Walks in the Engadine – Switzerland

In this guidebook Kev Reynolds describes 100 of his favourite walks and treks in Switzerland's Engadine, Val Bregaglia and Val Bernina.Tucked away in the south-east corner of Switzerland, the Engadine is a region of sublime lakes and mountains, pretty alpine villages and the country’s only national park.

General Tourist Guides

The Rough Guide to Switzerland by Matthew Teller (Rough Guides Ltd: 2nd ed 2003) – Perhaps the best general guide to the country available at present.

Switzerland by Mark Honan (Lonely Planet) – Frequent editions of this popular guide keep information up to date.

The Blue Guide: Switzerland by Ian Robertson (A&C Black, London/W.W.Norton, New York) – Regularly updated, with near-comprehensive coverage.

The Green Guide: Switzerland (Michelin Travel Publications, 2001) – Presented in gazetteer form with a wide range of illustrations, but with many inaccuracies.

The Alps by R.L.G. Irving (Batsford, 1939) – long out of print, but available on special order from public libraries or via Internet book-search sites, this volume by a noted Alpine connoisseur contains passages of interest to visitors to the Engadine.

Mountains and mountaineering

Despite the numerous volumes dedicated to mountaineering that have been published in the last hundred years and more, surprisingly little in English has been devoted to mountains of the Engadine region. The following list is therefore rather small, but it contains a few books with passages of specific interest.

Adventures of an Alpine Guide by Christian Klucker (John Murray 1932) – Klucker was one of the most influential guides of the post-Golden Age era who lived in, and was buried in, Val Fex. This is his autobiography, with numerous references to local climbs, particularly in the Bregaglia.

Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage by Hermann Buhl (latest edition Bâton Wicks 1998) – The climbing memoirs of the great Austrian climber remembered for his first ascent (solo) of Nanga Parbat in 1953. This book also includes an account of his solo ascent of Piz Badile’s Northeast Face.

Starlight and Storm by Gaston Rébuffat (Kaye & Ward 1968) – In his story of climbing the six great North Faces of the Alps, Rébuffat describes tackling Piz Badile in a storm.

The High Mountains of the Alps by Helmut Dumler & Willi Burkhardt (Diadem, London/The Mountaineers, Seattle 1993) – A beautifully produced volume, sumptuously illustrated with colour photographs and with an intelligent text depicting all the Alpine 4000m peaks. A section is devoted to Piz Bernina.

The Mountains of Switzerland by Herbert Maeder (George Allen & Unwin 1968) – A large-format book with splendid monochrome illustrations.

The Outdoor Traveler’s Guide: The Alps by Marcia R. Lieberman (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York 1991) – With numerous fine colour photographs by Tim Thompson.

The Mountains of Europe by Kev Reynolds (Oxford Illustrated Press 1990) – All the major mountain areas of continental Europe described, including the Bernina and Bregaglia Alps.

Bernina and Bregaglia – Selected Climbs by Lindsay Griffin (Alpine Club 1995) – The latest AC guidebook to the area, compiled by a noted authority.

Silvretta Alps by Jeff Williams (West Col 1995) – A very useful guide to these Austro/Swiss mountains. Most of the routes are from the Austrian side, but there’s much to interest visitors in the Lower Engadine.

The Alpine 4000m Peaks by the Classic Routes by Richard Goedeke (Bâton Wicks 2nd ed 2003) – The title says it all; a well-illustrated guide that includes Piz Bernina.

Eastern Alps; the Classic Routes on the Highest Peaks by Dieter Seibert (Diadem 1992) – Includes peaks in the Silvretta, Albula, Bernina and Bregaglia Alps.

Walking

Walking in the Alps by J. Hubert Walker (Oliver & Boyd 1951) – Long out of print. Available on special order from some libraries, this is probably the best and most readable volume of inspiration to mountain walkers. Includes a fine chapter on the Bernina and Bregaglia Alps.

Walking in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone Press 1998) – Inspired by Walker’s classic volume (see above), this 480-page hardback describes 19 regions of the Alps, from the Alpes Maritimes to the Julians of Slovenia, and includes, of course, much of the district covered by the present guide.

Classic Walks in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Oxford Illustrated Press 1991) – A large-format book with some favourite Engadine and Bregaglia walks included.

Walking in Switzerland by Clem Lindenmayer (Lonely Planet 2nd ed 2001) – Strong on background information, in attempting to cover most of the country, the guide spreads the walks lightly. Engadine region walks that are included are well researched and written.

100 Hut Walks in the Alps by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone Press, 2nd ed 2005) – As the title suggests, a large selection of mountain huts across the Alpine ranges, some of which are also described in the present guide.

A Guide to Walks in the Swiss National Park by Klaus Robin (Swiss National Park 1995) – A handy pocket-sized guidebook with 20 walks in the national park. The text concentrates more on the flora and fauna than route descriptions, but is full of interest. On sale at the National Parkhaus in Zernez.

Oberengadin and Unterengadin by Rudolf & Siegrun Weiss (Rother, Münich, 2002) – Two German-language guides to walks in the Engadine Valley; 50 routes in each.