The stages

The Haute Route Graubünden takes you over four huts and over five days. You have ski touring and deep snow experience and can master steeper passages on the ascent and descent. You can master the hairpin bend and your physical fitness is sufficient for four hours of ascent and for up to 1200 m of altitude? Do you feel comfortable at a speed of approx. 300 hm per hour? Then nothing stands in the way of this ski traverse! Normally you start at the Julier Pass. The snow tour bus will take you there in comfort. You can find the link under `Home`, at `Nice to know`...

Stage 1

Start at the car park below la Veduta (just before the Julier Pass summit, coming from Bivio), then head north along the valley basin. From afar, you can already see the summit destination - Piz Surgonda - in the northeast. The final section just before the summit is climbed on foot, and is quite steep. Afterwards, a nice, long descent awaits you: you start in an easterly direction, then in a northerly direction, before you have to put on your skins again for the last 200 meters ascent to the hut.

Stage 2

From the Jenatsch Hut, traverse the steep south-eastern flank of the Crasta Jenatsch in an easterly direction. Then climb up in the hollow in a north-westerly direction. Do not ascend all the way to Fuorcla Laviner, but cross shortly before in a north-easterly direction. Deposit the skis at 3080m, then climb on foot through the snow gully to the summit. The descent leads through some small couloirs to Naz. The train then takes you from Preda to Madulain, where you take the summer access path to Chamanna d'Es-cha directly behind the station. Through the forest to Alp Es-cha Dadour, then a steady ascent in Val Müra to the day's destination Chamanna d`Es-cha.

Stage 3

Behind the hut, you start in a north-westerly direction over the moraine ridge to below the Porta d`Es-cha. For the last stretch, you have to carry your skis; there is a chain to help you, but in winter it is usually frozen or snowed in. From Porta d'Es-cha, you descend steeply into a hollow, then up to the ski depot at 3270m. Now you climb a steep snowfield on foot, climb the northeast ridge to the fall line below the summit. The last few meters, then it's done. The descent leads back in direction of the Porta d`Es-cha, just before it keep left and then descend over the glacier to the Kesch hut.

Stage 4

Start with a short descent through the Val Funtauna. From Alp Funtauna you then climb up to the Scalettapass to the north. Continue over the moraine slope to the east and over the glacier up to the ridge. The rocky terrain is bypassed by crossing the east side of the ridge and thus reaching the Scalettahorn from the southeast. For the descent, stay south/southeast of the ridge, enjoy wide, regular slopes and then cross in at the end of the ridge towards the northwest, from where you can already see the hut.

Stage 5

Short descent to Fuorcla Grialetsch, then a not so easy to find ascent to Fuorcla Radönt in a northerly direction. Schwarzhornfurgga is reached by traversing the glacier to the west. From there, you climb the southern flank to the summit. The descent leads through the hollow southeast of the Schwarzhorn, then crosses under the foothills of the east ridge and soon reaches the Flüela Pass.

The 3 alternative Routes

The Summit Tour

With the Summit Tour alternative, additional peaks can be climbed. There are various summits to choose from: Piz Traunter Ovas (3151 m.a.s.l.), Piz Jenatsch (3250 m.a.s.l.), Piz Belvair (2816 m.a.s.l.), Piz Kesch (3417 m.a.s.l.), Scalettahorn (3067 m.a.s.l.), Piz Sarsura (3132 m.a.s.l.).

The Snowshoe Tour

The tour can also be done with snowshoes instead of skis. For this purpose, the second and fifth stages are slightly changed, otherwise the course remains unchanged.

The "light-Tour"

In the shortened version, one hut is left out. The tour therefore only takes four days. The start in Madulain, for example, is quite suitable for this...

The hut wardens will be happy to give you information about the various offers!