At first, I couldn't imagine anything special about the "masterplan". Mei, in the Upper Engadine they will have signposted tours for mountain bikers and opened up the cable cars for bike transport - just like in many other holiday resorts. Only around St. Moritz, the whole thing is called a somewhat elitist "master plan". Or so I thought. But then I came to the Upper Engadine in August with Karen Eller and the other Contessa girls and realised that everything was completely different.
In Celerina, the small neighbouring village of St. Moritz, a gravelled alpine road leads directly from the train station up to Marguns. In a zigzag. At the bottom, the gradient is still pleasant, with great views over the Inn Valley. Then, from Alp Laret to the mountain station of the Corviglia cable car, it's so steep that you almost regret not having taken the cable car. But it's only now that things get really steep, because there are still 200 metres of altitude difference to the highest point at 2690 metres. And that comes in the form of ramps. It's amazing how many bikers take on this tough climb. Whole caravans of bikers follow us up the mountain flank. Some push, others try to maintain traction leaning far over the handlebars - and receive applause in return. At some point, a path branches off in the direction of the Suvretta Pass. It's still a little blocked on the flat, then clear and distinct, like a belt around the belly of the mountain. It leads exposed but only slightly uphill around the Piz Nair until the highest point is reached.
The view: monumental rock faces you can touch, the white peaks of the Bernina on the horizon to the left and the small lake in the direction of travel with a gigantic valley basin behind it - the Val Suvretta. A small stream carves its way through this high mountain landscape. And there's something else winding its way through rock and stone and sometimes changing sides of the stream: a trail! I know this path. It's been around forever, but not like this. Somehow it seems to have been spruced up. Rough steps have been removed and bends made rounder. The gradient is just steep enough that you don't need the brakes - unless you want to stop in between because you simply can't believe the flow and the feeling of happiness.
This flow continues for almost six kilometres before the path has to descend a steep slope - the step into Val Bever. I remember that I used to have to shoulder my bike here and scramble down through rough scree. Today, a wonderful winding path helps me down here. The bends are tight, but thanks to the berms, it's easy to ride with momentum. So that's it, the masterplan!
Separate hikers and bikers as far as possible so that there is no trouble - that is the basic idea. But not like in the Black Forest, where hikers are allocated the beautiful, panoramic trails and bikers are shunted off onto forest roads in the opaque forest. In the Upper Engadine, paths have been selected for bikers that are either too wide for hikers, forgotten paths have been dug up again or new ones have even been created. Rough scree has been removed, tripping hazards levelled and hairpin bends made rounder. As a result, these trails are also a pleasure for riders with little riding technique. And better riders simply take them with more speed. In other words: these trails lead through sensational scenery and offer maximum flow.
Like the newly shaped trail through Val Suvretta. The main reason I like it so much is that you can also do it quickly as an evening tour. Simply take the Corviglia cable car to save 800 metres in altitude, take the short and painful last ramps up to the Suvretta Pass and then just enjoy. In the evening, there are no more hikers in Val Bever. This is because the Suvretta Trail joins a gravel track here. It winds down the valley like a small rollercoaster through lush meadows and pine forests. And when there are no more hikers on the way, it is really fun at speed. At the end, stop off for an after-work beer at the Spinas hut and cycle back to Celerina via Samedan.
