Engelberg’s reputation for big freeride powder descents is legend. And to finally ski it properly on a few super deep days in March was a long-held ambition which turned out to be a real treat. Light mid-week crowds meant the usual ‘powder madness’ that besieges the mountain on weekends was not really in evidence and we were thankful for it.
As seems to be usual on powder days at Engelberg the Rotair cable car up to Titlis was only open for pedestrians until 10 to 10.30am each day, so doing the Steinberg in relatively untracked condition was all about timing it when the lift opened to skiers. Turns out we timed it relatively poorly, but still had a few incredibly epic runs. We never skied the Laub as the lower third of it appeared to be very poor when viewed from the gondola on the way up to Trübsee in the morning (a victim of the warm winter!). Viewing it later on in the day, a lot of people did ski the Laub, but the tracks down low looked to be anything but fun leaving us feeling a little vindicated (because there was a spirited conversation about ‘should we’ or ‘shouldn’t we’ earlier on in the day – the shouldn’t won!).
We checked out the relatively mellow off-piste lines around the Ochsenhorn on the Jochstock side of the mountain and then the Sulz in very poor visibility. Our snowboarder in the group did not enjoy the traverses out, but he is fit and did it a lot easier than most others that we saw. Skiing certainly has its advantages at Engelberg. A 1,560m vertical, 9km long, top to bottom from Jochstock back into the village, together with warming temperatures, was enough for us to call it a day and have a few beers at the ‘Chalet’. Felt a lot more cosy standing on the deck with a new wall enclosing it in; sheltering one from the sight & sound of the buses.
On this day I was with a mate that had just arrived in Switzerland, and it was his first day on snow. Suffice to say he was quite impressed. It set an extremely high bar for the rest of his time with me in Europe. I only managed to equal or better it at Sölden in Austria (where first tracks on a deep day into the Wasserkar below Gaislachkogel is hard to beat) and in Norway at Uløya Island and again in the Lofoten Islands - both incredible ski locations, even if they don’t have lifts! My point is that a good powder day at Engelberg is as good a day on snow as you are likely to have anywhere, anytime.
The following day was heavy snow & stormy with low visibility and saw us skiing on & off-piste powder all alone first thing in the morning. Below Stand, the steeps off to skiers left proved quite deep, but dicey as well. Care was required to avoid some slide zones. The visibility & conditions meant the Steinberg was untenable, but a few runs from the top past the Ice Flyer and down Piste Rotegg had a nice combo of a little visibility & deep untouched powder. The iconic Laub freeride zone still had poor snow cover on its lower reaches, so any joy at the top was juxtaposed against a bit of misery at the exit, but such is life. The visibility lifted somewhat, and we checked out the newest chair at Engelberg (the six-seat Engstlen) via the Steintäli route (which was blah!). The pistes around Jochstock were in supreme condition and thoroughly enjoyable as they were devoid of humans. The day ended with another full vertical tilt down along the Graustock and back into Engelberg. Glorious stuff.
Whilst skiing Engelberg we stayed at the Alp Apartments, right in the heart of town. An older style, traditional building with loads of character, the apartments interior was spacious, bright and shiny new with an excellent fit-out for full self-catering. We even availed our self of the washing machine & dryer – a godsend for me having been ‘on the road’ for a couple of months already. The ski bus stop for the main lines was just 50m from the apartment.
It’s a shame Engelberg town is quite low elevation (1,050m). The lack of snow in a ‘warm’ season like 2024 (and lots of rain), can be a little disheartening on a ski holiday. Remembering that the mountain’s ski terrain rises over 2,000m vertical above the town lifts the spirits, but it is still preferable to stay in a snow-covered village, as opposed to a green valley in winter. Warm winters also make the maintenance of the valley trail problematic, but if it ceased to exist tomorrow, it would not be the biggest loss, just a shame. The decrease in the size of the glaciers up higher is more alarming, aligning with a huge decline right across the Alps. Note that even though the bottom of the mountain was relatively snowless, I have rated the snow here the highest possible as the upper 1,500m of vertical was/is superb. It was just the lower 500m that was shite (ish). Consider that 1,500m of vertical is more than most ski areas in North America, plus all ski areas in Japan, Oceania & probably South America as well, so I reckon it’s a reasonable contention.
It will be interesting to see what the construction of the new extra cable car up to Titlis brings next season. Less waiting, but more skiers up top wont be a great equation. Time will tell. Also noted that the old Älplerseil cable car was no longer in place, despite it still being on the current trail maps. It was never of much use from a ski point of view, but I am intrigued nonetheless.
I rankled with the rating for child friendly at Engelberg. The reality is most of Titlis is not child friendly and the bits that are, are not great. The low elevation Klostermatte slopes struggle for decent snow these days. Go elsewhere if seeking a family ski holiday (unless your kids are all experts that is!). Aletsch Arena & Bettmeralp village for example.
Engelberg is one of those mystical mountains that conjures up images of deep powder, steeps & adventure. The reality can be a little different depending on the day, but when the stars align, Titlis provides the best kind of experience for Powderhounds. Who knows, one day I may even ski it with someone that actually knows the terrain. Looking forward to revisiting but will avoid doing it on a weekend when from all reports the morning lift lines can be horrendous, and the mountain gets tracked out incredibly quickly! But it is popular for a reason, and that reason will get me returning next season ……. powder!
See our thoughts on the pros & cons on our Engelberg overview page.
Engelberg is a ski resort that all skiers need to experience at least once. When are you going? We are of the view that once is not enough and will return in 2019.
