Brains
Earlier this year, Ikon Pass added the Engadin St. Moritz ski area to its European offering, giving Ikon Pass holders 5-7 days of access to the resorts in this mountain cooperative. But what does this actually entail? Engadin Mountains is a group of resorts and ski areas in the Upper Engadin Valley on a single ski pass. Including Engadin St. Moritz on the Ikon pass gives users access to all ski resorts, areas, and lifts in all the villages in the valley.
The Upper Engadin Valley is a 50-mile (80km) long valley located in the southeast corner of Switzerland on the border to Italy at an altitude of 5,540 feet (1,660 meters) to 5,955 feet (1,815 meters). The valley features several picturesque villages dotted with lakes, which attract people year-round for hiking, kite surfing, sailing, sledding, ice skating, cross-country skiing, and alpine skiing/snowboarding. The valley is littered with several peaks, the highest of which is Piz Bernina, at 13,284 feet (4,049 meters). The highest lifted point in the valley is Piz Corvatsch, at 10,837 feet (3,303 meters).
Corviglia Ski Area
Everybody has heard of St. Moritz, but most people don’t realize that it is only the name of the village, not the name of the ski area, although the two have become largely synonymous. The ski area above St. Moritz village is called Corviglia. It can be accessed by a 100-person aerial tramway from St. Moritz Bad, a 100-person funicular from St. Moritz village, or a six-person gondola from adjacent Celerina village. There is also a private chairlift, the Suvretta Chair, from the Suvretta House for hotel guests.
Corviglia ski area extends from 5,751 – 10,030 feet (1,753 – 3,057 meters), offering 4,278 feet (1,304 meters) of vertical. Technically, you could ski a bit lower down to adjacent Samedan, but the run is not always open, and there is no lift back up from Samedan, so we will not count that as true vertical. The ski area is typically open from the last weekend in November to the first weekend in April. The resort is serviced by 24 lifts, most of which are chairs with bubbles. The area has around 100 miles of groomed runs that are groomed daily and open from as early as 7:45 a.m. The longest continuous ski run is from Fuorcla Grischa to Celerina, which is 3.75 miles (6 km) long and covers 3,973 feet (1,211 meters) vertically.
Corviglia has everything: the glitz and glamour, the World Cup runs, exquisite mountain food, and stunning views. It is the epitome of skiing in Switzerland. There is a small terrain park with often a skier/boarder cross run, a permanent, timed Giant Slalom course, and a speed check for those who are competitive. Corviglia is basked in sunlight, which makes for glorious sunshine skiing and a fairly short season thanks to its south-facing aspect.
Corvatsch Ski Area
Opposite Corviglia on the shady side of the valley lies Corvatsch. Corvatsch is like the smaller, edgier sister of Corviglia. The word Corvatsch means “Black Crow” in Romantsch. Piz Corvatsch is the highest lifted point at 10,837 feet (3,303 meters), accessed by two aerial tramways from the bottom station at Surlej. At the top station is a restaurant with 360° views and a viewing platform that enables you to see to the Matterhorn on a clear day.
The ski area offers 75 miles (120 km) of groomed runs and is accessed by aerial tramway from Surlej or Furtschellas. The skiable terrain stretches from 1,797 meters to 3,303 meters. The longest continuous ski run is 3.75 miles (6 km) from the top of Furtschellas to the bottom station at Surlej and stretches across 916 meters of vertical. You can ski from Corvatsch down the Hahnensee course to St. Moritz Bad, from where you can pop across the road to the Signal tramway and head into the Corviglia ski area.
Corvatsch boasts a massive terrain park with a proline and halfpipe and is host yearly to the FIS Freeski and Snowboard World Cup. It is also a mecca for freeriders and hosts several freeride events. Due to its shady location, Corvatsch is skiable from early November to late April and offers some of the best snow in the valley. Corvatsch hosts night skiing every Friday during the peak season (December to early April).
Corvatsch skiers shun the glitz and glam of Corviglia and will be found in sporty attire and some serious ski-ability to match. Mountain food here is great quality, but there is no white tablecloth to be found. The pizzas at the Murtel mid-station come from a woodfire oven and are spectacular and cheaper than anything you can find at Corviglia. If Corvatsch were a Spice Girl, it would be Sporty Spice.
Diavolezza/Lagalb
Towards the Bernina pass are the twin ski areas Diavolezza and Lagalb, which combined offer 28 miles (45km) of runs, serviced by aerial tramways from the base stations. Lagalb only has one tramway, while Diavolezza has another chair lift on top and a surface lift at the bottom for beginners. While the infrastructure is more on the minimalist side, the skiing is on the maximum: Lagalb boasts one of the steepest runs in Europe, the “Minor Run” which has a gradient of 86% (the steepest in the canton of Graubünden/Grischa), while Diavolezza boasts the longest glacier run in Switzerland, extending 6.25 miles (10km) down the Morteratsch glacier.
But you don’t need to go to extremes to have fun – simply chasing the Diavolezza tramway, which departs every 15 minutes on most days, is a super one way to squeeze the most skiing into one hour. If you are fast enough to catch the tramway’s 15-minute rhythm, you can clock a cool 11,614 feet (3,540 meters) of vertical an hour. With operating hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can smash the 100K vertical barrier in one day.
Diavolezza/Lagalb is very popular with backcountry skiers. Due to the lack of easy slopes, you will find mostly advanced skiers here. Diavolezza, or the “She-Devil Mountain,” is situated on the Morteratsch glacier and is skiable from mid-October to mid-May. You will often find the Swiss National Team training here in October as the snow at the top is preserved under big felt blankets over summer. The glacier run is only open when the snow cover is deep enough to be safe, and you have to make sure to stay on the marked (but not groomed) run, or you could end up in a crevasse. At the bottom of the glacier run, you can often find glacier caves, which are incredible to behold.
Diavolezza reaches an altitude of 9,704 feet (2,958 meters), and Lagalb reaches an altitude of 9,491 feet (2,893 meters). The view from both top stations across the Eastern Alps and to the Piz Bernina (13,283 feet) is breathtaking and worth the trip alone.
Zuoz
Just a mile down the valley, we find Zuoz, one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland, with cobblestone streets and typical Engadin houses. Zuoz is home to its own ski area, with a base elevation of 5,643 feet (1,720 meters) and six lifts reaching up to 8,087 feet (2,465 meters). There are nine miles (15km) of groomed runs, which attract a lot of families with small children. It is a family-friendly resort featuring the first child-safe chair lift in Europe. Aside from families, Zuoz is also a base for backcountry skiers. You can climb further from the top of the Pizzet triple-chair lift and drop into the extensive mountain ranges behind.
There are smaller ski areas or single lifts in Samedan, Pontresina, and La Punt, but mentioning them here would be too much. A funicular also takes you up to a sledding run, and all these lifts will be included with the Ikon Pass access. The addition of Engadin St. Moritz gives Ikon passholders access to 223 miles (360km) of groomed alpine runs. If that is not enough to whet your appetite, there are also 150 miles (240 km) of cross-country trails and, on average, 322 days of sunshine a year.
