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.