Because Andermatt ski resort is a dream destination for hardcore skiers and snowboarders who prefer alpine excitement, easy accessible backcountry, great snow (most slopes are north facing) and a laid-back, uncrowded atmosphere.

There are only a few lifts, but they give access to some of the most spectacular runs in the Alps. In the past I used to go to Chamonix, but now I have found my favorite destination in the Alps. It is Andermatt ski resort – a hidden jewel.

Orientation to Andermatt ski resort review

This small mountain town with only 1312 inhabitants is located 67 km southeast of Lucerne and 140 km from Zürich. The bigger resort of Engelberg is only about 30 km away. The town sits at an altitude of 1444 meters near the junction of four alpine passes: the St. Gotthard, Grimsel, Susten, and Oberalp. It is tucked beneath towering mountains on the St. Gotthard Pass and it is said to have the heftiest snowfall in Europe, with an annual average of 13 meters.

Andermatt is a genuine alpine town and is not actually a ski resort itself. Old wooden houses and alpine decorations are very common sights. Those who have only visited in party & showoff-oriented mega-resorts, will find Andermatt quite the opposite. There is no nightlife, and you won’t  see any women in chic furs nor crowds of drunken teenagers. Skiing is THE thing here. There is also a big Swiss Army base near the railway station. Andermatt was once the key of Switzerland’s defense strategy. If an invasion had happened, the military and government would have taken refuge within a network of bunkers and barracks cut beneath Andermatt mountains.

Andermatt’s role was downscaled after the Cold War but the army’s presence has remained a key source of jobs for its locals. It is also very common to see soldiers in the backcountry training. Funny to see men in all white gear with a rifle doing some nice turns. The base also has a good hospital where our child Alvar was also stitched!

Skiing and snowboarding in Andermatt

I myself am a snowboarder who likes to ride free with skiers, so these tips apply to both, I think. The skiing area is spread over three mountains but the best action is focused on the highest, Gemsstock, 2963 meters. Its top section is a glacial bowl jammed with steeps, big banked walls and powder fields. The glacier is small, but it contains some crevasses which are unmarked.

There are only two real pistes and the whole terrain is served by one cable car. There are also a couple of chair lifts in middle station and a terrible Lütersee t-bar which reminds me of Finnish horror t-bars in Pyhä (one of Finland’s best ski resorts). Behind Gemsstock lies Andermatt’s treasure which I (and, I think, you too) am interested in: a giant area of backcountry filled with easy access powder opportunities..

Ticket prices are very cheap in comparison to the area you can ride with it, a week ticket is around 300 CHF and at the end of the season they will sell season tickets for a very low price.

If you want to do pistes, I would recommend the following:

The black Russi Run (named after local Olympic downhill champion, Bernhard Russi). This piste is the whole north face of the mountain, it is basically an in-bounds off-piste type bowl. The Russi run descends below the middle cable car station, so you need to catch the chair up to middle station again. Most people head here after a good snowfall, but the area is vast so it does not get moguled out too quickly.

Sonnenpiste (the sunny slope) goes round the mountain and back to the middle station. The first section is great with good slope angle but the latter part is rather dull as it goes too flat in some areas and you have to do straight line to get enough speed.

There is also the Lütersee t-bar horror lift that gives access to another red piste and you can do very quick warm up runs here as the vertical is only about 400 meters. There is also a funny Gäda bar at the Lütersee station that is built only for the winter season; in the summer it is a place for cows.

From the mid station there are also some nice blue runs that run to the chair lift, there is a small fun park and an Avalanche Training Centre (ATC) where you can practice searching for avalanche victims. This is very good as avalanches are very common in Andermatt.

The backcountry of Andermatt ski resort

The main reason to come to Andermatt is, however, the backcountry. To ride the real backcountry here you don’t have to traverse or hike too much. Of course you can do it and ride very pristine areas and visit backcountry huts, but if you are an average guy like me, you will love these nearby places.

