 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello
I've just got back from a long weekend over new year in Engelberg. Since I've found so much useful information on this forum over the last couple of months, I thought I should post about my visit in case anyone else finds it useful. I'm not a very experienced skier but I hope it will be useful to someone!
We booked through a travel company called White Roc. I would normally have booked everything independently but was finding it really hard to find accommodation for a short break over new year. I found them really helpful and they took a lot of time and trouble over making sure all my questions were answered.
We flew with Swiss from London City (brilliant - literally 15 mins from tarmac to taxi on the way back, my boyfriend had got our three pieces of luggage off the belt before I followed him through passport control (where there were no queues)). Because we were arriving late on Friday night, White Roc had arranged hire cars for us although I understand the train is really easy if you're arriving at a reasonable time. It took us about an hour and a half/45 mins to get to the hotel.
We were staying at the Hotel Terrace which was fine if a little bizarre. It's quite a grand old building above the village (they have their own little funicular which connects with the rest of the village and saves following the road down). We were half-board but they also offer an all-inclusive package which includes house wine, beer and soft drinks, and there is entertainment in the "nightclub" in the basement (the NachtExpress...). Lots of families with kids. Buffet breakfast and dinner but the food was on the whole not bad. A little run down decor-wise but clean. Service is a bit odd and we found it all a bit confusing but in quite an entertaining way.
We were all intermediate skiers of varying degrees and weren't there to take advantage of the famous off-piste skiing. I was a bit nervous that there wouldn't be enough on piste skiing to keep us entertained but for the time we were there it was fine - although I was feeling quite lazy and very unfit so if you wanted to cover miles at a time you would get through it fairly quickly. Also, compared with other places I have been (not many - Val d'Isere, Les Arcs primarily) the ski areas seem quite disjointed from each other, although there is the long downhill run from Jochstock to the village which was open and which seems to have snowmaking down most of it so is probably usually open I'd guess. Anyway, it was fine for us.
We really enjoyed warming up on the very easy blues at Gershnialp, and it was also nice to start skiing pretty soon after leaving the village (unlike the day we headed straight up to the top of Titlis which took AGES to get to). The skiing at Jochstock/Jockpass and down to the village was really nice although a little icy in places - snow not noticeably worse than the snow in Val d'Isere at the end of January last year though if my memory is to be trusted, which is pretty good going for new year I think. So lucky!
We went over to Brunni one day, which is the mountain on the other side of the villlage from most of the skiing. The light was quite bad so I didn't enjoy that too much but it was quite a nice run - we were disappointed that we couldn't try the run from there down to the village though as it was closed.
I have only just started feeling comfortable skiing reds and my boyfriend has only skied for one week before but we found the reds that we skied to be do-able and not too scary.
On our last day, two of us skied but the other three (me included) did a toboggan run from Gerschnialp to the village which was great fun (I think there are two or three other toboggan runs as well) and then went into Luzern for the afternoon on the way back to the airport. I think it would be a good place to go if you were with non-skiers as there are also lots of routes for winter walking and you generally don't feel like a second class citizen if you're not skiing.
Oh, and I saw an amazing looking meringue and whipped cream concoction which was evidently the house speciality at the restaurant at UnterTrubsee (on the run down into the village, also accessible on foot). Didn't have one but still regretting it!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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NatalieG,
Did you notice the paintings at the Terrace? They are by a local artist and a bit of an aquired taste but she has an amzing eye. You should see the photos she takes... Some people just have it... I don't know how you measure 'IT' but she has it ... 
As it happens, I don't think the piste skiing is that easy in Engelberg and it is the off-psite that does the calling so if you coped there, you'll cope most places IMV.
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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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JT, no, I don't remember noticing the paintings - shame. If they are paintings of the local landscape then there's plenty of good material because it's stunning there, isn't it? I spent 4 months working in Lucerne a few years ago and apart from one weekend in Grindelwald where I had my first ever skiing lesson, I didn't ski at all (cos I couldn't) and I so regret it. Never mind, it gave me the chance to try it out and I've been skiing once or twice a year ever since!
harrymac, thanks!
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Fishwins, that first picture of the Laub is great. I'm out in Engelberg for the first time in March. Any other info you've got would be great. 
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Josef K, from an off-piste point of view, see map:http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc159/rugbug_bucket/Engelberg/map1.jpg
Routes 1 and 2 are off the Jochstock - My favourite place with lots of interesting lines. Route 1 requires a 5 min climb. Further climbing offers really nice steep lines and gullies.
Route 3 is on the Steinberg - route finding should be obvious (4 people were killed here in crevasses last year according to a Norweigian that we picked up along the route)
Route 4 is the Laub - Plenty of lines. Best place to ski if the visibility is not too good, just don't traverse too far to the cliffs to the right
Route 5 is the Galtiberg - we only skied what we could see, so did not ski this. We'll probably come back and do this with a guide.
Apart from skiing, and in no particular order:
Best restaurant at Hotel Engelberg: prompt, friendly service, and yummy rabbit terrine and venison
Friendliest bar staff: Terrace Hotel
Best place to find a damsel in distress : T-bar at Untertrubsee
Have fun
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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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Fishwins and NatalieG - thanks for the reports - I'm looking at Engleberg for a weekender in early March and so it's great to read some real reports of the place.. thanks again.
Great pics - and it's the offpiste you read about of this place that makes it sound like a top visit.
One question - it doesn't seem to be a place serviced a lot by UK holiday companies (good news!), so does that mean you don't hear too many english voices around the place?
Cheers
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 6-01-08 23:08; edited 3 times in total
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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fatmansan,
English is widely spoken but most Brits are independant.
If you use the search function, you'll see loads of stuff on Engelberg.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Cool, thanks JT
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All
just back from Engelberg after the late Easter break in 2011 (April 22-25 for reference for future years).
In short, the lower half of Titlis was closed, as was all Brunni.
By comparison, in 2010 the resort run on Titlis (Kanonenruhr) was still open.
Slopes on Titlis side varied from 'good' to 'negotiable', depending on time of day & altitude - high slopes starting the day very ice, and going thro' ok, to soft, whereas the lower slopes would be soft by mid morning, and positively wet by the afternoon.
However, almost all the pistes above Stand were open.
The offpiste varied, the easier routes (off the right hand side of Jochstock, down the valley to pick up Engstenalp 2 man, was ok, with only a very short hike out at the end), and there was lots of trekking high up from Jochstock to the upper ridges of Reissend.
Lots of 'wet' avalanches though, both off piste, and next to the higher pistes.
Compared to last year (when there was fresh powder!), this year the slopes were very quiet - although it livened up for the Waterslide in front of the Jochpass hut. No queues on mountain, and usually only a few minutes wait at the valley for the tour groups....
enjoy,
h.
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