 Poster: A snowHead
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Richard Cowper of the Financial Times explored the interesting off-piste terrain above Engelberg earlier this winter and discovered that the resort plans to more than double its ski area. According to his report this would give the resort more skiing than any other central Swiss resort ...
... but there is opposition to the expansion.
The article's well worth a read, if you're thinking of visiting the place: click here.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith,
Just got back from Engelberg and this is a mooted project but the geography isn't helpeful and locals don't neccesarily want or need it. The best skiing is in Engelberg anyway, the other resorts will be the ones pushing it...and the town burghers, of course. Looking at property prices they aren't cheap and with this news will not be getting cheaper.
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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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We've just got back too, last Tuesday night, having skiied there for 4 and a half days. It was the first time we'd been and we loved it. Engelberg came across as being a really serious skiing town, not a 'resort', I've never seen so many excellent skiers and boarders, the majority with helmets and backpacks with shovels.
Unfortunately the day we hired a guide visibility was very bad, with cloud so heavy that sometimes I didn't know which way was up  so we didn't really get to do much off piste, just a bit round the back of the Jochpass. The snow was stunningly good, especially up at the top of Titlis, and the reds and black up there kept us well happy for a few days.
Even at the weekend when the locals said it was busy, it wasn't crowded as it can be in other places, and during the week days it was positively quiet. We were often the only people on a piste, which is bliss.
I'd be quite sorry if they expanded the area, we loved it just the way it was.
This was me on the red run beside the t-bar at the top, on some of the best snow I've ever skiied on 
There are some other pictures in Trips and Resorts on the snowMedia Zone.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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RachelQ, got me all excited again  Hope the snow holds!
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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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RachelQ,
We didn't cross did we? I left friday the 20th - had to extend my stay.... and the area had just received a nice dump then. Cold temps kept the snow well.
Don't want to bang on about this but everytime I go, I see/hear about more stuff so a guide for the glacier in good conditions might not be what you want to do...but there are so many other options. And from the top of Jochpass you probably did the Klein Sulz which, apart from the litlle ice wall, should be good most of the time and not as dangerous as the Grosse Sulz which you access from TItlis.
So when are you going again..?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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JT, we arrived when you left. We arrived on Friday lunchtime, but only went up the Brunni side for a few runs and lunch in the sunshine - we'd been up since 3 am and our legs weren't up to much.
We skiied with our guide on Saturday morning from 9 to 12.30 non-stop (except for a quick coffee in the Iglu). It might have been the Klein Sulz - Sylvia didn't tell us what it was called, in fact she hardly spoke any English at all, but it didn't matter because we just wanted to ski a lot.
It stayed very cold after you left and snowed some more. The picture above was from a bit of video, and it was -17, and very windy up the top, you can see the snow being blown off the ridges.
We were very wary of going off piste on our own, the avalanche risk was 4 and with just the two of us and no equipment we only went off within view of the pistes, and we're not really very experienced at off piste, although would love to do more ... maybe March
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RachelQ,
Must have passed you on the way down the valley. I would love to get away in mar...so here's hoping..
Good to see the Glacier is filling in with snow - when I came down the middle of it the other day the ice ridge was quite exposed. It should be great in Mar....
Best get some pennies together....
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I've got a flight booked middle weekend in march for 3 days knee permitting so like the sound of that JT!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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fatbob,
I haven't got a date sorted and will know nearer the time, but if we are around we should meet up...!!
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I had a great week in Engelberg last week which was the second year running I have been there. We had guides and probably did most if not all of the routes mentioned in the FT article, although I am not quite sure of the names of some of the ones we did. There are some great descents and even the lesser known ones give you plenty of vertical metres.
As far as the proposed development is concerned, the mountain guides seem to be against it, although that may be partially because it would take out some of their touring routes. None of the routes mentioned in the FT article, except possibly the one where the journalist appeared to have been touring, would be affected. I did make the observation myself however that it would be easy to turn some of the off piste runs in the Titlis area into pistes very easily, if they decided to put in a few more lifts. I don't think that is proposed and I hope that does not happen.
I was told by one of the guides that the original proposal meant tunnelling thtorugh one of the mountains and although it is a major task, the money is available. There are strong enviromental objections so whether or not a compromise can be achieved I am not sure.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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richjp,
I hope the locals who seem to be largley against it, win. My friend describes it as the best heli place in the world.... All this and no helicopter, she says.... The Steinberg is easy to navigate...usual caveats etc..but the Titlis is a whole new thing, just by looking on the map. It would be worth the walk out or the bus ride... !!
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FAQ
