The Wild Engadine
Anytime from June 15 - Sept 20
Dates | Duration |
|---|---|
Anytime from June 15 - Sept 20 | 7 days - 6 nights |
Switzerland’s Engadine region is one of the great trail running secrets of the Alps.
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.
Book this tour
7 days, 6 nights
$2490 per person
$650 single supplement
5 days, 4 nights
$2080 per person
4 days, 3 nights
$1880 per person
Looking for a customized itinerary?
Please get in touch. We’d love to discuss your options with you.
Prefer to go with a guide?
Explore our group guided trips or inquire about our privately guided trips.
- Accommodation in 3 star hotels and/or mountain huts
- Buffet breakfasts each morning
- Detailed daily run descriptions, GPX files and all the resources you need along the way are provided via our app (see a sample here). We’ll also send you a printed copy of the route and other key information, in case you’d like to take these with you as a back-up
- A copy of our Guide to Trail Running in the Alps, which contains thorough travel instructions, regional information and tips from the staff and guide team at Run the Alps
- In-tour support through our WhatsApp Helpline
- Flights / transportation to and from the tour
- Transport to and from trailheads if you choose to shorten a run
- Dinners and drinks
- Extra charges made at accommodations such as room service or laundry
- Trail snacks and lunches – our materials include info of where to stop along the way or if bringing trail snacks is a better option based on the day
Run the Alps can provide guidance on how to travel to your tour’s start point if needed. Typically, once you arrive in Switzerland, you will then take a train to Pontresina in the upper Engadine valley.
Run the Alps can provide guidance on how to travel from the Engagine to your onward location.
- Why Run the Alps? See how Run the Alps compares to other trail running companies and what sets us apart here.
- Group Discounts: When we create tours for a group of five or more self-guided guests, there is an opportunity for some savings. We’re pleased to pass them on to you – please get in touch to explore your options.
- Alumni Discount: We love welcoming our alumni back to the Alps and offer a 10% discount on all standard guided and self-guided trips. Simply check the Alumni box on the registration form and we’ll apply the discount when we invoice you.
- Want to shorten or extend your trip or add an Alps Trail Race? Just let us know and we’d be happy to help.
- Can a non-running partner join me on this tour? Yes–read how hiking and sightseeing companions can come too.
- Celebrating a special occasion? Each year we get a number of guests who are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or retirement with a Run the Alps trip. If this is you, let us know!
- Concerned about being ready? We’re here to help. You can check out our Training Resources or get in touch if you’d like to be put in touch with a coach.
- Tour Grants Program: Run the Alps is committed to making our trips more inclusive. If you’d like to join this trip, but don’t think you can afford it, please check out our Tour Grants Program.
- Trip Insurance: Life can sometimes throw us a curveball and wreak havoc upon the best laid plans, which is why Run the Alps requires trip insurance. Learn more here.
- Terms and Conditions: You can read up on them here.
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