Swiss Alps Centre-Based Walking Holiday – First-Time Guest Review

Collett’s: “Tell us a little bit more about yourself, and the others that you went on this holiday with?” 

Rosemarie: “I went on this holiday with a long-standing friend who had previously walked weekly with her late husband who had been a very keen and experienced long-distance Walker. I play tennis and racketball and am a keen skier, so keep pretty fit, particularly since I retired.” 

Collett’s: “How did you find the whole experience of your holiday?” 

Rosemarie: “The holiday base in Sils was very well positioned, with easy access to the surrounding areas. The mountain transport pass included in the holiday was a real bonus since this meant free travel on all cable cars, gondolas, chairlifts, buses and trains within a wide area. There was easy access to the different areas, with walking for all abilities. In addition, the area was perfect for groups of mixed interests since the area offered water sports, mountain biking and cycling as well as hiking/walking.”

Collett’s: “What did you think of the walks on your holiday?” 

Rosemarie: “The information provided in the Collett’s packs was particularly good, which together with the Ride with GPS app meant that you had really accurate live information when you were up in the mountains. We loved all the walks we did, made even more special by the beautiful flora and fauna which had bloomed late this year, and by the sighting of a Griffin Vulture close up. The fact that none of the walks were busy was also a big bonus – on some we saw very few people.

The linear walk to the Coaz Hutte provided amazing views and the opportunity to go up to the top of the Corvatsch cable car where at 3303 meters you could see the mountain ranges for miles around. Because it was a linear walk you could go as far as you wanted before turning back, but there was also the opportunity to walk down to Pontresina at the end of the valley instead of returning to the cable car. The Piz Chuem provided some more challenging parts, with some scrambling, but you were rewarded with a beautiful lake at Lej Sgrischus. The alternative return route back to the Furtschellas gondola was beautiful with far-reaching views over Sils and the lakes towards the mountains beyond.

The Philosopher’s Path up to Lej Muragl was a lovely gentle walk – with the reward of the very beautiful lake at the end, before dropping down to join the Pontresina Panoramica with its amazing views over St Moritz and the nearby Val Roseg. A welcome beer at Alp Languard was then followed by a lift down on the Chairlift to Pontresina.”

Collett’s: “Well, it sounds like you really enjoyed the walks, but how about the accommodation?” 

Rosemarie: “Hotel Maria was ideally positioned for buses and was only 15 minutes’ walk from the Furtschellas cable car. The hotel was extremely comfortable, the food fantastic and the staff were all very friendly and could not do enough for you.”

Collett’s: “You mentioned that the food at the hotel was fantastic, tell us more about your experience with the food, both inside and outside of the hotel.” 

Rosemarie: “The food provided by the hotel was really very good. Breakfast was a buffet providing a variety of cold dishes and boiled eggs etc. The four course evening meals were tasty, well presented and the portions were not too large. We did not eat out a lot during the day, but the beers were always very good and the salads were excellent with lots of tasty ingredients. The bakery in Sils also has very good filled rolls which we took on our walks with us.” 

Collett’s: “And how did you find the Collett’s staff?”

Rosemarie: “I can’t speak highly enough about the Collett’s staff who were out in Sils (Taea and Bela). Their Office Hour was really really useful and both of them gave so much in the way of personal recommendations and suggestions on all the walks they had in the provided walk packs. They ensured you were always aware of any “tricky” elements on walks and always had suggestions for alternative routes.”

Collett’s “Have you got any plans to take more walking holidays in the future?” 

Rosemarie: “Tuscany, Italy; because it looks so beautiful, and the walking is like stepping back in time. Sardinia; It looks an amazing island and I want to go before it becomes too popular and busy. Austria; because I have skied in Austria a lot and would love to see it in the summer. 

Collett’s : “Any final thoughts you’d like to share?” 

Rosemarie: “Only that it exceeded my expectations – helped by the glorious weather”