Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From Pontresina station, follow the signs into the Val Roseg, a side valley closed to traffic. Paths through larch and stone pine and the gravel road used by the horse-drawn coaches lead gently up beside the Ova da Roseg to the Hotel Roseg Gletscher, at about 2,000 m, where the valley opens out below the Roseg and Tschierva glaciers and the peaks of the Bernina range. Return the same way, or by the road.
It is 14.1 km there and back with 221 m of ascent; allow about 4 hours. The grade is Moderate: a broad path and a gravel road with gentle climbs.
In the Little Ice Age the glaciers reached almost to where the hotel now stands; they are now well back up the valley. Horse-drawn omnibuses run up the valley from Pontresina station, so you can ride one way. Cyclists use the road too.
Pontresina station is on the Rhaetian Railway from St. Moritz and on the Bernina line, with parking near the station.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- A side valley closed to traffic: only walkers, cyclists and horse-drawn coaches go up to the Hotel Roseg Gletscher, at about 2,000 m
- In the Little Ice Age the Roseg and Tschierva glaciers reached almost to where the hotel stands
- Horse-drawn omnibuses run from Pontresina station up the valley to the hotel
Getting there
Start: Pontresina station. 46.49106, 9.89604
By train: Pontresina station is 0.0 km from the start.
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Pontresina: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.