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Walks near Pontresina 1805m - page 3 Poschiavo & Muottas Muragl

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To Poschiavo

Saturday 14th July 1984 This was supposed to be an even easier day but it was even hotter & about 15 miles. We got the train to Bernina Suot & walked up to the top lake & down to Poschiavo. We started at Bernina Suot so we would have walked all the way over the pass. Round the top lake was a nasty bit of icy snow where we took more than extra care. Then from the dam, the scenery changes as the Val di Pila is a deep cut gorge.

Across Lago Bianco

I did not know about the Alp Grüm but it is a splendid viewpoint, with below, a view of a flat filled glacier lake hanging valley with the hamlet of Cavaglia in it & down the main valley, a lake & the vague slopes of Mountains in Italy. To the right is a magnificent view up the Palu Glacier (or Vadret round here) with Piz Cambrena dominating the scene. We walked down quite well-maintained paths to Cavaglia then past a gorge where the stream has cut the rock like glacier mills. This comes out 1500 feet above the main valley & the path makes its way down through woods & alps with a lot of flowers.

From the South (Poschiavo)

Poschiavo

We had left the train at Bernina Suot at 0940 & got to Poschiavo at 1530 even though it was downhill most of the way & quite tired. Poschiavo was a surprise. We had a beer & gelati in the tiny main square. Although it is still Switzerland, the town is pure Italy. In fact, the valley crests are the frontier with only the valley Swiss. Here, you can see from one side of Switzerland to the other. I said, ‘Bezahlen, per favore’ without thinking. Then, the spectacular train journey back with the track leaping back & forward to get the height (Poschiavo is only 1080 metres, Cavaglia is 1693 metres, which happens to be 5555 feet & the Bernina Hospice (the top) is 2256m). We were very tired by the time we got back to the ‘Post’ where we got two dinners again - Berner Teller mit sauerkraut which Dad had not had before. I missed a trick when I booked up. I should have said that Dad was 68 & we might not have been put on the top floor!

Muottas Muragl

Sunday 3rd July 2011 I had walked up the Val Roseg in the morning & went to Punt Muragl with my 'bus pass' & up the funicular to Muottas Muragl. I had a fleischkäse for lunch, a sort of spam, served thick. It takes 2 hours 45 minutes to go round the Panorama Walk to the chairlift up to Alpe Languard. The path drops into a side valley & goes up a bit on the other side. Apart from a bit of a pull up towards the chairlift station, there is not much up & down & the path is definitely, 'a nice afternoon for a lady' & many eldery ladies were doing it. While the splendid views of the lakes & the Val roseg can just be had from the funicular station, to get the views of Piz Palu, you have to do the walk!

Muottas Muragl funicular top station

The lakes & St Moritz from Muottas Muragl

From Muottas Muragl

Excellently maintained path

Val Roseg

Piz Palu & the Bellavista

Alp Languard chairlift station

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Contact: Ken Baldry, 17 Gerrard Road, Islington, London N1 8AY +44(0)20 7359 6294 or e-mail him
URL: http://www.art-science.com/Ken/Alpine/Pontresina/pt3.html Last revised 17/7/2011 © 2011 Ken Baldry. All rights reserved.