Surses Grand Tour
Description
The tour starts at the Julier Pass, which you can reach either by PostBus or by mountain bike shuttle. Please note: There are only a few PostBus trips per day that cross the Julier Pass. The downhill trail from the Julier Pass to Bivio was initially constructed in the summer of 2026 and will be completed in the spring of 2027. Until then, it’s best to start the tour in Bivio. From Bivio, you’ll initially ride downhill on the gravel road and then turn left just before Lake Marmorera to switch sides of the valley.
You’ll climb up an alpine road to Starschagns. The alp is perched steeply above Lake Marmorera and offers views of the opposing rock towers surrounding Piz Calderas. The alp is also the starting point for the day’s first single-track descent—in this case, a steep S3 trail that leads down to the dam. On the dam, you cross to the other side of the valley and then climb up gravel roads to the charming Alp Flix. This sets the stage for the second single-track descent of the day. The trail from Alp Flix down to Rona is a classic in Val Surses. At first, it’s a bit tricky and bumpy, but then it gets smoother and smoother. It remains very varied, however, and ends in the village of Rona.
The village of Rona is the starting point for the next climb, with Tscharnoz as the destination. A steep alpine trail winds its way up the mountain and, after about 350 meters of elevation gain, transitions into a singletrack. This section is rideable at first, but then requires a short push before finally leading onto a gravel road. Here, there are two options: Either you push your mountain bike along a poorly maintained, bumpy path to Tscharnoz—which is not recommended, especially with an e-mountain bike— It’s easier to roll slightly downhill on the gravel road and, after a short uphill section, turn onto the Tscharnoz Trail. This trail forms the basis for the third descent of this tour. The beautiful S2 trail leads down to Savognin.
The route continues with the gondola ride up to Somtgant and from there to the start of the wild descent that takes you almost all the way to Salouf. After a winding traverse, the long singletrack begins in S2 mode—interspersed with regular S3 sections—and leads through an enchanted forest. After Bargung, there are two options: either the official, signposted route or the technically more challenging alternative to the left of it. The trail continues in this style until near Parsonz, where a road transfer—followed by a short trail section—begins the descent to Del. From Del, the route climbs a few more meters to the start of the legendary Mon descent—a superb trail all the way down to the village of Tiefencastel, where the tour began earlier with the shuttle ride up to the Julier Pass.
Map & GPX-Track
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Details of the tour
53 km
1450 m
3785 m
856 above sea level
2295 above sea level
1 day
Julierpass
Tiefencastel
3818
well suited
More information
Numerous options in the villages along the route
More tours nearby
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About the author: Thomas Giger
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