The Height of Adventure
Alistair MacQueen is a writer, editor, and communications consultant based in London. He may never have ridden a motorbike, but he has cycled through the forest from St. Moritz to Lej da Staz on a beautiful summer morning to catch a Festival da Jazz set by the lake.
It could be said that the stunning curves, roads and passes around St. Moritz aren’t merely routes to get lost on, but journeys to truly lose yourself in. From the 2,280-metre ascent of the Julier Pass to the switchback corners on the Maloja Pass (not forgetting the Albula and Bernina Passes too), there’s no shortage of stunning, otherworldly vistas at every turn in this part of the Alps. Car journeys on the famous bends around here are well documented, but those of the two-wheeled variety perhaps less so. Not this September, though, when a cavalcade of motorcycles, both classic and modern, will descend on the Engadin Valley once again for The Great Malle Mountain Rally, raising pulses and glasses as they go.
First held in 2022, the ride this year starts in Innsbruck, Austria, winds its way across the Alps, and concludes in Monaco, where riders toast their finish with bottles of fizz in classic racing style. It’s not so much a competitive affair, but rather enthusiasts and adventurers who sign up for the thrill and the camaraderie of the international entrants and the rapid shifts in terrain and location. The route, covering 1,600 miles in six days, has timed stages, with points awarded to those who don’t drop their kickstands at lay-bys to enjoy endless espressos and Nusstorten. Ahead of the riders, a travelling infrastructure of engineers, mechanics and catering staff ensure that, at the end of each day, tales can be swapped over full glasses, local meals and specialities cooked by private chefs, and beds prepared in luxe accommodation ranging from Schloss, mountaintop glamping tents and other unique stays.
It’s the kind of event that encapsulates the Malle brand, which is renowned for its refined travel luggage, sharp apparel and cool accessories all made from enduring material that exudes discerning solidity with every stitch. Founded in 2013 by cousins Robert Nightingale and Jonny Cazzola, the brand’s spirit of adventure and creativity rides tandem (ahem!) with St. Moritz’s own intrepid ideas and ethos, as Nightingale explains.
“We bring in 100 people from all over the world who have two shared things in common: they love motorcycles; they love adventures. You put them into an experience of trying to cross Switzerland and the Alps, which are themselves living things – they are moving, they have landslides, and then there’s the weather that can shift dramatically. Some years are completely dry, but last year we had snow, which was really wild.”
The calibre of the riders varies, from relative novices to more experienced competitors. Routes are well plotted, with briefings held every morning, but Nightingale describes how people can still get lost quite easily, traversing into Liechtenstein or Italy by taking a wrong turn at a roundabout, for example. Riders are also released in groups of five to avoid overcrowding. “They’re travelling through tiny Swiss mountain villages, so we don’t want to overload these with bikes. We want to ensure a positive impact, so we put them in small groups, which also allows the riders to look out for each other while they’re on the road.”
Nightingale describes how the rally is more than a unique experience – it also offers entrants the chance to truly disconnect from the pressures of daily life. “We’re all there for different reasons, but for many it’s the mental health side of it. When you’re on a motorcycle, you can’t be on the phone, you can’t be doing emails or work – you’ve got eight to ten hours a day in your crash helmet to process, dream and think. That’s why some of our riders come back every year. We give them that mental space to really reflect as well as do something different.”
The rally will pass through St. Moritz on 16th September, the village acting as a checkpoint en route to Italy, offering riders a different take on the area. “Many of our guests will never have seen St. Moritz when everything’s so vibrant, green and lush,” says Nightingale. “They might have been there for skiing, but not in the late summertime, riding along Lake St. Moritz and Silvaplana seeing all the boats and windsurfers.”
St. Moritz has a deep history of exciting, combustion-driven events, but for Nightingale, what is it about this stage of the rally that gives it a certain edge over the others? “When you’re riding through authentic farmsteads and villages like St. Moritz, it is just so beautiful. Also, you have two of my favourite cafés in the area, one right at the top of the Maloja Pass, which acts as one of the last stages of that day’s rally. Then, as the sun sets at about 7.30 to 8.00 p.m., an orange gold floods the valley – this golden hour of light across the valley… it’s quite simply beautiful.”