Grindelwald Advanced Skiing

The Jungfrau region is not noted for tough skiing though there are several exceptions to the rule. There are also worthy off piste excursions, including a day tour starting from the Jungfraujoch which takes in Switzerland’s most magnificent scenery and returns, many miles later, by train from the far side of the Bernese Oberland.

Nearer to home, from First’s Egg lift, a black runs all the way down to the valley, following the line of the gondola for most of the way. From Oberjoch there is a tough black run, the Schwarzer Traum and a couple of itineraries. There are also enjoyable diversions through trees (though much of the forest is a protected zone).

On the Kleine Scheidegg/Männlichen side there are just 19 km of black piste with very little truly steep stuff; the terrain is mainly rolling meadow which makes for easy, open skiing even when the pitch increases. The Lauberhorn World Cup descent is the obvious candidate for advanced skiers, though in practice this famous high-speed gliding course is a relatively gentle prospect when skied recreationally. But you don’t have to be going insanely fast to appreciate the effect of the famous tunnel under the railway – at racing speeds it must be like threading a needle in a hurricane but with greater consequences if you miss. Unless you’re late for lunch, break up the journey by checking the signboards along the way which have stories and info about the race.

Shorter and sharper, ‘Oh God’ has a nifty hump near the top: go over this with any speed and you’ll appreciate where the name came from, or possibly realize that it’s actually called something else that they can’t print on the piste map in any language.
Also on this side of the mountain, below the Eiger glacier at the extreme south of the ski area, there are a couple more black runs whose effect is heightened by their proximity to the craggy rock face; the skiing here doesn’t drop very low, so the snow’s good but the runs are relatively short. For a controlled off piste experience there are two ungroomed itineraries - one under the Lauberhorn chair and a short one down to Wengernalp; the open terrain and lack of cliffs makes this is a great place to be after fresh snow, with lots of between the piste opportunities, almost all of it sufficiently gentle to be stable, and ideal for aspiring deep snow skiers.