Mountain Running in Graubünden

In Graubünden, the mountains are not just scenery: they serve as a daily playground 🏔️. Between Piz Bernina, the highest peak in the Eastern Alps, and the ridges of Davos, mountain running in Graubünden offers profiles where every climb is earned breath by breath.

The valleys rise in tiers like a layer cake: larch forests below, alpine pastures around 2,000 m, scree above. The canton's passes, from the Albula to the Flüela, are a reminder that altitude rules everywhere. The season runs from June to September, with residual snow in early summer, afternoon thunderstorms and crystal-clear light from late August. A windbreaker in your pack is a must, as the weather changes quickly at 2,500 m. In September, the golden larches put on a show that is worth the trip on its own 🍂.

The Graubünden mountain running calendar kicks off in June with the Bernina Ultraks in Pontresina and the Swiss Irontrail in Savognin. In July, the Rheinquelle-Trail in Tujetsch climbs towards the sources of the Rhine, while the Davos X-Trails bring the resort to life 🥾. August offers the Madrisa Trail in Klosters and the Sanbe trail in Mesocco, in an Italian-speaking valley. The Engadin Ultra Trail in Samedan rounds out the list for the most enduring runners.

The Swiss National Park, the only one of its kind in the country, stretches across Lower Engadine, and its ibex and deer 🦌 watch the runners go by with elegant indifference. The marmots, for their part, whistle from the ridges to warn their neighbors 😄. Everyone will find a race to suit their level and appetite for adventure, from a steep uphill to a full day out. Mountain running in Switzerland offers other summits to aim for. The canton can also be explored by train, between the stone bridges and spiral tunnels of the Albula line, which makes it possible to reach some start lines without a car.