Skiing in Engelberg
Engelberg’s skiing takes place on both sides of the valley, served by two separate lift systems.
Engelberg Ski Area Overview
Brunni
Brunni is reached from the eastern edge of town by cable car – convenient for many central hotels – but has just a handful of runs served by old lifts; for gentle sunny skiing or tree skiing on bad weather days it’s ideal though limited in extent with a maximum altitude of just 2040 metres. The major ski region on the Trubsee/Titlis side of the valley, is reached from the base station, two minutes from town centre by a free shuttle bus or by a (level) fifteen-minute walk. This disjointed start is mirrored halfway up the mountain at Trubsee, where the lift system splits.
Trubsee
The Trubsee – a lake at 1,800 metres above a rocky escarpment – is traversed by chairlift in both directions to prevent the need for a lengthy pole-push. The high point to the west is the Jochstock, 2,564 metres, reached by two more chairs and giving access to predominantly red runs, well above the tree line. Also to this side, descending from the lake plateau, are red and blue back-to-village runs which pass a major cross country ski circuit and modest beginner/snowtube area halfway down, at the foot of the escarpment, before continuing through trees to the base station. Continuing directly upwards from Trubsee, the summit of the Klein Titlis is reached by two consecutive cable car rides.
The top lift – the Rotair – features the world’s first rotating cabins (or at least, the floors rotate), giving everyone within sight of a window a 360-degree view on each trip. All the routes on both the top and middle sections are red runs, with the exception of one black piste and several huge off piste routes, some of them on the Titlis glacier. For strong intermediate and advanced skiers, the high pistes are the main area of interest in good weather while the off piste routes are big enough, and pass through sufficiently challenging terrain to make them a major undertaking, leaving the piste far behind.
The Laub
Halfway between the summit and Trubsee at around two and a half thousand metres is the traverse that leads from the top of the Rindertitlis chairlift to the start of the Laub, Engelberg’s most famous off piste run: it’s as though God took a huge, broad valley floor and tipped it up to give a perfect, constant thirty-five degree pitch for 1,200 vertical north-facing metres, as wide as several football fields, unimpeded by rock or vegetation and frequently covered in powder snow. ‘Yeah baby’, to use the technical term!
But to those in the know, the Laub is just the tip of the iceberg, the tourist route. The aim of Engelberg’s powder hunters is to experience every one of the even longer, infinitely more varied descents from the very top. If you have any off piste pretensions, then whatever else you budget for when visiting Engelberg, a guide should be at the top of the list.
Beginner Skiing in Engelberg
Both Gerschnialp and Untertrübsee have ideal flat terrain for beginners, easily reached from the base station and with a blue run back home to finish.
A total of six blue runs – 25 kilometres – are divided between here and Brunni, which has the perfect long descent for capable beginners, from the Brunnihutte back to town. With few people heading for this side, it’s an ideal area to find your feet, scoring maximum points for forest charm and with adequate uplift.
On the opposite side, the lack of blue runs above Trubsee, other than the isolated ones from the Jochpass, mean beginners and early intermediates can only get the high mountain experience and views over Engelberg by riding both up and down the Stand and Klein Titlis cable cars. Despite this layout the resort probably has at least as much to offer beginners as stronger intermediates in the context of a one-week ski holiday.
Ski Schools & Ski Lessons in Engelberg
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Intermediate Skiing in Engelberg
Engelberg has 55 kilometers of red runs – around 60 % of the pisted terrain – available for intermediates.
A bonus for skiers at this level is the stunning view from high on the mountain and usually good snow conditions thanks to the northerly aspect of most of the pistes. But there are snags: from the top of the Klein Titlis to Stand involves tackling the one serious black run in resort; you could ski the top and descend by cable car but it’s not an ideal option for most skiers.
Additionally, many of the red runs thoroughly deserve their category, so there’s not much time to relax on the descent. Strong intermediates practicing their carving technique will find themselves traveling faster than a speeding bullet before they can say, ‘nice wax job!’. Throw in the slightly disjointed lift layout and it becomes clear that this is not the ideal resort for intermediates, even if they plan to attempt some off piste – it’s mostly too challenging (and probably terrifying) still to be learning deep snow technique.
Jochstock is the best area to ski laps on piste where broader, less steep runs and chairs rather than cable cars make this a more congenial area to cruise. It’s high enough for good snow and gives the best, uninterrupted descent to the valley floor at the end of the day.
For families, Brunni is ideal though limited. Easily accessed from the town centre and small enough to make for simple navigation and meeting up, there’s a variety of sunny skiing. Only the old lifts, including a drag lift to the very top, are a problem. In terms of extent, you won’t want to spend more than a day or two on this side during the course of a week’s holiday.
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Engelberg Advanced & Expert Skiing in Engelberg
Judged by the official piste statistics, Engelberg has little to interest strong skiers, with just one black run in the Titlis area – a steep mogul field – which is also the only pisted route down from the upper area. But the off-piste, freeriding and ski touring are all superb.
The red runs that make up most of the rest of the skiing are at the steeper end of the scale, with no let-up across most of the Titlis and Jochstock areas. Skiing the length of either the Trubsee-Stand cable car or the two chairs between Jochstock and Alpstubli at the western end of the Trubsee gives a sustained descent of 600 and 800 vertical metres respectively but without significant opportunities to vary the route.
