First time skiing in Engelberg and Titlis mountain

In March a few years ago, I made one of my dreams come true — to go skiing in the Alps. Everything fell into place — I had a week off plus a holiday, good company, and perhaps the most interesting Alpine country in terms of skiing—Switzerland. My first resort in this country was Engelberg.

Engelberg and Titlis

Right at Zurich Airport, our cheerful group descended to the station for the high-speed Swiss trains and headed for the resort. Trains in this country are a story unto themselves, which I will tell in a separate post. We passed the time on the way with conversation, alcoholic beverages prudently purchased at the duty-free shop, and Swiss cheese prudently purchased at the airport supermarket at regular, non-airport prices. Our hotel was located near the train station, so it was probably one of the fastest “airport-hotel” routes.

Very conveniently, the hotel building had not only a lobby bar, which goes without saying, but also a decent bar called Yucatan. You can have après-ski there without taking off your ski boots, there is an entrance from both the street and the hotel, and there are smoking rooms available! However, considering Swiss prices, after a couple of beers at the bar, I decided to pop into a regular supermarket to make sure I had something in my room just in case — otherwise I feel uncomfortable. And while drinking at the bar is expensive, the prices for food in supermarkets are… well, not exactly low, but quite reasonable.

Engelberg and Titlis

Right on target

Engelberg is a contender for the title of the most versatile resort in the country. Since there is a glacier on Mount Titlis, at the foot of which Engelberg is located, the season can start very early and end very late here. For most slopes, this is the beginning of December and the end of April, respectively, but higher up, on the glacier, the slopes are already accessible in October and usually close only at the end of May.

Engelberg’s versatility lies not only in its extended skiing season, but also in its wide range of potential skiers and snowboarders. For those who like it “hotter,” the northern slope of Titlis is perfect. At an altitude of over 3,000 meters, with a predominance of red and black slopes, a three-kilometer slope for freeride enthusiasts, snowboarders will enjoy the half-pipe at Jochpass or the fun park in Stand, Confident riders can also try the 12-kilometer trail from Titlis to the lower part of the resort with an impressive elevation difference of 2,000 meters.

Beginners and those who have recently mastered skiing are better off starting in the Bruni area, which has a kilometer elevation difference, five lifts, and 12 kilometers of trails, although there are also red trails there. Less experienced riders can also go higher up to the Gerschnialp plateau, located at an altitude of just over a kilometer and offering blue and beginner slopes. These skiing areas often have special offers that are much cheaper than the regular price. In addition, the resort has several ski schools (Schweizer Skischule, Prime Ski School, Active Snow Team) and even a kindergarten where children from two years old can be left while their parents ski. The cost of group lessons starts at 65 francs per day, and individual lessons start at 330 francs.

Engelberg and Titlis

Captured by the snow

On the first day, eager for snow, we decided to take everything life had to offer and tried to climb as high as possible. Yes, we succeeded, but the visibility was such that pilots would have gone for a second lap without hesitation. However, there are no obstacles for true Russian tourists, and here I am sitting on the lift and can’t always see Dima, who is sitting next to me. I can’t see Alina, Alena, Yura, and our local guardian angel Barbara at all.

“Guys, are you sure you want to go down this slope, which looks more like virgin soil? It’s not too late to get on the lift and go back down!“ Barbara asks us. She is barely 20, but at that age, a Swiss skier already has considerable experience. ”No problem!“ we reply, after which Barbara says ”OK!” and disappears in a moment. Between gusts of wind, when the horizontal snowfall turns vertical for a second, I see her jumpsuit receding into the distance and, realizing that without this landmark, when even the trail barriers are not visible, I will remain here until the weather improves, I start down.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I rented carving skis, because it was already clear that the weather at the top didn’t promise anything good, and the groomed trails would turn into loose snowdrifts in half an hour with such snowfall. I was sinking into these thin skis and could barely keep up with the guys — it was easier for them: Yura had taken skis for powder snow, and Dima was the only snowboarder among us. Regardless of visibility, they were in their element. The girls were also on carving skis and had a stronger instinct for self-preservation than I did, so I was between them and the male part of our group. Barbara, of course, stopped periodically and waited for all of us.

Engelberg and Titlis

The deserted trails, with very few riders, were periodically shaken by shouts:

– Nick, where are you? I can’t see you at all!

– Dima, I’m behind you, but where’s Yura?

– He’s probably already down below, drinking coffee with Barbara!

– No, guys, I’m here, nearby, I’m going to overtake, oh, damn it!

– Are you okay?

– Yes, but I’ll wait for the girls who fell behind.

The weather in the mountains can change in the blink of an eye, which is what happened. The squally wind with heavy snowfall was replaced by sunshine and calm. Visibility improved, but skiing in such snow was still extremely difficult. In addition, the starting conditions took a lot of energy out of everyone. After sliding down a couple more times, we realized it was time to go down, otherwise we simply wouldn’t be able to get up tomorrow.

