Of all the glaciers spilling down from the summits of the Bernina, the Morteratsch Glacier is one of the largest and perhaps the easiest to reach. Capanna Boval, a large mountain hut set on the western slopes of the Morteratsch valley, makes a magnificent viewpoint over the glacier, and also over many peaks of the Bernina group, the famous Biancograt ridge and the striking tongue of the Diavolezza.
Reaching Capanna Boval involves no technical difficulty and takes only 2.00/2.30 hours of walking. The route can be done from summer (late June) until the first autumn snowfalls, and it is especially spectacular (snow permitting) in the last two weeks of October, when the valley bursts into the autumn colours of the larches.
The starting point is the large car park near the Morteratsch station of the Bernina Express (m1896); the path first takes us on the level towards the glacier, then begins to climb gently along the right-hand side of the valley.
The surroundings grow steadily more austere, and the vegetation becomes ever smaller until it disappears altogether, giving way to a barren moraine landscape. The most interesting part of our walk begins when we reach the crest of the moraine (about m2200): the Morteratsch Glacier, a good way below us on our left, now reveals itself in all its beauty and extent.
After climbing a rocky step by way of a few tight hairpins, we reach the SAC's Capanna Boval (Chamanna da Boval) (m2495, 2 hours); the views over the glacier, the Diavolezza and the peaks of the Bernina group are breathtaking.
We return the way we came up (1.30 hours).
Back down in the valley, you can stroll on the flat towards the glacier and, if you like, go all the way to its snout. Along the way, signs mark the position of the snout from the time of the Little Ice Age (which ended around 1850) up to the present day, documenting the dramatic retreat of the glacier.
