Rosswald Ski Resort Switzerland
Rosswald in the upper Swiss Valais is an uber traditional ski resort toward the Simplon Pass, with towering views over Brig and the Rhone valley.
Despite some limitations, Rosswald is a fun resort for a leg-warmer prior to bigger challenges, or on a powder day for endless freeride laps off the top lift below the Folluhorn.
Pros & Cons for Rosswald Ski Resort
Pros
- Amazing village perched on a ridge above the Rhone valley.
- High base area with reliable snow.
- Very good lower piste trails for beginners and families.
- Upper mountain is perfect for advanced riders seeking powder.
- Uncrowded mid-week.
- Good value for money on a powder day.
- Long (9km) sledding run to gondola base.
- Easy access from Brig train station by bus.
- Ski-in lodging options for a cheap, easy, authentic Swiss chalet ski experience.
Cons
- Overpriced if the off-piste is variable.
- Can get busy on weekends.
- Ski lifts are old surface tows; the gondola is for access & sledding only.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Village and resort is über traditional.
- Ski lifts are all T-bars which can prove tiring and challenging to some skiers & snowboarders, particularly beginners and anyone too used to riding uphill on hooded six-seater express chairs with heated seats designed by a racing car company!
- The village is small and quiet.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Access to Rosswald is via a car park & gondola above the small town of Ried-bei-Brig, at a tad over 1,000m elevation. The gondola transports one to the ski resort at 1,819m and into another world. A short walk up between restaurants gets you to the main lower ski slope. The cutesy village laden with chalets spreads around the base of the ski slope with glorious Rhone valley views in all directions.
A line of 3 successive surface lifts provide the uphill motion serving the alleged 25km of lovely piste trails. We say alleged because that distance is a resort stat & is probably stretching the truth. If it is 20km we would be surprised!
Check out the ski trail map for Rosswald below.
The beginner and intermediate piste from the lower lifts is extremely busy on a weekend, but the higher lifts, advanced trails & off-piste are all but deserted. On a real powder day, the off piste & freeride terrain is amazing, particularly on the nearly 500m vertical from the top lift below the Folluhorn peak.
The lift pass price seems a bit steep given the old surface lifts that provide the uphill grunt for skiing, but on the right day, in the right conditions, Rosswald rocks and the lift pass price feels like it was gratis! If in Brig and needing a leg-warming day at a ski resort that hasn’t changed much since last century, Rosswald is for you. On a powder day with some good visibility - ditto. Whatever the conditions if there is good visibility, you will not be disappointed by the views; they are stupendous.
Where is Rosswald, Switzerland?
The Rosswald ski resort sits pretty on a prominent ridge over the Rhone valley in Switzerland. Rosswald is above the major Valais city of Brig. The base of the ski resort gondola is at Ried-Brig, a windy 9km south of Brig.
The route 632 bus makes the journey to the Ried-Brig (Rosswald Talstation) from outside the Brig train station. Getting to Brig is easy by train from just about anywhere in Europe, but particularly from Milan, Zurich, & Geneva which are the major gateway airports to the area .
Search & book train tickets to Brig.
Rosswald Accommodation
The panoramic views of the deep Rhône River valley lined with snow clad peaks at Rosswald puts it in our heads to always try and spent a night up in the ski resort. There are a host of traditional chalets for rent in the resort village making it one of the easiest resorts to get a true Swiss chalet experience without breaking the bank.
One rifugio-like ski-in ski-out lodging option in the resort village is the Restaurant Fleschboden at the top of the first T-bar. Access is on ski from the T-bar or via a winter walking path. Rooms are simple & facilities are shared. Great for a group packing light for a long après session & first tracks in the morning.
Search & book Rosswald ski accommodation.
In Ried-Brig village below the gondola base, a couple of hotels near the Simplon Pass Road are probably best avoided due to road noise. Of course, the city of Brig always has availability at several comfortable & convenient hotels near the train station in the centre of town.
Rosswald Activities
A fantastic sledding trail at Rosswald is served by the gondola & is a butt-numbing 9km in length. The final stage of the sled trail is at quite low elevation & does struggle for snow early & late in the season. A range of winter walking trails wide their way around the resort, all taking in the eye-wateringly awesome vistas.
Nearby Ski Resorts & Sledding
The upper Rhone valley around Rosswald has a plethora of great resorts within a easy day trip from Brig. Great family-oriented ski resorts like Aletsch Arena and Belalp are counterpointed by the more serious proposition of Lauchernalp - to name but a few! A super-fun family sledding safari is possible by combining the long sled trails at Rosswald, Belalp & Aletsch Arena over consecutive days.
Reviews
The Powderhounds reviewed Rosswald way back in 2017. We love it for its old-school authenticity and its powder-seeking freeriding potential. We will be heading back soon to ride more of its off-piste terrain with our Magic Pass. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read all the reviews.
See how Rosswald compares to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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