Engelberg - Titlis
(part of my guide to skiing the alps)
Worried about global armageddon and looking for a safe refuge? You could do worse than Engelberg. Situated at the south end of a narrow, winding valley, Engelberg is closely guarded by 3000-4000' rock walls that rise abruptly from the valley floor. In the summer, you can hike into the valley from the east over the Surenen Pass, an old mule-traders' route. No matter what season, it's a beautiful place.
The town is about two hours from Zürich via train, changing trains in Luzern; driving is considerably faster, but the après ski traffic jams can be a major hassle. The town itself is attractive and easily navigated, with the base area ~10 minutes away from the center by foot. We stayed at the Hotel Spannort, a family-run establishment with great rooms and fantastic food. The most lively après ski was found at the Yucatan Bar near the train station.
The ski area in Engelberg, known as Titlis, is somewhat handicapped by the sheer verticalness of the terrain. The 2500 vertical feet between the base station and Trübsee aren't really navigable. A crowded, rather flat marked run winds far away from the cliffs to reach the base, but it's not much fun to ski (trail number 5 and 6, see the trailmap). One good descent may exist in this area: from the top of Laubersgrat it appears that one can make a spectacular 3900' descent around the edge of the cliffs down a wide sloping field called Laub.
Unfortunately, a complete lack of snow both on and off-piste made it difficult for us to ski anything interesting on the mountain. The marked runs at Engelberg are quite narrow, making this mountain a poor choice on crowded days. The summit at Klein Titlis offers spectacular views and hiking access to an insanely steep knife ridge, which we didn't dare attempt without better snow and a guide. The only marked descent from Klein Titlis funnels into Rotegg, a narrow section of rocky, glacial ice covered with more fallen bodies than able skiers.
Apparently the off-piste skiing at Engelberg is phenomenal, and was recently discovered by American film crews like TGR and Warren Miller. Perhaps we'll have time to try a return voyage later in the season.
Worried about global armageddon and looking for a safe refuge? You could do worse than Engelberg. Situated at the south end of a narrow, winding valley, Engelberg is closely guarded by 3000-4000' rock walls that rise abruptly from the valley floor. In the summer, you can hike into the valley from the east over the Surenen Pass, an old mule-traders' route. No matter what season, it's a beautiful place.The town is about two hours from Zürich via train, changing trains in Luzern; driving is considerably faster, but the après ski traffic jams can be a major hassle. The town itself is attractive and easily navigated, with the base area ~10 minutes away from the center by foot. We stayed at the Hotel Spannort, a family-run establishment with great rooms and fantastic food. The most lively après ski was found at the Yucatan Bar near the train station.The ski area in Engelberg, known as Titlis, is somewhat handicapped by the sheer verticalness of the terrain. The 2500 vertical feet between the base station and Trübsee aren't really navigable. A crowded, rather flat marked run winds far away from the cliffs to reach the base, but it's not much fun to ski (trail number 5 and 6, see the trailmap). One good descent may exist in this area: from the top of Laubersgrat it appears that one can make a spectacular 3900' descent around the edge of the cliffs down a wide sloping field called Laub.
Unfortunately, a complete lack of snow both on and off-piste made it difficult for us to ski anything interesting on the mountain. The marked runs at Engelberg are quite narrow, making this mountain a poor choice on crowded days. The summit at Klein Titlis offers spectacular views and hiking access to an insanely steep knife ridge, which we didn't dare attempt without better snow and a guide. The only marked descent from Klein Titlis funnels into Rotegg, a narrow section of rocky, glacial ice covered with more fallen bodies than able skiers.Apparently the off-piste skiing at Engelberg is phenomenal, and was recently discovered by American film crews like TGR and Warren Miller. Perhaps we'll have time to try a return voyage later in the season.
1/24/2006
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