VAL ROSEG

August 2018

Returning to the Val Roseg with my tent had been on the top of my list ever since I had done this route as a day hike the year before. It is one of my absolutely favorite places in the whole Alps and I couldn’t wait to experience it in the peace and beauty of golden and blue hour conditions. And using this trip as a farewell to an incredible summer in the Alps before I would set off to Kyrgyzstan the week after seemed rather fitting.

The hike itself isn’t short at 24km / 15mi but the view you constantly get along the way are what make it truly an unforgettable experience. The trail starts at the Corvatsch – Murtèl station, leading across the Fuorcla Surlej and then making its way all the way to the end of the valley where the Coaz hut sits just below the stunning glaciers and peaks. Along this whole way, you are hiking above the valley with a multitude of glaciers and 4’000m / 13’000ft tall mountains presenting themselves in a constant 360° panorama. It’s one of those places photos just won’t do justice; you have to see it for yourself.

From the hut onward, the trail turns around and starts descending towards the bottom of the valley where the glacial lake Lej da Vadret, a spectacle in its own right, awaits you. As I was making my way along this part of the hike, the sun was already setting, and I sped up to try and see if I could make it to the lower end of the lake before the sun was completely gone. I just about made it, but I was also rather tired from the long hike and so after taking a few photos, I made myself comfortable in my sleeping bag, knowing that I still had the sunrise to look forward to and enjoy in this magnificent location.

After a good night’s sleep, I woke up on the shore of the lake where I had set up my tent the night before. To my surprise, when I zipped up the entrance to my tent, I was greeted with a perfect reflection and not a single ripple on the absolutely massive lake. You can’t really ask for a better start to the day. And as for the rest of the morning, it certainly didn’t disappoint either. All the photos of the little glacial creek and the trails surrounding that area in the gallery below were taken within about a five-minute radius of where my tent stood. There is just so much natural beauty packed into this one location that you’ll have a perfect view no matter which direction you look. Safe to say I spent the whole morning taking photos and enjoying what was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my year. It quickly got warmer as the sun finally made its way over the giant peaks surrounding me and I set out on the rest of the hike all the way down the valley on this beautiful late summer day.