The tour
The Scaletta Pass is a crossing from Davos into the Engadin. It is only partially rideable on classic bikes for the super fit. It is therefore rarely used by cyclists crossing the Alps. It's a different story with an e-MTB. Riders with good riding technique and fitness can play here. That's why we've put together this route in exactly the same way, but have also added a few specialities. For example, the descent from Davos Jacobshorn into the Dischma Valley. As with the rest of the tour, good riding technique is required here. If you take a second battery with you, you can of course do without the gondola and pedal the 1000 metres up to the Jacobshorn summit yourself. We planned the tour with one battery, but had chargers with us. We had the opportunity to recharge during our one-hour stop at the Dürrboden inn. However, as at the Kesch hut, this was an exceptional case. So you are definitely well advised to switch to eco mode on all flat sections to save power.
The precinct
Davos is located in the canton of Graubünden and, with 11,000 inhabitants, is the highest town in Europe. Mountain bikers, whether with or without a motor, will find a huge infrastructure here. The local mountains around Davos and Klosters, i.e. Rinerhorn, Jakobshorn, Pischa, Parsenn, Gotschna and Madrisa, offer a trail network of around 700 kilometres. Most of these trails are so-called "shared trails". Here, as almost everywhere in Graubünden, bikers and hikers share the trails.
You can download the complete travel report "Switzerland: Davos - Kesch Hut" from EMTB 1/2022 as a PDF in the download area below.
The article costs 1.99 euros. Inside you will find the EMTB web code, which will take you to the download of the free GPS data for these tours.
Other tours
Of course, bikers will find tours of all lengths and levels of difficulty over 700 kilometres. Particularly recommended and tested by us several times: the Alps Epic Trail. This is one of the few trails in the world to be recognised as an "Epic Trail" by the IMBA (International Mountain Bike Association). It stretches from Davos to Filisur over 40.1 kilometres, almost exclusively on the finest single trails. The trail starts at the Jacobs-horn mountain station. If you want to save yourself the ascent, you will need two batteries.
Another highlight is the tour over the Chörbschhorn with a 1000-metre singletrail descent down to Frauenkirch. With a classic bike, you can take the Parsennbahn cable car for this and save yourself around 1100 metres in altitude. The Chörbschhornhütte, the start of the descent, is then 347 metres higher. If you crank up the circuit from the bottom on an e-MTB, you will need to be economical with your battery.
Ropeways
If you want to spend a day without pedalling uphill, six cable cars in Davos and Klosters are equipped for bike transport. A day ticket costs CHF 20. If you stay overnight in a bike hotel, you get a free day pass if you book directly. Depending on the cable car, the summer season starts around mid-June and ends in mid-October. The Rhaetian Railway is a tried and tested means of transport, allowing you to travel comfortably between Klosters and Davos and back again from Filisur. The bike (single journey 10 or 15 CHF) is transported in a separate luggage compartment.
The Kesch Hut
It is located at an altitude of 2625 metres at the foot of Piz Kesch and the Porchabella glacier and is run by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC). The hut has existed in its present form since 2000 and offers 92 beds, divided into rooms for 5 and 12 people. The summer season is short at this altitude. Depending on the weather, the hut is open from mid-June to mid-October. An overnight stay costs CHF 41, with half board CHF 78. As the hut is often fully booked, you should definitely book early. The best way is via the website www.kesch.ch. The Kesch Hut is a real hut, not a hotel. It is therefore best to bring your own hut sleeping bag.
