Piz Lagalb
2,959 m
Switzerland
- Elevation
- 2,959 m
- Prominence
- 524 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1A signposted mountain path from the Bernina Lagalb railway halt and cable-car valley station (2,107 m) up the west side of the mountain to the Lagalb top station (2,893 m) and the summit a few minutes beyond. About 850 m of ascent, 2½ hours up; the cable car runs in winter only.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 0.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +72 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,961 m
- Time Up
- 17m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 11m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Bernina Lagalb halt on the Rhaetian Railway's Bernina line (2,107 m), next to the cable-car valley station and its free car park on the Bernina Pass road. There is no path up from the top of the Bernina Pass itself. A well-signposted mountain path climbs the west and south-west slopes, partly alongside the ski pistes, to the cable-car top station (2,893 m) in about 2½ hours. From the top station it is a few minutes on a path to the summit (2,959 m), with a bench and a large antenna; the view takes in the Bernina group, Piz Palü, the Bernina Pass lakes and Val Poschiavo. Descend the same way in about 2 hours, or make a loop: from the top station a signposted path heads south-east through stony ground marked by ski-area works and down a rock step between Pt. 2697 and Pt. 2559 to the Fuorcla Minor (2,435 m), then past Lej Minor and Puoz Minor through Val Minor back to Bernina Lagalb (about 5 hours and 13–16 km for the whole loop). The ground below the top station is a broad, scarred ski slope where the path is easy to lose in fog; the antenna is a useful landmark. The Lagalb cable car has only operated in winter in recent seasons, so plan to walk both ways in summer. Ibex are often seen on the descent.
Start
Piz Lagalb Bergstation2,890 m
- Lagalb cable car (winter only in recent seasons; 14 February – 12 April 2026)
- Rhaetian Railway Bernina line (St. Moritz/Pontresina – Tirano) to Bernina Lagalb (request stop); buses along the Bernina Pass road also stop at the cable-car valley station
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piz Lagalb Bergstation → Piz Lagalb | 0.4 | 72 | 0 | 17m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Piz Lagalb Bergstation2,890 m
Cable-car top station (winter operation only)
- Summit: Piz Lagalb2,959 m
Key Passages
- Ski terrain below the top station (path easy to lose)
- Short walk from the top station to the summit
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
A shapely 2,959 m ski mountain above the Bernina Pass, facing the Diavolezza and the Bernina group. In summer it is an easy T2 walk from the Bernina Lagalb railway halt, with ibex and a summit view out of proportion to the effort.
Piz Lagalb stands on the east side of the Bernina Pass road, opposite the Diavolezza, in the Livigno Alps. In winter it is a ski mountain with a cable car from the pass road and Graubünden's steepest groomed piste (86 per cent); in summer the lift has been closed in recent years and the mountain is quiet.
The summit falls just short of 3,000 m but looks straight across to Piz Palü, Piz Bernina and the Morteratsch and Pers glaciers, and down to Lago Bianco and the Bernina Pass. A signposted mountain path climbs from the valley station, and the loop back via the Fuorcla Minor and the lakes of Val Minor is one of the better short walks on the pass. The upper slopes are scarred by ski-area works and carry a large antenna near the top.
Climbing Notes
No technical skills are needed: this is a T2 mountain walk of about 850 m ascent, 4½–5 hours return. The main concerns are weather and altitude-related cold: cloud often sits on the summits around 2,900–3,400 m, and summer thunderstorms are frequent, so start early. In fog, the broad ski slopes below the top station make the path hard to follow; the antenna is a landmark.
Use the Rhaetian Railway to the Bernina Lagalb halt to make a one-way trip possible, for example starting at Bernina Diavolezza or Ospizio Bernina and finishing at Bernina Lagalb. In winter and spring Piz Lagalb is a ski-mountaineering objective (around WS- / PD-) and part of the ski area; check avalanche conditions and piste rules.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Ski area (cable car in season)
- Feb
- Ski area; cable car from mid-February in 2026
- Mar
- Ski area and ski tours
- Apr
- Ski tours; cable car to 12 April in 2026
- May
- Spring ski tours; snow on the path
- Jun
- Snowfields on the upper slopes
- Jul
- Afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often clear and settled
- Oct
- Possible until the first snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Ski area from late December
Access & Permits
- Rules
- In winter the mountain is a ski area; keep clear of pistes and follow ski-area rules
- Getting There
Pontresina
Zurich (ZRH) or Milan Bergamo (BGY); Engadin Airport Samedan for general aviation
- Rhaetian Railway Bernina line (St. Moritz – Pontresina – Tirano) to the Bernina Lagalb halt
- Bus along the Bernina Pass road to the Lagalb valley station
- By car over the Bernina Pass road; free parking at the Lagalb valley station
Hazards
- Weather