If you’re doing laps, you soon realize the restrictions that the glaciated terrain imposes on piste building on these north-facing slopes. Engelberg’s second black run is on Brunni, from the top lift, following the shoulder of the mountain before feeding into the main red run, but it’s barely distinguishable, in terms of pitch or the challenge it poses, from many of the reds found in the main ski area and it’s quite short.
Boarding & Freestyle in Engelberg
Both Brunni and the Titlis areas are equally boarder-friendly in terms of terrain: outstanding off piste with few big traverses and generally few flats on the upper slopes either on or off piste.Lower down, the blue run back to the village from Untertrubsee is the main area where flat stretches are a problem.
For very accomplished, highly insured riders, there are some of the best cliffs to launch off in the Alps, as reflected by the current crop of wintersport photographers who make their home here each season. But most of the jumping takes place within the main terrain park at the bottom of the Jochpass Express chair. There are numerous jumps, rails, a half pipe and a quarter pipe; the park is updated and improved continually.
During the season a competitions and events diary is listed on www.terrainpark.ch where there’s also a current photo gallery. Spring and summer freestyle camps are regularly held on the Titlis, run by www.iceripper.com since 1988. There are also 3 snowboard schools for park and freeride.
Terrainpark Titlis
Titlis Rotair
Poststrasse 3, CH-6390 Engelberg
Phone: +41 (0)41 6395050
Fax: +41 (0)41 6395060
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.terrainpark.ch
Off-Piste Skiing & Freeriding in Engelberg
The’ Big Five’ offpiste and freeride runs are the Laub, Sulz, Steintäli, Steinberg and Galtiberg.
The Laub is the most famous because it’s so easy to access: from the Laubersgrat, head briefly onto Piste number 4, and keep high and to skiers’ right, and if visibility is good enough to ski it safely, you will have no trouble seeing the entry point. Then keep going down the mountain till you reach blue run number 20. The Laub is neither particularly high (it starts at about 2400m) nor by Engelberg standards is it particularly long (a vertical of just under 1000m), but it’s consistently steep, North-facing and wide enough for its powder to stay in reasonable condition, even when it’s tracked. In theory you should have a guide but thousands ski it every year without one.
Sulz is the North facing route from Jochstock to Trubsee. There are several differnt variants.
Steintäli starts from the top of the Jochstock-Express and heads West down to Engstlenalp.
Steinberg heads North West from the top of the Klein Titlis down to Trubsee, keeping to skiers left of the Titlis Rotair lift from Stand to Klein Titlis. This is a glacier route which is not always easy to find and has considerable crevasse danger, so a guide is recommended. The second half of it is the same as Sulz.
Galtiberg is the run from the top of Tilis, down 2000m into the valley. The exact end-pint can vary depending on snow conditions but the most popular target is the small lift station at FurenAlp serving a mountain reserved for tobogganing and snowshoeing because you can return by bus from there to Engelberg. A guide is strongly recommended.
The ‘High Five’ skitours are Salistock, Brisen, Ruchstock, Titlis Round Trip and the Urner Haute Route. You need a guide for all these and they will advise what equipment you need such as skins, ropes, carmpons etc.
Mountain Restaurants in Engelberg
There are 14-mountain restaurant throughout the area. The highest are at the Titlis station (3,028m): an a-la-carte restaurant with extensive wine and food menus and amazing views; a self service restaurant; a Mama Mia Pizzeria; and the Ofen Bar for coffee and drinks.
The Ritz, Gerschnialp and Jochpass offer accomodation as well as sun terraces and cosy restaurants for lunch, with Swiss menus featuring rosti, fondue, salads and soups as well as more elaborate dishes. There is a cafe and self-service restaurant at Trubsee and up the cable car at Stand, the Buurestube is another friendly place with typical Swiss dishes.
On Brunni, the Brunnihütte is a cosy restaurant in old Swiss style; at the head of the valley on Furenalp walkers and toboganners can refuel on an extensive menu on the terrace of of the Furenalp restaurant.
There are also several on-mountain spots for end of day drinks: from under a huge umbrella the Sternbar at Stand has great views and is well placed, half-way down the mountain, to get your après ski started. One stage lower, outside the Hotel Trübsee, Crash is a ski-through bar for service without even removing your skis or board. Back at valley level, ‘The Chalet’ by the base station has a DJ each day and live bands.
Titlis Top Station, Mt. Titlis
Several restaurants under one roof:
Titlis Stübli
Self-Service Panorama Restaurant
Pizzeria Mamma Mia
Ofen Bar
Engelberger und Gadmer Stube
Tel: +41 (0)41 639 50 80
Email: [email protected]
Buurestube & Self-Service-Restaurant Stand
Stand mid station
Tel: +41 (0)41 639 50 85
Email: [email protected]
Trübsee
Bergstation Trübsee, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 13 71
Email: [email protected]
Alpstubli
Trübsee, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 15 44
Email: [email protected]
Untertrübsee
Untertrübsee, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 12 26
Email: [email protected]
Ritz – Gerschnialp
Gerschnialp, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 22 12
Fürenalp
Fürenalp, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 39 49
Email: [email protected]
Flühmatt
Flühmatt, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 16 60
Email: [email protected]
Schwand
Schwand, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 13 92
Email: [email protected]
Älplerbeizli Rigidalalp
Rigidal, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)79 302 65 43
Email: [email protected]
Ristis
Ristis, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 14 83
Email: [email protected]
Brunnihütte SAC
Postfach 85, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 37 32
Email: [email protected]
Rugghubel Huette
Rugghubel, 6390 Engelberg
Tel: +41 (0)41 637 20 64
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.rugghubel.ch