Grialetsch Hut to the Engadine Valley

A great peak for your last day then a huge descent to finish

Ski Touring Moderate

Distance: 12 km
Ascent: 713 m
Descent: 1.8 km
Duration: 4-5 hrs

Low Point: 1.5 km
High Point: 3.2 km
Gradient: 31˚

Grialetsch Hut to the Engadine Valley Map

In good conditions this is a fantastic way to finish off your tour. Acclimatised now you should have no difficulty with the skin to the top of Piz Sarsura at 3175m. There is a choice of routes, with little to choose between them. The one marked here is the one with less vertical climb but does a fair bit of low angled traversing. The alternative is to ski down with 200m height loss to pt 2373m, then skin up and through the Fuorcla Sarsura, with the final section up the easy angled Sarsura Glacier to the summit.

An alternative way down from Piz Sarsura Photo: Fredi Bach

Another perfect Albula powder descent Photo: Simon Wood

Description

As marked here head SW from the hut up a short area of steeper ground, then contour SE above steep ground, heading to the R in ascent of an obvious rocky outcrop, the Isla Persa, at 2849m. Continue SE, up the Grialetsch Glacier before, more steeply NE, to gain the high col at 3132m. You are only a short distance below the summit now, with its cross on the ski summit. The rocky true summit for the adventurous lies a short distance to the W.

Either way your huge descent lies before you and you can enjoy the summit views before your single drop of 1700m to the Engadine valley. This is NE facing, so has a high likelyhood of powder. Descend into the Sarsura valley, with a track lower down, to finish at the road at 1450m. It is a 3km walk or hitch to Zernez to the S, where a (well earned) warm shower and a cold drink await!