Giraffe

This is a classic 1500 meters of altitude difference backcountry run. The starting point is Gemsstock top station from where you should follow the cat track to their turning point. From there the tricky part begins: an open face with a little traverse at about 200 meters altitude from the ground. Goofy snowboarders should take extreme care here as this is a heel side to them and falling down will cause sure death.

After this the Giraffe is just splendid. The route descends to a little plateau over a huge series of bowls. These bowls are so nice, sufficiently steep with a good variety of exits and normally very untracked. The bowls end in a 500 meters high couloir, which gathers all the avalanches so extreme caution is recommended. The couloir itself is a great run and takes you to a river which you have to follow down to Andermatt.

You may also do the Giraffe without the tricky part but then you have ride more down and hike a bit back.

Felsental

A funny roller-coaster ride that ends in the valley, starts from the top station of Gemsstock towards Sonnenpiste. It has many different routes to choose from and it is not too difficult. Keep in mind that there’s a huge gully near the bottom and you have to decide which side of it to go. The upper part of the gully is normally swept by avalanche so be quick while passing this area. In the end, keep right to get enough speed to reach the bottom station.

Guspis

A beautiful long ride to the neighboring village of Hospental. Drop off the back of the Gemsstock, then boot-pack up to the saddle on the right, which is visible from the top station. Guspis is a very mellow but open run in very beautiful terrain. The last part is on the almost flat road which can be a tough job with a snowboard if the snow is soft.

Winterhorn

This used to be a separate ski area but the lifts haven’t been working for a couple years. So if you are fit enough, you may hike from the bottom to the top of Winterhorn mountain and choose your own runs near the lifts and be sure that you won’t get lost. Guaranteed fresh tracks.

Rossbodenstock 2835 meters

This mountain towers west of Gemsstock and has a cross standing on the top. It is a popular hiking mountain as you can take the train to about 2000 meters and hike the rest on the ridge of the mountain without fear of avalanches. The ride itself is about 1400 meters long and has a stunning view with whole Andermatt in the bottom. Please consult the local guides for more instructions.

This was a small selection to whet the appetite of those interested in Andermatt ski resort. As you get more hungry you might start doing some real backcountry riding from Vermigel hut at 2042 meters, which is a good starting point for reaching Pizzo Centrale at 3001 meters. The hut is also open during the wintertime.

Andermatt is a place for beginners, however. Although the south-facing slopes of Nätschen area offer some less challenging blues and reds they are not ideal as they are not so wide and have a lot of turns.

Lodging and eating in Andermatt

Andermatt is not a typical package tour destination. There are a limited selection of hotels and apartments which tend to fill up during weekends as Swiss people from Zürich and Luzerne come to spend their weekends. Hotels which have been recommended to me are Hotel Kristall (rather ugly house compared to others in town, but a great breakfast), Hotel Drei Koninge and Hotel Monopol. The apartments can be booked through Andermatt Tourist Center or at www.andermatt.ch.

If you want to stay at nearby village of Göschenen, the one and only place to go is Chalet-Hotel Krone, which has rooms and apartments to rent. The owners, Kai and Alexandra are the warmest and friendliest hotel owners I have ever met and they also have a great sauna! Kai is a good skier too and knows the backcountry area very well.

Most of the good restaurants are at the main street Gotthardstrasse. We haven’t dined much in the restaurants as we have always had an apartment. But I have heard that the restaurant at the Schweizerhof hotel does great steaks and meat fondue, and the restaurant Toujours is the place if you want some fine dining.

Andermatt After ski

The Spycher at Gotthardstrasse 65 is the place to be after a day on the mountain. The pizzas and warmed terrace with a good pint of beer are a great way to share your powder experiences. The place is small and is normally fully packed after 16.00 until 23.00. For nightlife there is not much to do in Andermatt. Only the Gotthard bar is open late, and the others close around midnight.

I hope you got a picture of skiing and life is in Andermatt. For me the place has provided so many good memories.

