Via Albula/Bernina, Stage 8/10

Past the white glacier water of Lago Bianco, the path climbs to the fantastic Sassal Mason overlook. Then it descends through the rocky Asciai da Palü gorge into the Cavaglia mountain valley. Several glaciers, the ruggedness of the area and the Rhaetian Railway make this route an amazing experience.

From the Ospizio Bernina stop, the white-red-white marked mountain trail initially crosses open terrain. It soon reaches the shore of Lago Bianco and continues across open pastures towards Sassal Mason. At around 2,360 m, this is the highest point on the route; the restaurant stands just a few steps from the trail.

The long descent then begins. The trail quickly loses altitude across the alpine pastures of Alp Grüm. The viewpoint and restaurant here are located directly on the route. The path then passes close to Lagh da Palü, a reservoir at the foot of Piz Palü.

On the final section, the mountain trail increasingly enters the forest and descends to Cavaglia. Over nine kilometres, the route involves around 800 metres of descent and just over 200 metres of ascent. Just under three hours should be allowed for the hike. The destination lies some distance from public transport; the nearest stop, Cavaglia, is around 400 metres away.