PowderGuide season meeting 2025/26 | Engadin

Welcome to the Engadin

From April 16th to 19th, 2025, 30 snow enthusiasts gathered in the Engadin. Our base was the beautiful Ospiz Chapella in the municipality of S-chanf, idyllically situated in the middle of large larch forests. One by one, everyone arrived and livened up the accommodation, which offered enough space to make ourselves comfortable after the activities - or to do some more sport in the evening. But read for yourself...

April, April - it does what it wants

After a good snowfall at the end of March, spring suddenly knocked on the door. While people were already cycling in shorts in Innsbruck, the Engadin was in classic transitional garb: crocuses were sprouting from the ground and the last patches of snow were decorating the grass like randomly placed mini carpets.

The activities adapted perfectly to this mix. The spectrum ranged from alpine tours on the Piz Palü to tours on the Piz Julier, road biking and climbing to ice bathing in the river head of the Inn.

Friday: The start

On Friday, independent groups set off in the direction of Piz Palü. The weather was glorious on both days, and the glacier and the surrounding mountains were at their most beautiful. Thanks to the cable car to the Diavolezza, the ascent was significantly shortened. After a short descent through some rough terrain, we reached the glacier, where we roped up and started the actual ascent well prepared. The track was perfectly prepared, the snow grippy and motivation high - even if the thinning air became more noticeable with every meter of altitude.

The descent over the Vadret Pers down to the Morteratsch Glacier - or for other groups over the infamous "hole" - was the crowning glory of the experience. The crown only lost a small spike due to the rather poor snow conditions and the longer carrying passage at the end. However, this was immediately corrected and cemented by a "cool blonde" at the Morteratsch station.

At the end of the day, the rest of the team finally arrived so that the group was complete. We toasted with a cool Engadin beer and enjoyed our first meal together with the whole team: a large portion of vegan Bolognese.

Saturday: Full program between firn and rock

At 6:00 a.m., a wild canon of alarm clocks woke us from our sleep. While the first groups left the house at 6:30 a.m. to take advantage of the morning coolness, the others enjoyed a hearty breakfast in the now wonderfully quiet Ospiz.

The summiteers: Piz Palü & Piz Julier

The early birds among us did the same as the previous day's group: they were driven to the high alpine locations of Piz Palü to marvel at the gigantic glacier backdrop. Others chose a somewhat more relaxed tour on Piz Julier: here, the route first took them leisurely across a plateau and a frozen lake before a steeper section led up to the saddle. The ascent was rewarded with a descent on the finest firn.

Once we reached the bottom, the first refreshment was already waiting for us - a big thank you to Staibock Gazosa, who spoiled our palates with the finest lemonade. The loud "plop" when opening the swing-top bottles was the perfect sound after the sport. After the descent, there was still enough time to watch the marmots and wake up the circulation with an ice bath in the Inn.

The rock group: pleasure climbing in Spluga

Another group took it easy and arrived at the "Spluga" climbing area at around 11:00 am, which had plenty to offer. From beginner-friendly routes to fully pumped forearms, the group was able to try out and challenge themselves. Not only the variety of the rock, but also the backdrop had a special flair: facing south in the sun, perfect temperatures made for some enjoyable breaks in the routes themselves or on the meadows in front of them. We enjoyed the view of Lake Silvaplana, marveled at the white peaks of the Engadin high plateau and explored the Swiss cuisine.

Table Tennis, Bouldering and Dahl

Back at Ospiz, the action continued. There was running and smashing in the table tennis round. Some seemed to have several lives - the motto "I've got one more!" kept some players in the race for a suspiciously long time. Even the walls of the Ospiz were used for other purposes: the façade made an excellent bouldering wall, which was eagerly traversed along. Meanwhile, preparations for dinner got underway in the kitchen. To the sounds of an improvised concert of cutlery, pots and glasses, a huge lentil stew simmered away.

Sunday: A quiet finish

Sunday was a little quieter. After the last breakfast together, we left the accommodation swept clean - at least to the best of our knowledge and belief. As the weather turned gloomy, most of us headed home straight after packing.

Conclusion

All in all, it was an all-round successful weekend. It was the perfect opportunity to get to know new faces, catch up with old acquaintances and exchange ideas between experienced PowderGuide members and newcomers. We went home with lots of good memories, a few sore muscles and looking forward to next year.

A huge thank you to the organizing team! Special thanks also go to the Engadine Brewery for providing us with hoppy refreshments and sparkling lemonades in a variety of flavors.