Quick facts of Andermatt ski resort:

Altitude: 1444-2963 meters
Location: Central Switzerland
Season: November-May
Population: 1312
Languages: German (main), Rheto-Romanic, Italian
Annual snowfall: 13 meters
Snow covered days: about 180 per year

For more information, please visit:

www.andermatt.ch
www.gemsstock.ch
www.slf.ch (snow and avalanche info)
www.sbb.ch (Swiss Traincompany)

P.S.
The army has been stationed here over 120 years, but now it is selling its land. The buyer is an Egyptian billionaire, Samih Sawiris, who plans to develop the town into a luxury resort for the super-wealthy. Luckily this project ”The Andermatt Resort” has slowed as the worldwide recession is running. Lets hope Andermatt maintains its unpolished charm in the future too.

Photos © Antti Zetterberg

Dan is an unusual thing here: an outsider. Originally he is from Boston and arrived to Andermatt in 2004 while he was hunting powder around Europe. He heard rumours of big untracked powder lines in Andermatt and was soon on his way.

“Arriving here I found just what I was looking for, big untracked lines and a sleepy little Swiss mountain village. Since then I have never left.“, he says. Of course love has something to do in this. He married a local girl Heidi and now hand-builds his cult Birdos freeride skis in the town. He lives with his wife upstairs of his skishop. Not bad.

Interview of Dan Loutrel, the father of Birdos Freeride Skis

[Homeboy] Dan, Birdos Skis are very special. What is your design philosophy?

[Dan Loutrel] Well, I wanted skis without compromises and skis which raw materials you know exactly where they are from. In factory produced skis you will never know what they have been made of and their features vary too much.

[Dan Loutrel] My philosophy is to hand made state-of-the-art skis of best local raw materials and customize every pair to fit best for every client personally. For example the steel edges come from a mill just over the Swiss border that has been producing for the ski industry for 50+ years.

[Homeboy] This sounds so good in these days when everything is made in China. Please name a few adjectives which describeBirdos skis most.

[Dan Loutrel] Unusual shape, unmatched stiffness and camber. You can customize nearly every detail from shape to materials and top sheet graphics. As I am producing only 70 pairs of skis per year I have the time and will to concentrate to fine tune the details. Birdos are exceptional and unique pair of skis, built specially to your desire.

[Homeboy] What is your ski choice for powder day?

[Dan Loutrel] I would say you need 120 mm minimum under foot, at least a bit of rocker tip and tail. For British Columbia style snow, steep trees and pillows, an inverse shape ski is super fine. Quick turning, massive float, the most playful powder ski you can find. For the  Alps you always have to deal with the hard windblown snow, slid out couloirs, etc. For big lines the high alpine I would go with a traditional shape, long radius and moderate rocker in the tips and tails. A ski that floats easily, but can run out the frozen debris at high speed and in fine style with full power. From my models they would be Fat Bird and Puder Luder.

[Homeboy] And what would be your choice for us in Finland, the flat land of icy slopes?

[Dan Loutrel] Heh, I think Joker and Ghetto Chicken 172 cm would work fine in your country. Ghetto Chicken is good for jibbing. However, it should be a ski at least 100 mm under foot to give you decent flotation, but probably not more than 115 mm to make it possible to ski aggressively on hard, icy snow.

[Homeboy] Good that there were something for us too! By the way, how do you see the future of skiing? Which skis will we use in 2015?

[Dan Loutrel] Perhaps the next big revolution will be in the materials. Materials that adapt as you ski, a real integration into the skis that transforms even as you ski. Almost an extension of your feet. But we have to wait a long time for this…

[Dan Loutrel] Ski business would change too, I would say there will be more innovative custom companies with special shapes for special needs. Also all the big companies will have to increase their special model range to stay in the market.

[Homeboy] Thank you for this Dan. Skiing seems to be living its renaissance and, thanks to guys like you, the developing never ends.

Interested in Birdos skis? Please visit www.birdos.com

Photos by Antti Zetterberg. All rights reserved.