Alpine Passes Trail: Stage 1

Our tip for the following stage of the Alpine passes route:

•  Lej Alv natural storage lake: Used in winter as a water reservoir for snowmaking on the slopes, Lej Alv is a perfect place for a hiking break in summer.

The Alpine passes route leads from St. Moritz over nearly 700 kilometers to St. Gingolph. On a total of 39 stages, 40,000 meters ascent and 40,000 descent are overcome. With every new valley and every pass, a new world awaits. Worldwide known is St. Moritz, the luxurious holiday resort in the Upper Engadine lake landscape. The cogwheel railway takes you to the starting point in Corviglia at 2,488 meters. From here, glitz and glamour are gradually forgotten.

Past Lej Alv, where the peaks of Sass Corviglia, Piz Saluver, and Sass Nair are reflected, the path winds through the valley up to Fuorcla Schlattain at 2,872 meters above sea level. The last section is quite steep and sweat-inducing. Via Lej da la Pêsch, it descends to the Suvretta Pass. Beautifully situated is Lej Suvretta amid the alpine mountain landscape with Piz Nair (3,055), Piz Suvretta (3,143), Corn Suvretta (3,071), and Piz Güglia (3,380). With a view into Suvretta da Samedan, the path branches off to the left.

The next 400 meters of ascent are steep. Partly exposed and with short climbing sections, about an hour later you stand on Fuorcla Suvretta just under 3,000 meters. At the highest point of the stage, you have left all civilization behind. To the south in view: the snow-covered Piz Bernina and the Morteratsch. On the other side: a moon-like landscape resembling an amphitheater. The red glowing Piz Traunter Ovas immediately catches the eye. Its effect is granted by the iron-rich rock in good sunlight.

Now follows the steep and slippery descent. Reaching the floor of the “amphitheater”, shortly after you look into the magnificent Val Bever, which stretches around 15 kilometers further to Bever. After gravel, a grassy landscape follows. After taking the left bend behind you, you recognize the beautifully located Jenatsch hut on the hill. The views now reach farther into Val Bever. After crossing the river, the last ascent follows to the highest (2,651 m) SAC hut in Graubünden. It fits perfectly into the mountain landscape between Piz Picuogl and Piz Jenatsch.

Only a pity: the glacier is no longer visible at all, although in 1893 it still reached almost to the hut.