Piz Calderas
3,397 m
Switzerland
- Elevation
- 3,397 m
- Prominence
- 1,085 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Mar–Apr
- Routes
- 2
WorksReported 18 Jun 2026
The Corviglia funicular in St. Moritz is closed for the whole of summer 2026 for a major overhaul; the Chamanna Jenatsch advises reaching Piz Nair via the Signal cable car if approaching from St. Moritz. (Date is that of the hut's conditions post mentioning it.)
chamannajenatsch.ch
Routes
2Sources differ: PD (SummitPost (WS))
A long hut approach from the Julier pass over the Fuorcla d'Agnel to the Chamanna Jenatsch (2,652 m), then an easy glacier tour: up the steep step of the shrinking Vadret Calderas to its plateau, past the 3,164 m rock crest and up the upper firn slope, finishing on loose scree paths and grade I rock on the south side.
About 13% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 4 check notes
- ascent 1861 m is 1.6× the net gain 1164 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
- Julier, La Veduta → Fuorcla d'Agnel: corridor (detour; 34 m of gaps, 5.4 km)
- Chamanna Jenatsch CAS → Piz Calderas: bridge (snap_failed; one off-graph gap, 6.4 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Vadret Calderas, Point 3164
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 14.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,861 m
- −697 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,397 m
- Time Up
- 9h 28m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 7h 55m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the bus stop and car park at La Veduta (2,240 m) on the Julier pass road, the T3 hut path follows the Val d'Agnel to the Fuorcla d'Agnel (2,982 m), then descends through the former glacier forefield of the Vadret d'Agnel, past a small lake, to the Chamanna Jenatsch (2,652 m): 3½–4 hours, 850–900 m up and 350–480 m down. The easiest approach is the T2 path from Spinas through the Val Bever (4–5 hours). From the hut, follow tracks across the glacier forefield to the steep step below the Vadret Calderas, where rock is appearing as the glacier retreats. Either climb steeply south-west to the glacier plateau or take a wider arc south along the foot of Piz Picuogl. Pass the 3,164 m rock crest on its west side and climb the upper firn slope, keeping slightly left. The summit cone is climbed on paths through boulder scree on the south side; a 2015 description routes this via a small notch on the south ridge (cairn) and an almost level ridge to the final slope, on easy (I) but very loose rock. The hut gives 750 m and 2½–3 hours from the hut, grade L (F). Descend the same way. In summer the mountain is mostly scree; many people prefer it as a spring ski tour. The north and east ridges are harder alternatives (ZS).
Start
Julier, La Veduta2,233 m
- Postauto Silvaplana/St. Moritz – Julier – Bivio to the 'Julier, La Veduta' stop; or Rhaetian Railway to Spinas for the Val Bever approach.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julier, La Veduta → Chamanna Jenatsch CAS | 8.6 | 815 | 399 | 4h 35m |
| 2 | Chamanna Jenatsch CAS → Piz Calderas | 6.3 | 1,046 | 299 | 4h 53m |
Waypoints
- Station: Julier, La Veduta2,233 m
- Col: Fuorcla d'Agnel2,983 m
- Hut: Chamanna Jenatsch CAS2,652 m
- Summit: Piz Calderas3,397 m
Key Passages
- Fuorcla d'Agnel on the hut approach
- Steep step below the Vadret Calderas (rock appearing as the glacier retreats)
- Loose scree and grade I rock on the summit cone
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Err group (3,397 m), rising above the Chamanna Jenatsch at the head of the Val Bever. An easy glacier-and-scree tour in summer and a classic spring ski tour, with more than 1,000 m of prominence and a wide view to the Bernina.
Piz Calderas stands at the centre of the Err group in the Albula Alps, between the Julier pass, the Val Bever and the Alp Flix above Sur in the Surses. It is the highest point for some distance around and, with more than 1,000 m of prominence, one of the more independent 3,000 m summits in Switzerland. The small Vadret Calderas lies on its south-east side under Piz Picuogl and Tschima da Flix; the remains of the Vadret d'Err lie to the north.
The mountain is broken, reddish rock and scree rather than clean climbing. The normal route from the Chamanna Jenatsch is graded L (F): a short glacier tour to the plateau of the Vadret Calderas and a scree-and-boulder finish on the south side. Several hikr authors find it more pleasant on ski than on foot, and it is one of the main ski tours from the hut.
The Chamanna Jenatsch (2,652 m), the highest SAC hut in Graubünden, is the base. The view from the summit takes in the Bernina glaciers, Piz Platta across the Surses, and in clear weather the Ortler and Monte Rosa.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a long approach day (3½–5 hours to the hut) and a 5–6 hour summit day, basic glacier skills and comfort on loose scree are enough in summer. The glacier is small and often bare, but the steep step at its foot is changing quickly as rock emerges; take crampons and an ice axe and rope up on the ice. Parties without glacier experience can avoid the ice by climbing Tschima da Flix (T3) from the Fuorcla da Flix instead.
Typical itinerary: Postauto to La Veduta on the Julier road, walk over the Fuorcla d'Agnel to the Chamanna Jenatsch (about 4 hours), summit the next morning (2½–3 hours) and descend via the Val Bever to Spinas station, the only way out without a re-ascent.
In spring the hut is staffed from mid-February to the end of April and Piz Calderas is climbed on ski (graded WS+ by the hut, ZS- by the SAC), usually leaving skis for the last 100 m. Strong ski tourers do it in a day from the Julier road, with about 1,800–2,150 m of ascent including the climb back over the Fuorcla d'Agnel.
History
The first ascent was made on 5 August 1857 by the forester and surveyor Johann Coaz with Ludwig Rimathè, from Mulegns via the Fuorcla da Flix, the Tschima da Flix and the south-east slope. The second known ascent was on 28 September 1878 by Emil Burckhardt, Hans Grass and Christian Jossi. The first Jenatsch hut was built in 1908 and the present building dates from 1993.
Season
Best Mar–Apr- January: Not advisable
- February: Good
- March: Best (best window)
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best
- August: Best
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Hut unstaffed after New Year (winter room open)
- Feb
- Ski touring; hut staffed from mid-February
- Mar
- Main ski-touring season
- Apr
- Ski touring; hut staffed until the end of April
- May
- Hut closed; spring snow
- Jun
- Hut opens late June; snow on the Fuorcla d'Agnel and the glacier step
- Jul
- Summer season
- Aug
- Glacier largely snow-free; loose scree on the summit cone
- Sep
- Stable weather; bare ice on the glacier step
- Oct
- Hut closes mid-October; early snow
- Nov
- Hut closed
- Dec
- Hut staffed over Christmas and New Year; early-season ski touring
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Chamanna Jenatsch: online via hut-reservation.org or by phone (+41 81 833 29 29).
- Fees
- Hut overnight fees, with discounts for alpine club members
- Parking at Alp Flix is charged
- Getting There
Bivio and Silvaplana (Julier pass road); Bever and Samedan (Val Bever)
Zurich (ZRH)
- Postauto Chur – Tiefencastel – Bivio – Julier – Silvaplana to the 'Julier, La Veduta' stop; parking below La Veduta
- Rhaetian Railway (Albula line) to Spinas for the T2 approach through the Val Bever (4–5 h)
- In winter a bookable snow-tour bus runs from Bivio and Silvaplana to the Julier pass
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Avalanche
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,652 m
Chamanna Jenatsch CASHutStaffed
73 beds · Late June to mid-October; Christmas–New Year; mid-February to end of April. Winter room open when unstaffed