Piz Languard
3,262 m
Switzerland
- Elevation
- 3,262 m
- Prominence
- 947 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T3+ (wanderungen.ch, for the hut-to-summit section) · T4- (SAC Tourenportal, Alp Languard to Chamanna Georgy)
One of the most popular 3,000 m summits in the Alps: chairlift from Pontresina to Alp Languard (2,325 m), a steep marked path up Val Languard to the Chamanna Georgy (3,175 m), then 90 m of steep, partly cable-protected rock to the summit trig pyramid. About 2¾ hours up from the lift.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 3.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +937 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,262 m
- Time Up
- 3h 37m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 22m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Pontresina (about 1,800 m; railway station on the Bernina line) walk about 20 minutes to the valley station of the two-seater chairlift and ride to Alp Languard (2,325 m, restaurant). Without the lift, add about 1½ hours and 500 m of ascent on the path from the village. From the top station follow signs for Chamanna Paradis, Piz Languard and Fuorcla Pischa, keeping left (upper path) at the first junctions and ignoring the turnings to the Segantini hut and the Steinbockweg. The path climbs meadows in Val Languard, crosses a stream and, after the last junction, turns left onto the summit path, which becomes stony and steep and climbs in many switchbacks and finally over blocks along the south ridge to the Chamanna Georgy (3,175 m), the highest hut in Graubünden. Allow 2¼–2½ hours from the lift. The final 90 m from the hut take 20–30 minutes. This is the steepest and most exposed part: hands are needed in places on easy rock, partly secured with steel cables, so sure-footedness and a head for heights are essential, and the section is not advisable when iced. The summit carries a survey pyramid (trig point of the Swiss national survey) and looks straight across Val Bernina to Piz Bernina, Piz Palü and the Morteratsch glacier. Descend the same way, or via Chamanna Paradis back to Alp Languard; check the last chairlift down (17:30 in 2026) or allow for the walk to Pontresina. Ibex are common in Val Languard.
Start
Alp Languard2,325 m
- Pontresina – Alp Languard two-seater chairlift (6 June – 25 October 2026, first ascent 08:30, last descent 17:30)
- Rhaetian Railway to Pontresina (Bernina line), 20 minutes' walk to the Languard chairlift valley station
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alp Languard → Piz Languard | 3.9 | 937 | 0 | 3h 37m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Alp Languard2,325 m
Top station of the Pontresina–Alp Languard chairlift; restaurant
- Hut: Chamanna Georgy3,177 m
- Summit: Piz Languard3,262 m
Key Passages
- Steep switchbacks and block terrain below the Chamanna Georgy
- Partly cable-protected rock between the hut and the summit
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A 3,262 m viewpoint above Pontresina in the Upper Engadine and one of the most frequently climbed 3,000 m summits in the Alps: a marked mountain path from the Alp Languard chairlift, the highest hut in Graubünden 90 m below the top, and a full view of the Bernina group.
Piz Languard is the highest summit of the Livigno Alps west of the Forcola di Livigno, rising directly east of Pontresina. Its fame rests on the view: across Val Bernina to Piz Bernina, Piz Palü and the Morteratsch glacier, west to the Upper Engadine lakes, and on clear days as far as the Valais and the western Alps. The summit carries a survey pyramid over a Swiss national triangulation point, and around 1900 there was even a small summit restaurant.
A marked mountain path leads all the way up. The chairlift to Alp Languard removes 500 m of ascent, leaving about 940 m on foot through Val Languard, home to the largest ibex colony in Graubünden. The last stretch from the Chamanna Georgy to the top is steep, partly protected with cables and needs hands in places, but there is no glacier and no real climbing.
Many people sleep at the Chamanna Georgy to watch sunrise or sunset from the summit. It is a good first 3,000 m peak for sure-footed hill walkers, provided the weather is settled.
Climbing Notes
Expect about 940 m of ascent and 4½–5 hours of walking for the round trip from Alp Languard, or about 1,450 m from Pontresina. The path is steep and stony above 2,800 m, and the 3,000 m altitude is noticeable for some. Sure-footedness and a head for heights are needed for the final 90 m above the hut; avoid it when the rock is wet or iced.
Check the last chairlift down before setting off, and watch for afternoon thunderstorms, which are frequent in summer. Staying at the Chamanna Georgy (20 places, reservation required) allows a sunrise ascent with a headlamp. A popular variation is to descend via Chamanna Paradis, or to link Muottas Muragl and the Segantini hut via the Steinbockweg.
History
No first ascent is recorded; the peak was frequented early in the history of Engadine tourism. A survey signal was built on the summit in 1847 and the current trig marker and pyramid date from 1884. The German painter Wilhelm Georgy (1819–1887) worked on the mountain, and the hut below the summit bears his name. The first winter ascent recorded on Camptocamp was on 17 February 1878 by Hans Grass and Carl Haase.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; chairlift runs only in summer; ski tour from Pontresina for experienced parties
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Ski touring only
- Apr
- Ski touring only
- May
- Snow on the upper path
- Jun
- Chairlift and hut open from 6 June (2026); old snow on the upper path
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; busy
- Sep
- Often stable weather and clear views
- Oct
- Hut open until 18 October and chairlift until 25 October (2026); early snow possible
- Nov
- Winter conditions; facilities closed
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Chamanna Georgy (private, 20 places): reservation required via chamanna-georgy.ch or +41 79 339 97 65. Open only in dry weather; ask ahead if the forecast is poor.
- Fees
- Pontresina – Alp Languard chairlift ticket
- Paid parking at the chairlift valley station in Pontresina
- Getting There
Pontresina
Engadin Airport Samedan (general aviation); Zurich (ZRH) or Milan Bergamo (BGY) for scheduled flights
- Rhaetian Railway to Pontresina (from Chur via Samedan, or the Bernina line from Tirano), then about 20 minutes on foot to the Languard chairlift
- By car to Pontresina; paid parking near the chairlift valley station
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 3,175 m
Chamanna GeorgyHutStaffedBooking required
20 beds · Early June to mid-October (6 June – 18 October 2026, per Pontresina Tourism); open only in dry weather