We believe in the power of community and collective movement and bring people together through curated travel experiences where adventure, social and wellness rituals make for a balanced, intentional way to spend your hard-earned time off.

Join Catherine Gignac and Nicole Barley for seven nights in the High Swiss Alps, where everything we do will be centered around intentionality, adventure, and community. The goal? Leave for home with renewed clarity, refocused energy, and new friends.

Our High Swiss Alps move-and flow, hiking adventure takes us off the big tourism beaten path to Pontresina, an enchanting village in the upper Engadin valley of the High Alps. Surrounded by the impressive Bernina-Massif, but sheltered from the wind and elements, Pontresina has a rich history & charm tucked into a valley of pristine nature, glacier trails, mountain lakes and aromatic alpine meadows.

Our partners for these retreats are our longtime friends Andreas and Ulrica, who split their time with their family between Northern Iceland and Pontresina. They both have a deep connection to these lands – uniquely charged power places on the planet with unparalleled elemental energies and deep tranquility.

Less than 4 miles from St.Moritz, and with a population of less than 3,000, Pontresina is the perfect backdrop for our adventure and nature retreat. Our week’s itinerary will rival that of our Iceland itinerary with guided excursions to Muottas Muragl (one of the most beautiful vantage points above the lakes) and Diavolezza, where we’ll take a cable car to the breathtaking glacier viewpoints. Hiking through the Alpine trials and meadows is a spectacular life changing experience.  We’ll take the UNESCO railway to the Italian speaking town of Poschiavo where we’ll enjoy this picturescque village of medieval architecture.  We’ll  spend another day venturing to the enchanting village of Sils, and take a boat on the magical lake to Isola. 

In between, we have two “open days” to enjoy the spa overlooking the valley, go mountain biking on world famous Alpine trails (electric bikes are available as well!), or take a horse drawn carriage through the Val Roseg Valley.

The best part? All activities are optional, so you can curate the retreat that works for you (but, let's be honest, most of our Retreaters want to experience it all!).

Accommodations have been arranged at the centrally located and modern Hotel Allegra, which is the only hotel in Pontresina with direct (and included) access to the Bellavita Spa complex complete with indoor and outdoor pools, relaxation room, sauna, steam and more.

Most travelers will arrive via Zurich, taking the train to Pontresina. We will offer advice on the route to take that includes the picturesque Bernina Express on the last leg of that journey.  Based on flight and train timing, it may be necessary to add a night in Zurich on the front and/or back end of the trip. We also anticipate that some travelers will plan to extend their trips in Switzerland / Europe already, so there may be a few travel plan variations.

Do NOT book travel until you get the go-ahead from The Retreat team. Once we do, please review this travel booking document for an understanding of how to book travel for this trip. We advise booking as far in advance as possible (6-9 months).

The price of your retreat depends on the type of room you book. To guarantee your reservation,  pay your $600 non-refundable deposit to secure your spot. 

Upon signing up, you'll be setup with two additional payment installments, dividing the remaining balance of your cost into halves. The first is due by April 18, 2025 and the final payment to bring your total balance paid up to 100% of the total cost is due by June 23, 2025. 

All registration and payments must be made through this safe and secure WeTravel page. If you pay via bank account transfer, there is no transaction fee. If you pay by credit card, 2.9% is added for Visa/Mastercard and 3.9% is added for AMEX.

The Retreat is open various levels of fitness, with the understanding that on this trip specifically, many activities require hiking. We will be at higher altitudes and on nature paths that will not always be even or paved. This retreat may not be appropriate for those with mobility challenges or other health conditions where daily nature walking / hiking and altitude (6000-10,000 ft) would be contraindicated. The location is not handicap accessible. All attendees are required to sign a liability waiver upon registration.

You must read and agree to the Terms + Conditions which includes information regarding refunds and cancellations before booking. If you have any questions, please contact us at hello@jointheretreat.com

SATURDAY / ARRIVAL DAY
Arrive by train from Zurich via Chur to take advantage of the picturesque ride on the Brenina Express between Chur and Pontresina.  (we will offer details on the trains to book)
We anticipate arrivals around 3:30pm, but understand thest some may take different routes to Pontresina based on other personal pre-retreat plans.
From the train station, Hotel Allegra offers a free transfer (arrivals before 5pm), and there you’ll be greeted by your hosts and have your first group dinner at 6pm.

SUNDAY
After morning yoga, we’ll take a vintage train car to Muottas Muragl, one of the most beautiful vantage points above the lakes and valley. From here we’ll enjoy lunch and a spectacular panoramic hike to take it all in.  Breakfast, lunch and group dinner included.

MONDAY
After breakfast and yoga, we’ll take a 30-minute train to Diavolezza and then a cable car to the glacier viewpoint, one of the highest points of the week at 9800 ft. Enjoy an impressive view of some of the highest mountains of the East Alps – Piz Bernina, Bellavista and Palu.

Some options at this location:
Relax and enjoy the panorama or book a jacuzzi at this exquisite location (extra)
Take a hike to Munt Pers (2.5m, 1 h45 min), or shorter, to Sass Queder depending on conditions (1.25m, 1h). We’ll take a cable car back to the valley at 4pm, then railway to Pontresina, back at hotel 5pm. Breakfast & lunch included, open dinner in Pontresina.

TUESDAY
We have 2 days (Tuesday and Thursday) with abundant rest and free time. There are several ideas / options.
After breakfast, yoga and lunch, you might choose to:
– Enjoy the Bellavita Spa (Hotel Allegra is the ONLY hotel with direct and included access to the spa complex of pools, steam, sauna and more.)
– Take a free chairlift to Languard
– Rent a mountain or electric bike next door to the hotel ($40-70)
– Adventure on a 5km hike to Lej da Staz or
– Enjoy a public horse carriage ride through the Val Roseg valley (approx $35)
Breakfast and lunch included, open dinner

WEDNESDAY
After breakfast and yoga, we’ll take a train to the highest point of the UNESCO railway. We’ll arrive 40 minutes later at Alp Grum where we’ll have lunch with a stunning view of the southern valley of Poschiavo (the Italian speaking part of Switzerland) enjoy the charm of this picturesque Italian town complete with medieval architecture.  Breakfast, lunch and group dinner included

THURSDAY
Another free day to enjoy the area. See Tuesday for optional activities.

FRIDAY
After breakfast and yoga, we head to the village of Sils, a magical place that inspired writers such as Nietzsche, Dürrenmatt and Kästner, artists like Beuys and Chagall, and musicians such as Strauss, Honegger and David Bowie. Its enchanting open spaces and the magical quality of light in this high-lying valley need to be experienced in person.

Next, we’ll take a boat on the magic lake Sils to Isola and take a leisurely hike to the Maloja. We’ll return from Mjola and take a vintage train car back to Muottas Muragl for our final group dinner before returning to Pontresina.

SATURDAY
Departure day. Breakfast and onward to home or your next adventure!

(*Subject to change)