Swiss Walking & Rail Adventure 10 days / 9 nights Guided Walking Tour Graubünden, Matterhorn & Bernese Alps Guided Walking Tour Graubünden, Matterhorn & Bernese Alps This 10 day guided tour takes us to the three mountain top spots in Switzerland. Graubünden is the land of the wild mountain goat, its Heidi's home, it's the source of the Rhine, it's Switzerland's biggest holiday region. We explore this fantastic area on historic Via Valtellina. 47 four thousand metre peaks, impressive glaciers and deep gorges invite you to discover tranquil or hair-raising paths in Valais. In-between we enjoy the famous Glacier Express before we head on to the Jungfrau Region and beauty of the Bernese Alps. 10 days, millions of highlights! Visit Davos - the largest Alpine Resort in the Swiss Alps Trek on historical path "Via Valtellina" Champagne Atmosphere in the Engadine - St. Moritz Valley Unforgettable train ride with the famous Glacier Express Hikes on the foot of the Matterhorn / Gornergrat Jungfrau Region: the most beautiful Mountain scenery in the world Dates / Rack rates 2012 Basic price in a Single room Small group double room supplement surcharge (2-5 Pax) Price per person CHF CHF CHF July 16-25 July 30 - August 8 3100 300 250 September 10-19 Guaranteed departures with minimum 2, maximum 16 participants Net rates are based upon Swiss Pass or Swiss Flexi Pass 1st class which is not included in the basic price You have the opportunity to make your tour climate-neutral We work with the climate protection foundation «myclimate» on specially chosen projects to offset the volume of emissions during your tour. This results reduced emissions and the use of renewable energy. Voluntary contribution CHF 7.00 per person/tour Services - operated by baumeler accommodation 3-4* hotels incl. half board except on day 1 and 10 (meals as noted; B=Breakfast, PL=Picnics-Lunch, L=Lunch, D=Dinner) tips to porters and drivers all cable car rides and public transport throughout the tour starting in Davos, finishing in Grindelwald (on basis of a Swiss Pass train Ticket) all entrance fees for excursions luggage transport from Davos throughout the tour until Grindelwald English-speaking travel guide/hiking guide Extensive travel documentation Company liability of CHF 20 Mio. Not included International airfare transfer to Davos and from Grindelwald meals not noted on itinerary all drinks travel insurance optional tipping to tour guide Hiking/Walking rating moderate Duration The treks take between 3 and 6 hours each day. Paths At the beginning we walk along country paths and forest roads. In the mountains trekking takes us along narrow paths. Altitude differential There are some steeper climbs to manage. The ascents are usually evenly steep. The altitude differential quoted in the travel programme relates to the entire trek and is generally divided up between a number of shorter ascents and descents. TRAVEL PROGRAMME 1st day Davos, Switzerland Individual journey to Davos. Davos in Grisons is a place of superlatives: this holiday destination with international ambience is the largest resort in the Alps for mountain holidays, sport and conferences, at 1560 m the highest town in the Alps and a high- altitude health resort with a long tradition. Our Hotel for the first night is member of the Swiss Historic Hotels and nested some hundreds meter above the village of Davos, reachable with a private cable car only. Meet your tourguide at the hotel Schatzalp. On the first day he offers you a short guided walk down to Davos and a good briefing on your upcoming hiking week D, Hotel Schatzalp, Davos 2nd day Davos - Scaletta Pass - S-chanf Hiking time approx. 6 ½ hrs. Up 1100 m, down 750 m We leave Davos after breakfast by postbus to Dürrboden, from where we start our hike on the historic route of Via Valtellina. Following the Landwasser valley we climb Scalettapass and can enjoy a stunning view on the Grisons Mountainworld. The Scaletta and Flüela pass crossings were keen rivals of long standing. The main bone of contention was responsibility for maintenance and upkeep, particularly keeping the crossings open in winter. There simply weren’t enough resources to clear both routes. In 1680, Davos and Zuoz signed a contract holding Davos responsible for closing the Flüelapass in winter and providing four men well-appointed with oxen, horses and equipment to keep the Scalettapass clear up to the summit in all weathers. In 1681, the Scalettapass was eschewed in favour of the Flüelapass, and Davos signed a maintenance contract with the municipality of Süs for a period of 20 years. After our descent to Chapella we are in the Engadine Valley already. B, D. Sporthotel Scaletta ***, S-chanf 3rd day S-chanf - St. Moritz Hiking time approx. 