Piz Bernina
Fly here
The only 4,000-metre summit in the Eastern Alps.
From the basket
In the heart of the Engadine, no other peak of the Alps’ eastern half reaches four thousand metres: the Piz Bernina does, rising to 4,048 metres. From the balloon you spot it by its north ridge, the Biancograt, “the white ridge”: a fine, perfect blade of snow that climbs towards the summit like a staircase to the sky.
It sits enthroned in the middle of its range, surrounded by glaciers. The Italian border runs just below the summit, and on the other side the valleys of Lombardy descend. On the Swiss side, the view drops towards Pontresina and the lakes of the Engadine.
The first ascent, in 1850, was the work of the topographer Johann Coaz, accompanied by two guides. He gave the summit its name, borrowed from that of the neighbouring pass.
Move in close to the Biancograt: few Alpine ridges have such presence. Then let the wind carry you over the Bernina glaciers before you descend towards the valley.
Sources: Wikipedia, “Piz Bernina” (in French and German).
All around
- Piz Palü, 3901 m, 5 km to the east
- St. Moritz, 14 km to the north-west