Poster: A snowHead
|
I'll be in Switzerland over the holidays. Planning a day trip to Gstaad solely to ski. The map makes the mountains seem very spread out. Wondering where I should go if all I've got is one day.
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hello @ladyermine, you are quite correct in your assessment, Gstaad is spread out.
Welcome to Snow heads.
For one day visit Schönreid Saanersloch sector. There is a huge amount of skiing, most of the pistes come through pine forest.
It is possible and perfectly feasible to link across to Zweisimmen. This is the cheaper artisan part of the Gstaad region. In fact it is the portal that all us poor British skiers sneak into the area and brag that we ski Gstaad!
I would recommend you ski to Zweisimmen as it gives a really valuable guide to the local geography, proximity to Lenk and it's neighbour Adelboden.
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
Been a while, but for what it's worth...
Gstaad's really several distinct ski areas, each of which is accessed by bus or car (with parking, which ISTR was adequate the last time I went, but that's probably nearly 20 years ago.) When you say 'the holidays' are you referring to xmas/new year, America style?
If so then your choice may be limited by snow, with the larger linked sections all below 2000m. If the snow's good and you've just got a day then that's probably the best choice, with a good number and range of slopes, starting from Schoenried or Saanenmoser. Adequate parking at both last time I was there, but these are also directly accessible from the railway stations, so a good choice if you're on the train, but also means they're popular with Swiss day-skiers, so may be busy.
I'm not sure I recall much about the Egli-Rubgli sections, so if it were me I might choose those just for the sake of exploring - look to have a reasonable amount and range, and a bit higher, also railway served.
The Diablerets 3000 area is a bit of a trek to get to, high skiing which TBH is all a bit flat, and nowhere near the railways. Not sure how good the bus connection is, but there is parking which, again, was sufficient when I last visited.
Edit: oh, yes, what @rodgerdodger says. I've skied across to Zweisimmen from Adelboden before now and it's really nice, pretty and less developed than the more up-market Gstaad bits.
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Thank you both so very much. Yes, I'm Yank, so that's exactly what I meant by "holidays". We'll be staying overnight in Gstaad, so I hope to get a good amount on one mountain on day 1, then some more in the morning before on day 2.
For sheer convenience of location, Eggli/Les Gouilles piqued my interest. From the piste map, it looks to be accessible from Gstaad proper (like Chamois in Megève). But Saanenmöser seems to have the most POV videos on YouTube and it looks spectacular. I'm a bit torn since the latter requires some travel. We'll have a car, obviously. Better to take a bus or drive ourselves?
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Stay at the Hotel Kernen (it's a lovely authentic family run hotel owned by former Kitzbuhel downhill winner Bruno Kernen) in Schonried - it's right beside the train station and a couple of minutes walk from the Horneggli gondola. You also get cheap (or maybe even free) entry into the Ermitage Spa which is beside it. The Horneggli/Zweizimmen/Lenk sector is big enough to keep you entertained for a week. Gstaad is my favoutite place to ski, never busy (I have been there at New Year), good ski area and plenty of off-piste if you know where to find it. I would also have a wander up the main street of Gstaad village, it's picture perfect Swiss and it's always interesting to people watch as most people go to Gstaad to be seen and not to ski - many more people in the town in designer gear than ski gear !
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|