Skier's Haute Route
Ski touring between two alpine villages is quite popular in the Alps. The most famous of these routes is, of course, the so-called Haute Route between Chamonix and Zermatt.
Another fairly popular tour is the so-called Skier's Haute Route, which starts from Andermatt and ends in Engelberg. Both villages are popular among freeriders, but this tour seems to involve too much ski touring for young powder enthusiasts, as one often ends up quite alone on the route. There are never the same kinds of crowds as on the Chamonix-Zermatt route.
The Skier's Haute Route, officially known as the Urner Haute Route (named after the canton of Uri), usually takes 5 days. Starting from Andermatt, the first night is spent at a hotel along the road leading to the Furka Pass, which is closed in winter, so access is only possible by skiing. The second night is typically spent in a cozy small village that normally has no winter residents, but a young and friendly owner of a small inn opens the place for ski tourers when needed. At the end of the third day of the tour, you reach a traditional mountain lodge, and then the fourth night is spent in a larger hotel along the road that, however, is closed in winter when the road is shut. On the fifth day, you ski down to the Engelberg valley where the tour ends.
The Skier's Haute Route gets its name because, in terms of skiing, it's much better and more interesting than the more famous Haute Route, Chamonix-Zermatt. Engelberg village is northwest of Andermatt, meaning the journey is roughly from south to north, with ascents mostly on the southern side (usually safer) and descents on the northern side (usually better snow). Additionally, the horizontal distance between the villages is much smaller than on the traditional Haute Route, which reduces the amount of travel between stages. The ascents and descents are on average steeper and the altitude differences greater than on the Chamonix-Zermatt tour.
Both technically and physically demanding, the Skier's Haute Route is more challenging than its better-known counterpart. On a few occasions, skis are strapped to backpacks and climbers ascend with crampons and ice axes. Daily ascents are also generally quite substantial, with the longest days involving ascents of approximately 1.5 kilometers. However, the difficulty is somewhat mitigated by starting with easier and shorter days at the beginning of the tour, allowing the body to acclimate to the thin air and climbs. Nevertheless, the efforts are richly rewarded; often, excellent powder can be found on the northern-facing slopes.
Your guide is an experienced professional UIAGM mountain guide, Pette Halme or Krister Jonsson, both of them having done the tour several times before.
Your guide is an experienced professional UIAGM mountain guide, Pette Halme or Krister Jonsson, both of them having done the tour several times before.
SKILL - AND FITNESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TOUR
NOTE: For the success of the trek, it is crucial that everyone can endure the entire journey both physically and in terms of their skiing abilities. If an individual's physical or technical skills are inadequate, the group will continue the trek, and the individual will be removed from the mountains when the circumstances allow. These matters will be discussed on the first warm-up day in Andermatt.
Previous climbing or glacier experience may not be necessary as required skills will be covered during the trip. Participants must have a fairly good level of physical fitness because we will be moving daily in thin air, at elevations of 2000 - 3500 meters, with daily ascents averaging approximately 1000 - 1500 meters (except for the first day which involves about 500 meters of ascent).
However, previous experience on long, at least 2-3 day ski tours is important. Preferably, this experience should be from the Alps or similarly challenging terrains in Norway or Sweden. Simply having done hikes in Finnish Lapland or similar terrain is not sufficient preparation for this tour.
Airport transfers from Zurich Airport to Andermatt and from Engelberg back to Zurich Airport are comfortably and swiftly done by a minibus. The journeys take only about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Luggage left in Andermatt (not taken on the trek) will be transported separately to the hotel in Engelberg, where it will await the hikers.
Demanding. Previous experience in ski touring in the Alps or similar regions, as well as off-piste skiing skills, and good physical fitness are absolute requirements. Daily ascents involve approximately 1 to 1.5 kilometers of elevation gain at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 3500 meters.
Standard ski touring equipment. We will send a detailed gear list to all participants who have registered for the trip.
In Andermatt and Engelberg, we stay in charming 3-star hotels. In the mountains, we stay in simple mountain hotels or mountain lodges in dormitories.