Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone skied there? What's it like?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Funky little town with big Scandie riders. Gemstock is the main lift and it isn't really a very good pisted area Lots of loose rocks means it needs a good covering and it will be tracked quite quickly unless you are quick. It is a good place if you are comfortable sorting yourself out route-wise and although it might look quite small, the more you look and are prepared to travel...on skis.. the more you find to do. It would suit an AT set-up mostly alhough you can introduce yourself alpine-style.
In the last two times I have been there, it has been quite a good little bolt-hole for snow...
It isn't a late apre-ski town but has decent restaurants and few pubs which don't break the bank.
All-in all, it's pants...don't go there...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Not much to add to JT's excellent summary. It's real mountain skiing - loads to do if you're comfortable reading a swiss ski map or if not in the company of a guide. Wouldn't bother for the piste skiing - it's OK but there are plenty of better places for that
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Never been to Andermatt... But also wanna know more.
Given that Andermat (along with Engelberg) has a big scandi ski bum population there must be something going down off piste wise...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I was there for 4 days 25 years ago, one of the years I was adrift for a month in a Renault 5 with snow tyres. I'd seen a report in a skiing guide saying it had 3 black runs, black, very black and very very black. The town was very much shades of past glory. 4 bottles of wine froze and shatterd in the car but we didn't find out until we had been down at valley level and been going for an hour, rear foot wells were awash.
Go there I enjoyed it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Andermatt;
A few runs that you should be able to pick off if you can route find..but you will end up well away from anyone else, so take the normal precautions.
Take the red from the Gemstock lift and hug the big ridge that is on the left. You will start to see a big expanse off left which may well have tracks, this is the normal route into Felsental which you should have found all by yourself already. If you haven't, then you aren't going to be able to get over into Guspis. This is a high traverse for as long as you can to a ridge into another valley that will end up in Hospental..a village on the main road south out of Andermatt. There are plenty of taxis going back and you might even be able to get the train which might only be of use if you have accom close by, but the walk back to the high st isn't so bad from the banhof anyway.
Once in the Guspis valley you might see skiers coming over from Winterhorn. It might be better to have look at the valley from that side anyway, in the 1st instance. we tried but it was a whiteout and the Winterhoen lifts are sooo slow, you are not inclined to give them another go for no reason.
You should be able to also get into Guspis with skins from the back side of Gemstok as you will enter the valley higher up and you can also get to the other valley north of the back and come down through Unteralp. Both loops off the back of Gemstock with eventually bring you round to the frontside at the valley level.
In the Hospental area have a look on the piste map for the wooded/scrubland areas as these are reserved for Deer. It is designated a wildlife and woodland area and although you might see a few tracks on the edge of these areas, I am not sure what the penalties are if you stray too deep into them.
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Anyone in town now? 18 th dec 2014 and want to ski with an un-fit expert skier?
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