into the beams. And there's our secret flatmate: a bat. Phew! The little chap is hanging from a wooden beam under the roof. And looks at me from his beady eyes, half frightened, half interested. Mountain huts are always exciting. Especially when you have the hut to yourself for a night. Like the Varusch park hut. As the name suggests, it is located in the Swiss National Park. Well, it's 500 metres outside. And the four of us are the only guests tonight. At least the only ones without wings and vampire fangs.
But the morning dispels all nightmares. With some melancholy, we leave the tiny hunting lodge (and its little bat) behind us and roll down to the young Inn in shivering temperatures. Even though this overnight stay had a few scary moments - looking back, we will unanimously declare the little witch's cottage in the middle of the forest to be our favourite. Because today is a completely different day: a really strenuous uphill to Fuorcla Gualdauna is followed by an equally challenging, spectacular traverse of a gigantic natural amphitheatre.
It goes without saying that our next accommodation, the Chamanna d'Es-cha, sits enthroned on the edge of the basin. It is a typical Swiss Alpine Club hut: very panoramic, very modern - and very full. Yesterday we were alone with our bat, today we share a dormitory with a handful of snoring hikers from Bottrop. Thank goodness my girls' eyes were already closed at dinner because the day's ride was so tough. I hope they fall asleep quickly, because tomorrow morning the most difficult downhill trail of this tour to Madulain and the final Olympic flow trail on the Corviglia await. Magdalena has been looking forward to it for days because she's only known this descent from winter. But in the end, I had once again made all these paternal worries completely in vain.
Info about the Engadin hut tour
How to get there
From Munich, drive via Garmisch and Seefeld to Telfs and Landeck, from Ulm via the A7 motorway and Fernpass to Landeck. From here via Martina and the Lower and Upper Engadine to Celerina (300 km/4:15 h from Munich; 315 km/4 h from Ulm). By train it takes a good 5 hours from Munich (change in St. Margrethen and Landquart), from Ulm about the same time (change in Memmingen, St. Margrethen and Landquart). Info: bahn.de
Lift & Bike in St. Moritz
The hub for bikers who enjoy riding flow trails with lift assistance is Corviglia (2486 m). Several flow trails start here and you can take the gondola up to Piz Nair (3057 m) for exciting alpine trails. The day ticket including Piz Nair costs a hefty 109 Sfr for bikers. Saving tip: from two nights in a participating hotel (e.g. three hotels in Celerina), the mountain railways are free (including bike).
Bike shops along the way
- Celerina: Alpine Bike (alpine-bike.ch)
- Poschiavo: Balzarolo (balzarolo.ch) and Iraggi (iraggi.ch)
- Livigno: There are many bike shops here, my favourite is "The Bikestore" (thebikestore.it)
- Upper Engadine: Bike & Fun in Bever (bikeandfun.ch)
Postbus & Rhaetian Railway
When it comes to public transport, Switzerland is a land of milk and honey. The egg-yolk-coloured buses, known as "Postbuses", take bikers and bikes to practically every mountain village, no matter how small. But only if there is room for the bike. You have to load them yourself. Info: postauto.ch
If you want to cover longer distances by bike, it's better to take the Rhaetian Railway. The red trains run regularly, naturally also transport bikes (self-loading) - and are punctual to the minute! rhb.ch
Info and booking
Unfortunately, the "Engadin hut tour" described here is not available as a package. You have to book the huts yourself and find your own way using GPS data and the exemplary signposting, but this is not a problem. You can find all the important information on the Engadin Tourism tour portal. Simply click on maps.engadin.ch enter "Hüttentour Engadin" in the search window.
The 4 stages of the MTB hut tour:
1st stage: Celerina - Alp Grüm
- Length: 40.9 kilometres (pure bike route)
- Uphill: 683 metres in altitude (pure bike route)
- Downhill: 1694 metres in depth
- Trail share: 22 per cent
- Difficulty: S0-S1
Starting point: Start in Celerina, the last village before St. Moritz. Travelling by train is easy, as everywhere in the Engadin. If you come by car, you can park at the "Pradè" car park.
