Advanced & Expert Skiing in Andermatt | Ultimate-Ski.com

Andermatt’s Gemsstock mountain has plenty of challenging terrain for freeriders, off-piste and black-run skiers. The SkiArena that now stretches to Sedrun also has ungroomed trails and black pistes.

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Gemstock

With a summit of 2,961m, Gemsstock Mountain has 31km of terrain to attack without including the further 6km of additional ski routes, 17km (55%) of that is deemed difficult. The glacier piste is quite often ungroomed, so that when a fresh dump of snow comes it creates a playground for an amazing freeride experience. The classic descents like Felsental, Guspis, Giraffe and Geissberg attract off-piste skiers and freeriders from all over, although these routes are only the ones they’ve named: experienced steep and deep lovers can find their own gullies and shoots, although hiring a guide is strongly recommended. There are on-piste challenges too: the famous Bernhard Russi black run (#71) should not be missed, and there are plenty of other black runs at mid-mountain and below.

A two-section cable car system takes you straight to the summit from the edge of the village, and beneath the summit is a large north-facing bowl. This bowl consists of long, steep slopes including the Bernhard Russi black runt and various off-piste routes and ski trails. Valleys outside this bowl include the most famous off-piste run at Gemsstock, Felsental, and also Guspis which heads towards Hospental, a village along the valley from Andermatt. Even from Gurschen mid-station, there are tricky black runs heading back to the village, that’s if you have the legs after a strenuous day of serious skiing.

The only downside to the area for experts is the queue for the cable car in the village and at the mid-station. Midweek this is seldom a problem but on a sunny weekend after a lot of fresh powder has fallen, you will have to get up early to make the most of your day.

Natschen-Gutsch

Natschen gets steeper as you go higher and from the summit at Gutsch there are a couple of black runs as well as some off-piste terrain. It’s a good place for families and other mixed ability groups to enjoy skiing different runs of varying difficulty in the same ski area. It’s general South West-facing orientation, however, means that fresh powder quickly turns to crud.

Oberalppass-Schneehüenerstock

Most of the Andermatt-Sedrun SkiArena main circuit that stretches from Natschen to Dieni is intermediate terrain. But there are interesting black runs and an ungroomed ski route at the top of the Oberalppass-Schneehüenerstock gondola which was built in 2018 to complete the circuit.

Engelberg

Engelberg, the other off-piste mecca in Central Switzerland is neither connected to Andermatt nor covered by its lift pass. But it is within reach. By car it’s about an hour away and by train about double that. Advanced skiers should make the effort, even if it’s just a one day visit. They can then contribute to the never ending debate of whether the freeriding and off-piste skiing on the Laub and Klein Titlis are better than on the Gemsstock. (The short answer is that they are both very good.)

Andermatt-Guides.ch

Want to push yourself to your limits? Take a day touring or heli-skiing with Andermatt-Guides.ch. Ski amazing untouched terrain and soak up some truly glorious views of the snow-laden mountains in the heart of the Uri Alps. A day pass includes a helicopter flight under the impressive Salbitschijjen to land at 3200m on the Sustenlimi. After landing is when the real fun starts; ski through the impressive valleys and crevasses of the Steingletchser to 1865m and reach the pick-up point. A second flight then brings you back to Sustenlimi and the long descent to Voralptal and towards the awaiting Göschenen.

Advanced & Expert