Engelberg and Titlis

Outside the trails

Didn’t I say that Engelberg is universal? That’s where it came in handy after our less than successful skiing. Along with abundant snow, the resort offers a rich cultural program. Its foundation is a Benedictine monastery, established back in 1120. A tour of this ancient landmark can be complemented by viewing buildings from the “golden age” — the period before World War I — as well as a visit to a cheese factory, which we took advantage of.

Engelberg and Titlis

The cost of Swiss cheeses brings tears to your eyes. They are much more expensive in your country, but you can start getting to know the country at your nearest large supermarket back home! Well, we went to dinner at the traditional Alpenclub restaurant.

Engelberg and Titlis

In general, Engelberg is a fairly budget-friendly resort for Switzerland, which is probably why the selection of good hotels here is somewhat limited. But those who know the country are aware that even something inexpensive by local standards will invariably be of high quality. Just keep in mind that there are no frills here, and not many hotels are located near the ski lifts, if that is important to you.

Engelberg and Titlis

The hotel and the way up

We stayed at the Bellevue-Terminus Hotel. It is an excellent renovated hotel in an old building, with new, fresh, and clean rooms, and even the beer in the lobby bar is reasonably priced. It is not located near the ski lift, but right next to the train station, which is convenient in terms of logistics. There is a free bus to the funicular station, with a stop right across the street from the hotel entrance, so there was no hassle – on the first day, we loaded up the bus with all our gear along with other snow lovers and were at the ski lift in 5 minutes.

Engelberg and Titlis

However, you can also walk to the ski lift, which is what I did as a warm-up on the second day. Fortunately, with a ski pass, you can leave your skis or snowboard, as well as your ski or snowboard boots, at the lift station and go back to the hotel light, either on foot or on the same free bus. At the same time, your boots and gloves will be dried on special dryers throughout the night! We appreciated these dryers on the very first day, when we came down soaked to the skin after a heavy snowfall.

Engelberg and Titlis

Heavenly delight

The second day of skiing promised to be excellent from the very morning, and it kept its promise the entire time we were there. There was no snow at night, and the snowcats brought the slopes to perfect condition. But, remembering the changeable weather and expecting a catch, as well as keeping in mind the amount of snow that had fallen yesterday, I took my powder skis to practice off-piste skiing and generally gain new experience — after all, my personal skis are classic carving skis with very little tolerance for off-piste skiing.

Engelberg and Titlis

Getting on these skis after classic ones is like switching from a regular car to an all-wheel drive. I felt like I could do more on virgin snow, and because of my overconfidence, I fell a couple of times, but not too badly, on the slope. Once, I even triggered a mini-avalanche that covered me—I didn’t see the two-meter drop ahead, and when I did, it was too late to brake, so I had to jump parallel to the slope and cut off a piece of the snowpack. Overall, the feeling was fantastic; I hadn’t enjoyed skiing this much in a long time.

Engelberg and Titlis

Of course, I also skied to my heart’s content on the marked trails. And I think I mastered all types of lifts except the T-bar — I only found one of those in Leukerbad during my entire trip. There are gondolas from the resort to the “transfer point,” and then mostly 4-seater chairlifts. On my favorite trail, there were 2-seater chairlifts.

Engelberg and Titlis

On the top

But the most impressive feature is the relatively new Titlis Rotair year-round cable car, which takes you up to the glacier itself, the highest point of the resort, in rotating cabins (the first of their kind in the world!) with a capacity of 75 people. The lift is almost a kilometer and a half long and climbs just under 600 meters in less than three minutes. Passengers stand and enjoy 360-degree views of the Alps as the cabins rotate.

Engelberg and Titlis

Titlis Rotair is a great attraction in itself; I saw many tourists without ski equipment. In addition, it rises to an altitude of 3,062 meters above sea level, and experiencing these figures for yourself and admiring the panorama that opens up is priceless! In addition, there are excellent restaurants at the top, grottos carved directly into the glacier, and the breathtaking Titlis Cliff Walk suspension bridge between two peaks.

Engelberg and Titlis

I walked through the glacier cave, but didn’t have time to cross the bridge. More precisely, I could have, but the visibility was not very good, so I thought it would be better to capture it from above. 

Engelberg and Titlis

One of the highest mountain bars in Europe, the Ofen Bar, is located here at an altitude of 3,250 meters above sea level, but we didn’t make it there. We also didn’t get to try the Ice Flyer chairlift over the Titlis glacier in Glacier Park. Two days is not enough; you need to come here for 3-5 days. That’s optimal; any longer than that will be boring for those who are used to constantly skiing on new slopes. But if you are just learning the basics of skiing, you can stay for a week.

Well, we packed our things, checked out of the Bellevue-Terminus hotel, crossed the road, and boarded the train to Zermatt. It took us five minutes to get from our room to our seats on the train. Fast, precise, Swiss style! 

Engelberg and Titlis

Information and links about Engelberg