As I stand on Hans Peter Danuser's terrace at 7.20 on a beautiful September morning, I have no idea that one of the toughest days of my cycling summer is about to begin. Our destination today is quite a distance away - Hans Peter wants to ride all the way to Lake Como. But my two fellow riders (Hans Peter and his colleague Ulli) are of pensionable age and I'm in pretty good shape. In my euphoria about this little adventure, I must have completely forgotten that they were riding motor-assisted bikes. On his classic Flyer, Hans Peter sets such a fast pace on the first few meters towards Champfèr that I can't even keep up in the slipstream and have to think about my breakfast a few times. I realize immediately: the only thing that will save me today is frequent photo breaks.

First stage: Along the lakes to Maloja

The morning is fresh, the thermometer reads just eight degrees. St. Moritz is shrouded in light clouds of mist. As soon as we reach Lake Champfèr, however, it becomes clear that the day is going to be really good - the sky above the morning mist is blue, just as it should be in the Upper Engadin. Our journey takes us past Lake Silvaplana and Lake Sils via Isola to the Maloja Pass. While the others marvel at the natural spectacle, I try to relax a little at every photo break. Due to the fast pace of my fellow riders and the constant ups and downs of the route, the ride is energy-sapping interval training for me.

The office on the pannier rack

Hans Peter Danuser has been riding regularly from St. Moritz to his home on the upper shores of Lake Como for over 30 years. Today, for the first time, with two wheels instead of four. That doesn't stop him from taking the whole office with him on his pannier rack. At the age of 69, he is still fully committed - as a board member of the Flyer Heart Route, for example - and lectures on brand management all over the world.

Second stage: from Maloja to Bergell and Chiavenna

The second stage of our tour begins on the road in Maloja - an exception on the entire route. In just a few minutes, we elegantly curve down the Maloja Pass to Casaccia. From there, the route runs away from motorized traffic again. For mountain bikers, there is a trail from Cavril on the left of the Maira. For us "lady and gentleman bikers", as Hans Peter likes to say, the journey continues on forest and gravel paths through the picturesque Bergell valley. The Bergell is a completely different world to St. Moritz and yet a natural extension of the Upper Engadine. It is much more than the valley that connects St. Moritz with Valchiavenna and Lake Como. We ride south past Alberto Giacometti's studio, Palazzo Castelmur and bakeries with delicious chestnut tarts. The further we descend, the warmer it gets. The differences in temperature are clearly visible in Hans Peter's outfit, which becomes increasingly tight the longer we go.

Arriviamo, Italia!

Just before the national border above Castasegna, the view is once again a delight. To my astonishment, Hans Peter's entire pannier contents are still where they were - despite a few bumpy sections on the route. But after all, Hans Peter's riding technique is really fine. If you gave the man an enduro bike, he would probably make many bikers look pretty old on the trails. Directly after the Italian customs below Castasegna, an underpass takes us onto the "pista ciclabile", the well-signposted, asphalted cycle path that rides down to Chiavenna. A uniquely picturesque route full of Italianità, beautiful corners, houses, bridges, crotti, deciduous forests - joie de vivre!

Third stage: From Chiavenna to the "Mediterranean"

No stay in Chiavenna without a visit to Crotto. We find a cozy spot to recharge our batteries with polenta, bresaola, costine, gnocchetti and pizzoccheri: the Crotto Ombra right next to the town's train station. After a few plates of polenta and a couple of glasses of wine, there's only one thing I really want: a hammock. I therefore capitulate before continuing my journey - while Hans Peter is already studying the cycle maps of Lake Como. With a hearty "See you around!", Hans Peter bids us farewell to ride on to our destination in Olgiasca. We, on the other hand, take the next Postbus from Chiavenna station back to the Engadin. Even before we get off the bus, Hans Peter sends us a text message with a photo of the finish: Hans Peter at the finish line on the terrace of his vacation home in Olgiasca. His text message: "This is where the Mediterranean begins!"

A little big journey

"We'll do it again!" We realized this the same day. Maybe next time we'll try the mountain hiking trail from Maloja to the foot of the pass, even though it doesn't look really rideable. From Cavril, it is possible to continue through the Bergell on trails, except for a few sections. The Bergell tourism experts want to open up the valley to mountain bikers, and you can start to feel it. In addition, the gravel road after the national border repeatedly crosses mountain hiking trails that could prove to be fun for bikers. And even if the Bergell and Valchiavenna will probably never become diverse trail destinations, they are really worth a trip - especially in combination with the Upper Engadine and Lake Como. Where else can you experience 1500 meters of descent, two countries, two languages, three climatic and cultural zones in one day without a mountain railroad or shuttle? The focus is perhaps not on trail enjoyment, but on the spirit of discovery. And the polenta, of course. And the traveling! Because St. Moritz-Comersee is no ordinary tour, but a short, long journey. And even hardened mountain bikers should treat themselves to one of these for a change. Not only does it broaden your horizons, it's also really great fun.


The 69-year-old Hans Peter Danuser shaped St. Moritz like no other as resort director from 1978 to 2008. With his ideas, the bustling "Mr. St. Moritz" became Switzerland's best-known tourism icon. His book "St .Moritz einfach - Erinnerungen ans Champagner-Klima" was published in September 2016 as an e-book and in an updated second edition and is available in bookshops.