Meiringen-Hasliberg Ski Area

There’s 60km of groomed pistes including one black run, 14 red runs and eight blue runs which are generally uncrowded and ideal for intermediates and improving beginners. Facilities for beginners are good and conveniently close to the Meiringen ski school office at Bidmi. They include secure areas for young children, a slope and T-bar designated for novice boarders only as well as wide open beginner slopes for skiers. A quick glance at the ski area also reveals plenty of relatively easy off-piste terrain between the pistes for advanced skiers as well as more challenging off-piste for experts. The ski lift system is heavily reliant on the main cable car and four high-speed gondolas to bulk shift but queuing is generally not a problem.

There is artificial snowmaking on the main slopes from Häägen (2,010m) and Mägisalp (1,710m) to Bidmi and between Käserstatt (1,840m), Lischen and Bidmi, but no artificial snowmaking on the lower blue runs between Bidmi and Reuti which are mostly too low for snowmaking. Consequently, if snow conditions are patchy early or late in the season, the blue runs from Bidmi to Reuti may be closed due to lack of snowcover in which case the only way down without wrecking your skis is to ride the gondola.

More advanced skiers and boarders will easily cover all of Meiringen’s groomed slopes in a couple of days, but when snow conditions are favourable there’s plenty of off-piste including easy to access ungroomed terrain between the pistes which helps avoid having to ski or ride the same pistes again and again.

Those that want to ski more challenging terrain can arrange a guide locally through the ski school. Glogghűss 2,534m and Rothorn 2,525m are protected area for the benefit of Chamois, but experts can access more difficult off-piste descents including steep couloirs by booting up the ridge from Planplatten 2,250m towards the shoulder of Rothorn then ski fresh tracks down to the gondola at Mägisalp. Heliskiing is also possible, usually in April, on Sustenhorn, Ebneflu or Rosenhorn and can be arranged by the ski school.

Other activities in the ski area include ten hiking trails, two toboggan runs (Mägisalp-Bidmi and Käserstatt-Balisalp-Lischen) each of which is around 3km long and a short cross-country ski circuit between Bidmi and Lischen. The hiking trails are of between 30 minutes and three hours duration and allow winter walkers to access the popular mountain restaurants at Käserstatt (1840m) and Mägisalp (1710m) without having to ride the lifts. It’s also possible to walk all of the way from Hasliberg Hohfluh down to Meiringen at 700m in the Haslital valley below.