5 ½ hrs. Up 350 m, down 200 m Our trek leads through picturesque villages in the Upper Engadin. Zuoz, Madulain and Samedan are only a few on the way to St. Moritz. We do have enough time to enjoy the scenery and the local specialities in typical restaurants (individual lunch). St. Moritz is one of the world’s most famous holiday resorts. Chic, elegant and exclusive with a cosmopolitan ambiance, it is located at 1,856 metres above sea level in the middle of the Upper Engadin lake landscape. The dry, sparkling «champagne climate» is legendary and the celebrated St. Moritz sun shines for an average of 322 days a year. B, D, Hotel Steffani **** St. Moritz 4th day Alp Languard - Muottas Muragl Hiking time approx. 6 hrs. Up 950 m, down 100 m We suggest a gentle walk from St. Moritz to Pontresina, ideal for a warm up and get to know the area. Climb up to Alp Languard (Option: Chair-lift) the starting point for our fantastic high-altitude walk. Always following the signs for Muottas Muragl, you take a narrow path that winds along the steep slope. Shortly before the end, the path takes a detour into the rocky Val Muragl. A final gentle climb leads up to the vantage point at Muottas Muragl. Finally, towards the end of the tour, the whole array of Upper Engadine lakes lies at your feet, a stunning sight. Walking along the slope of the mountain, you at first more or less follow the tree line, here at between 2200 and 2300 m. Treeless and bare by contrast, yet still very colourful in its way, is the Val Muragl. The crowning glory of the walk is the unique vantage point on Muottas Muragl, where the panorama extends from Piz Palü in the south-east to Piz Ot in the west. B, D, Hotel Steffani **** St. Moritz 5th day St. Moritz - Zermatt by rail Today we board the famous Glacier Express. The sheer joy of travel aboard the Glacier Express: presenting you with a cross-section of the richly varied Swiss countryside. On board the Glacier Express, meals are prepared specially for you by the chef in the dining car. Coffee, drinks and snacks are brought to your seat by the Railbar staff. The Glacier Express: glistening mountains in Summer; a fairy-tale landscape; a magical carpet of flowers in Spring; a splendid tapestry of colour in Autumn. The Glacier Express: one of the world's most famous train journeys! Arrival in Zermatt and Transfer to our Hotel at the foot of famous Matterhorn! B, L, D, Hotel Hemizeus***, Zermatt 6th day Hiking on the foot of the Matterhorn Hiking time approx. 5 ½ hrs. Up 850 m, down 850 m On the Italian border of the canton of Valais in the west of Switzerland, at the end of the 30 km-long Nikolaital, lies Zermatt, the village at the foot of the Matterhorn, the most photographed mountain in the world. Zermatt epitomises the image of Switzerland: high-alpine, awe-inspiring and original. Zermatt and the Matterhorn has been visited by mountaineers from all around the world since the first successful ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. The air up here is clear, dry and clean, because, since 1947, only electric cars without a combustion engine are allowed to operate in the village. We still have time for a short introduction hike through the village and in the area. The famous Edelweissweg is well known because here you have the possibility to discover the real Swiss Alpine flower, the Edelweiss. Trift is a beautiful place with a well known restaurant und Zmutt is may be the most lovely village in this area. Wooden Chalets, green fields, marmots on the way and above the mighty Matterhorn. Breathtaking! B, D, Hotel Hemizeus***, Zermatt 7th day Zermatt Gornergrat - Mürren Hiking time approx. 2 hrs. Up 300 m, down 300 m For more than 100 years the Gornergrat Bahn has been making the ascent to the panoramic mountain a truly unique and wonderful experience. Europe’s highest open-air cogwheel railway departs daily every 24 minutes, climbing to the Gornergrat 9.339 km away. The train crosses impressive bridges, galleries and tunnels. In the midst of idyllic forests and alpine meadows, past rocky gorges and tarns. Accompanied by the majestic mountains, first and foremost by the Matterhorn. The Gornergrat Bahn provides access to a fantastic hiking area around the Gornergrat. We leave the Matterhorn Village in the afternoon. A scenic train ride from Zermatt to Visp and further through the Lötschberg brings us to Spiez, Interlaken and Mürren. Mürren - peace, quiet and spectacular views at this beautifully located, sunny, car free resort. The cosy, pedestrian, «Walser» village offers an impressive panorama of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Mürren (1650 m) is the highest, permanently inhabited settlement in the canton Berne and is reached by cable- car.