Via Engiadina, Stage 2/12

Going along the Julier Pass road, and across fragrant pastures to Alp Suvretta, St. Moritz soon comes into view. The next destination is Corviglia, the local mountain of the glamorous alpine metropolis. The final ascent ends at the deep blue natural reservoir of Lej Alv. From Marguns, you can take the gondola lift to Celerina or follow the alpine trail.

From the Silvaplana, Plazza dal Mastrel stop, the roughly five-hour hike initially leads through the village. Before long, the long ascent begins. Sections of forest alternate with open meadows and pastures as the mountain trail, marked in white-red-white, steadily gains altitude. Nearby lies Lej da Champfèr, one of the lakes of the Upper Engadin lake district.

Just over halfway along the 15-kilometre route, the trail reaches the El Paradiso restaurant. Above it, the landscape becomes increasingly barren. The mountain trail continues upwards across open slopes and through rocky terrain. Near Piz Nair Pitschen, the highest point of the hike lies at around 2,560 metres. By then, just over 1,000 metres of ascent have been completed.

Shortly afterwards, the route leads directly to Lej Alv. The small lake adds a tranquil note to the broad high-altitude landscape. From here, the trail descends to Marguns, losing a further 600 metres or so in elevation. The destination lies directly beside the Marguns (Val Saluver) stop.