Route: Alp Grüm to Cavaglia and back
Area: Eastern Swiss Alps
Date of walk: 28th June 2014
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 4.8 miles
Weather: cloudy with sunny intervals
We walked from our hotel in Pontresina to the local railway station, a five minute stroll, and caught the train as far as Alp Grüm. It was an incredible journey involving hairpin bends and tunnels as the train climbed up to a height of nearly 7,000 feet.
The station at Alp Grüm is set in a spectacular position and after admiring the views we eventually set off and headed down to valley level and the pretty village of Cavaglia
The route back up to Alp Grüm took us through some exciting rock scenery, with waterfalls cascading down from the mountains. It was a stiff climb but there were no difficulties and as with all paths in the area the waymarking was very clear
We arrived back at the station with enough time to enjoy a beer and sandwiches for lunch, before catching the train back. This wasn’t the end of our adventure today so to see what we did after this walk click here
Click on the icon below for the route map
We walk to nearby Surovas Station to catch our train, knowing that we will be able to set our watches by its arrival
The train passes by the Morteratsch Glacier
Lago Bianco on the Bernina Pass
We disembark at Alp Gr ü m
The train continues on its journey round a series of hairpin bends
End of the line on this siding
On with the walk towards Cavaglia
It’s all downhill to Cavaglia
The small peaceful village of Cavaglia
Leaving the village
The start of the return leg to Alp Gr ü m
A view back as we gain height
The climb back to Alp Gr ü m goes through impressive rock scenery but there are no difficulties
Lagh da Pal ü - g lacier fed, though I don’t know if this explains the turquoise colour
The lake really was that colour. The various tiers of the railway line can be seen on the hillside beyond
Looking back down on the lake before reaching Alp Gr ü m
The wonderful view from Alp Gr ü m
Much needed refreshments after the climb back to the start at Alp Gr ü m Station - click here to see what we did next……
