Morteratsch Glacier
I did this hike on the 27th of July, 2024, together with some friends. This hike is part of a two day hike, where I the first day hiked up through Val Champagna and stayed over with my tent on the Morteratsch campground. I had once before been to the Morteratsch Glacier, but in autumn and only down in the valley, so I was excited to do the upper trail.
Full route: Swisstopo
It was a beautiful morning, when we started out from the Morteratsch campground. We followed the lake next to the campground and continued past the Morteratsch train station, from where the hiking trail started.
After a short part up through forest, the landscape suddenly opened up and we had amazing views to the glacier and mountains behind. It was a lightly clouded day, but it just made everything more dramatic.
The hiking path runs up above the glacier and valley the entire way to the Chamanna da Boval hut. The trail changes between parts in forest and more open parts closer to the top of the moraine, and is only towards the end steep.
Before reaching the hut, we decided to have a snack break up on the moraine and enjoy the views down towards the glacier. From here, we could also see back into the valley and towards Piz Languard in the background.
At the hut, there is a restaurant and we had our lunch break here. It was amazing sitting outside on the terrace with views so close to the glacier. We stayed for quite some time in here, before we decided to start the walk back.
As a geologist who has worked with ice and glaciers, I was pretty happy about this hike and trail, with all the amazing views down to the glacier. Down from the valley, it is possible to follow a trail up to the front of the glacier, which is something I will have to do another time.
The trail back was for most part the same, but we decided to follow the trail that goes down into the valley, and walk the way back from there. In the valley, you have information poles along the trail, which is showing you the different extents of the glacier through the most recent time.
Back in Morteratsch we had a drink to properly end a great day and thereafter made our way back home to Zürich.
