Adelboden Advanced

The red runs below the Sillerenbuhl gondola top station are good for warming up first thing in the morning, especially red run 67 from the top of the Aebi chairlift (C9) and red 55.  While riding the chairlift back to Sillerenbuhl you can visually check out the off-piste area to your right beyond the groomed ski area which is accessed by riding the Lavey chairlift (C2) then heading skier’s left off black 57 or by hiking up the ridge.

Black 51 from Lavey (2,200m) to Geils allows access to another off-piste area between pistes which can be reached skier’s right of 51 or by following red 49 along the top of the ridge line towards Hahnenmoos to find a suitable entry point skier’s left of red 49, black 50 or blue 48. The slopes on the Adelboden side of Hahnenmoos are north-facing and hold good snow for longer than on the Lenk side of the ridge, but when it snows you can find good powder on either side of the pass, but check snow conditions and avalanche risk locally to make it’s considered safe to ski!

Luegli (2,138m) is reached by chairlift (C3) and offers a choice of four excellent runs, black (40 and 41) and red (42 and 43) which are fun to ski fast and offer a roller coaster style experience over undulating terrain all the way down to Geils. These are among the best pistes in the region so allow time to ride the chairlift repeatedly and be sure to ski all four of pistes at least once.

The Hahnenmoos pass and the ridge between Lavey (2,200m) and Metschstand (2,100m) is the dividing line between Adelboden in Engstligtal and Lenk in Simmental. With the exception of one short black run (30), the runs on the Lenk side of the pass are mostly easy red and blue runs, but not to be missed. These wide, open runs are usually quiet and great fun for cruising at speed, then ride back up quickly on high-speed chairlifts (B5, B3 and B2) and work your way along the slopes from Buhlberg to Metschberg and to the top of the Guetflach draglift (B4). From there two excellent red runs (45 and 43) offer a long and fast return to Geils.

While there’s plenty of ungroomed terrain close to many pistes, strong skiers and boarders seeking more challenging off-piste, should hire a mountain guide privately or join an off-piste group. The Alpine School Adelboden offer easy ski and snowboard tours off-piste for “beginners” and longer freeride tours of Wildstrubel or Bunderspitz for more advanced off-piste skiers and boarders. To ski off-piste with a guide, you need to be fit enough to hike up for 2-3 hours or more! The Alpine School also offer weekend, 5-day and 7-day ski touring off-piste in Adelboden with accommodation at the Berghotel in Engstligenalp.