The stage: From Celerina (1714 m), the route leads leisurely via Pontresina to Morteratsch (1896 m) and after a steep climb via Diavolezza and Lago Bianco to the Ospizio Bernina railway station (2307 m). From the highest point, you ride along the lake to Alp Grüm and descend a good 1000 metres to Poschiavo (1014 m) on a flowing singletrail. From here, take the Bernina railway to Ospizio Bernina and return to Alp Grüm via the familiar route.
Key points: A few bumpy sections await on the descent from Alp Grüm to Poschiavo. Maximum S2!
Retreat: The nicest pit stop is just below the only steep uphill section at the Morteratsch glacier hotel. Further stops can be made at the Gasthaus Bernina, the Ospizio Bernina and Alp Grüm. There are restaurants and ice cream parlours on the piazza in Poschiavo.
Overnight stay: There are two accommodation options on Alp Grüm (2091 m): Alp Grüm (alpgruem.com) directly at the railway station and the Albergo Belvedere above (belvedere-alpgruem.ch).
2nd stage: Alp Grüm - Parkhütte Varusch
- Length: 46.8 km
- Uphill: 1333 metres in altitude
- Downhill: 1699 metres in depth
- Trail share: 22 per cent
- Difficulty: S1
The stage: After a short train journey to Ospizio Bernina, you climb up the other side of the pass road to Fuorcla Minor (2435 m) and follow the trail to Forcola di Livigno and on to the wide plain of Livigno. From there, head over Val Federia on the brutally steep ascent to Passo Chaschauna. One of the most ingenious flow trails in Switzerland awaits at the top. Then on a fast forest track to the Varusch park hut.
Key points: Clearly the ultra-steep uphill to Passo Chaschauna! With the E-MTB, the 600 metres should be easier, but very battery-consuming!
Accommodation: The Parkhütte Varusch (1721 m) welcomes you with a cosy tiled stove, good cuisine, camp beds and rooms for 2, 3 and 4 (varusch.ch).
3rd stage: Varusch - Chamanna d'Es-cha
- Length: 27.4 kilometres
- Uphill: 1031 metres in altitude
- Downhill: 202 metres in depth
- Trail share: 28 per cent
- Difficulty: S0-S1
The stage: In the morning, you roll down from the Varusch park hut to S-chanf and pedal eight kilometres flat to La Punt to wake up. Then it's 600 metres uphill on the pass road to the Albula Hospiz (also possible by postbus, postauto.ch). At the top, the Albula Trail is a flat and flowing ride to the Es-cha car park before the final ascent to the Chamanna d'Es-cha (2594 m).
Key points: Steep, but for good bikers rideable uphill to Fuorcla Gualdauna. A few smaller riding technique challenges on the way to the overnight hut.
Overnight stay: The Chamanna d'Es-cha is enthroned on a south-facing balcony with a dream view of the Bernina. Alpine Club members can stay overnight at a reduced rate (es-cha.ch).
Stage 4: Chamanna d'Es-cha - Celerina
- Length: 35.4 kilometres
- Uphill: 1032 metres in altitude
- Downhill: 1898 metres in depth
- Trail share: 21 %
- Difficulty: S0-S3
The stage: From the Chamanna d'Es-cha (2594 m), you cycle down to Madulain on a challenging trail (partly S3). Follow the Inn cycle path for around nine kilometres up the valley to Celerina. If you wish, you can complete the loop here. Otherwise, cycle up to Alp Muntatsch and follow the Padella-Corviglia panoramic route via Marguns (2273 m) to Corviglia. The legendary descent on the Olympia flow trail to Chantarella is a worthy conclusion to the Engadin hut tour.
Key points: The morning descent from the Chamanna has some more difficult, bumpy sections. The Olympia Flow Trail is a built trail with lots of berms and waves.
Retreat: In summer, homemade apple strudel is served on the Alp Muntatsch. In Marguns, you can fortify yourself in the restaurant for the last few metres up to Corviglia. The time-honoured Suvretta House in St. Moritz is the perfect place to finish off your day.
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Tip for all those who have a little less time and are looking for a two-day MTB adventure in the Engadine Alps: Travelling around the Swiss National Park on trails.
