Guided Snowshoeing Weekend in Val S-Charl (Engadin)

Let’s go snowshoeing and explore the beauty of Val S-charl in Graubünden. S-charl, right at the border of the Swiss National Park, in the Lower Engadine is probably one of the most remote places in Switzerland. The national park is exclusively for wild life in the winter, nobody is allowed in. But its surroundings are absolutely stunning and seem to be made for snowshoeing! We will hike in a Northern atmosphere, and if we’re lucky enough we might even see bearded vultures and golden eagles!

This trip is led by Celine Kahn, mountain leader.

What’s the plan?

Saturday – S-charl

We meet in Scuol-Tarasp at 10:15. After crossing the charming village, we hike through the stunning Val S-charl valley all the way to S-charl at 1810m. There may be little snow, so possibly we need to carry the snowshoes. Make sure that you can fix them on your backpack. For those willing to walk more, we can drop our bags at the hotel and hike up to Alp Sesvenna. We will be staying at Gasthaus Mayor, a wooden hotel with a lot of charm. Sauna and hot tub will be waiting for us. Time to relax before having a great dinner together.

Technical info: 12km – 4h walking – 650m ascent – 150m descent (extra 2h with 300m ascent / 300m descent if we hike to Alp Sesvenna)

Sunday – Pass da Costainas 2250m

After an energising breakfast at the hotel, we will hike over Pass da Costainas at 2250m all the way to the little Tschierv village, through beautiful nature and the God da Tamangur forest, the highest continuous stone-pine forest in Europe. The landscape is similar to Northern Scandinavia, Canada or Siberia.

Technical info: 15km – 5h walking – 500m ascent – 650m descent

Requirements

To join this event, you need to be a fit hiker. No previous snowshoeing experience is needed.

Insurance

It is the participant’s responsibility to get health and accident insurances that cover mountain rescue, including extreme sports. Becoming a Rega patron is highly recommended (CHF 40 per year only for emergency medical assistance from the air).

How to get there

If you are traveling from Zurich by public transport, we recommend you take the following:

• Saturday: Zurich HB 07:38 – 10:15 Scuol-Tarasp (via Landquart)
• Sunday: Tschierv, plaz 15:49 – 19:22 Zurich HB (via Zernez, Sagliains & Landquart) – depending on the time the event finishes

If you are traveling by car, you can park in Landquart and take the train from there, in order to get back to your car easily on Sunday.

Kit list

Day clothing essentials

• Winter hiking boots
• Base layers
• Hiking or skiing trousers
• Fleece
• Down jacket
• Waterproof jacket
• Sun hat
• Sunglasses
• Warm hat
• Buff
• Thin gloves
• Thick gloves

Night essentials

• Headlamp with spare batteries
• Ear plugs
• Swimwear

Technical gear

• Hiking backpack (30-40L)
• Waterproof backpack cover
• Waterproof inner bags or bin bags
• Snowshoes and poles: can be rented out – see “Equipment rental”
• Avalanche set: transceiver, probe and shovel: can be rented out – see “Equipment rental”

F&B

• Water
• Thermal bottle for tea
• Snacks
• Packed lunches for 2 days

Pharmacy

• Sunscreen and lip protector
• Plasters and basic medicine

Equipment rental

You have the possibility to rent the following equipment, directly from the guide:

• Snowshoes and poles: CHF 30
• Avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe: CHF 50

You will receive an email with a form to fill in a few days before the event, where you can inform us about which items you’d like to rent. These can be paid by cash or Twint on the event day.

Pricing

The price for this event is CHF 300 in a shared room (dorm) or CHF 325 in a twin room.

Included in price

• 2 days of guided snowshoeing with a mountain leader, in a small group
• Basic avalanche training to make sure everyone knows how to use the equipment
• 1 night of accommodation at Gasthaus Mayor
• Access to sauna and hot tub
• Dinner on Saturday
• Breakfast and take-away tea on Sunday

Not included in price

• Transport to Scuol on Saturday and from Tschierv on Sunday
• Packed lunches
• Drinks & snacks
• Equipment rental

Group size

Min. 4 / Max. 9 participants

By signing up for this event, you agree that you have read, understood and will adhere to our Terms and Conditions.