mySwitzerland UPGRADE YOUR WINTER SEASON 2019/2020 Upgrade your Winter. SEASON 2019/2020 Upgrade your Winter. SEASON Upgrade Your Winter: watch the ad at MySwitzerland.com/ winter Martin Nydegger CEO Switzerland Tourism. Inspired by tourism, travel and trends. Liked by myswitzerland and 216 others It’s time to be together again. Speed down the slopes on a sledge and relax by the fireplace. The Swiss winter will recharge your batteries. Be inspired by our holiday magazine and dream of unforgettable experiences with family or friends. #inlovewithswitzerland @myswitzerland #sun #fun #snow 3 Contents 6 20 From north Xavier’s to south perspective The Mammut Alpine School skis Freerider Xavier de Le Rue the 42km from Andermatt explains what makes to Val Bavona. a perfect action shot. 34 4 0 Ice age in the Gfrörer’s Albula Valley number 569 Each year, a club rebuilds Roger Gfrörer “collects” the ice track from Alvaneu Bad ski resorts all around the world. to Surava by hand. Les Diablerets is number 569. 62 68 Wiesner’s The secret of woodland cuisine eternal youth Michelin-starred chef These people swear Stefan Wiesner cooks they have found the fountain of youth with everything nature provides. in the Swiss mountains. 4 mySwitzerland UPGRADE YOUR WINTER 26 Year after year Why regular visitors keep returning to their favourite holiday destinations. 54 Just like the grown-ups 6 From north to south 16 Must-haves The children’s ski races held by the Swiss Ski Schools are 20 Xavier’s perspective the highlight of the winter holidays. 26 Year after year 34 Ice age in the Albula Valley 40 Gfrörer’s number 569 46 Stunning views 54 Just like the grown-ups 60 An Englishman on the Lauberhorn 76 62 Wiesner’s woodland cuisine 68 The secret of eternal youth Winter in the city 76 Winter in the city You don’t need slopes or 82 Out of bed and on to the piste après-ski for a perfect 84 Fondue ABC winter’s day. 89 Encounters in the snow 95 Useful information 5 Outdoor: ski touring From Simply turn themagazinearound. Lost yourbearings? north to south From north to south In mediaeval times, Romans, knights and travellers attempting to cross the Alps often found that they had bitten off more than they could chew. Technical pioneers later connected north to south by building the Gotthard Tunnel. But for mountaineers, the moun- tain massif remains one thing and one thing only: a giant playground. MySwitzerland journeyed from north to south with Dani Arnold, starting in Andermatt and ending in Locarno. Text: Florian Frey Photos: Thomas Senf Day 1 Gemsstock, 2,961 m a.s.l.: peaks, couloirs and deep-snow slopes extend as far as the eye can see. Our destination – the Piazza Grande in Locarno – light-years years away. Dani Arnold propels us onwards. The moun- taineer and mountain guide, born in the canton of Uri, is leading us from north to south, through the heart of the Alps. Our first turns through the snow make us focus on the task at hand and give us a boost for the ascent to Gloggentürmli. The Gotthard Tunnel lies 1,800m under our feet. Cars and trains speed through Every tour must start with carefully laid plans. the tunnel, crossing the Alpine region in Dani shows us on the map what lies ahead. a matter of minutes. It’s a surreal thought from up here in the snow-clad moun- tains. But the tracks that we are leaving in the deep snow leading down to the Gotthard Pass are real enough. And deep is the word: the mountain pass Gemsstock road is covered in metres of the white 16.1KM Gloggentürmli Distance stuff. With Pizzo Lucendro in sight, we Gotthard Pass summon up every last reserve of energy Pizzo Lucendro for the next ascent. And as we drive The Gotthard region usually Rotondo hut 1,823m into the depths once again, the snow enjoys a serious amount of snow, Elevation profile in m a.s.l. Ascent is bathed in late-afternoon light. An forming massive cornices and evening beer on the Rotondo hut ter- filling couloirs. race takes some beating. 2,195m 2,961 2,963 2,690 Descent 2,106 8.5H Duration Pull out your smart- phone to learn more about the tour: MySwitzerland.com/ mammut2019 Full speed ahead and kicking up spray – you can’t help but whoop with joy. The rugged terrain makes a freerider’s heart sing: welcome to a giant playground. The tour at a glance. 38.4KM 3,769m 4,833M 3 DAYS Distance Ascent Descent Duration Andermatt 1st stage (BA190047) of Topography the Federal Office with permission from Reproduced From Andermatt to the Rotondo hut: A total of four ascents and four descents. Starts on Gemsstock playful terrain, with plenty of space for big turns. Steep runs from the Valletta 2nd stage Pass and Pizzo Lucendro From the Rotondo hut drastically increase speed. to the Cristallina hut: Save some energy – there Leisurely ascents and is a one-hour ascent to a few traverses at the foot finish at the hut. of impressive rock forma- Gloggentürmli tions. Anyone with energy to spare must climb the Pizzo Rotondo. Long de- scent to the Val Bedretto. Still four hours to go until Gotthard Pass The imposing rocky the Cristallina hut. crags of the Gloggen- türmli look like fingers Rotondo hut SAC reaching up to the heavens. The Gotthard Tunnel runs directly underneath. Valletta Pass Pizzo Lucendro Witenwasseren Pass Rotondo Pass Val Bedretto Crystal-clear views everywhere: the hut, the pass, the mountain – you can even get a Capanna Between descent and Cristallina Merlot here. ascent: Ristorante The hut itself is attractively Ristorante All’Acqua All’Acqua is the ideal spot designed too. to recharge your batteries before the long climb to the hut – or even take a break Cristallina hut for the night. Val Cavagnolo Cima di Lago 3rd stage From the Cristallina hut to San Carlo: A glorious panorama of the Cima di Lago, steep hard-packed pistes with views over the Basodino Robièi Glacier. Take a ride in the power station cable car or walk to the picturesque Val Bavona. B a so di Would you like to experience no Glacier this tour for yourself and discover San Carlo both well-known and hidden gems? It’s better with the professionals. MySwitzerland.com/ Val Bavona MammutAlpineSchool Civilisation and la dolce vita await in Locarno. After such strenuous exer- tion, a trip to one of the pizzerias on the Piazza Grande is a must. Day 2 As we step out of the hut and into the first light of dawn, we are greeted with some impressive weather conditions. We are right on the meteorological border here. Clouds rush up the valley from the north and encircle the peaks, only to be blown away again by wind from the south. Time to head south. We quickly reach the Rotondo Pass; the Pizzo Rotondo beckons but we decide to save this mountain for another day. Perfect spring snow gives us a morning rush of speed down to the Val Bedretto. Our final swing drops us right outside Ristorante All’Acqua, where a Ticino platter A few nail-biting sections are all and soup await. We need this fortifi- part of the fun: the best views are cation: a four-hour ascent lies be- from exposed pre-summits. tween us and our beds for the night. ROTONDO HUT 15.5KM Witenwasseren pass Distance ROTONDO PASs All’Acqua CRISTALLINA Hut 1,660m Elevation profile in m a.s.l. Ascent Relaxing in the mountain huts is just as important as whooshing downhill: a chance to fuel up, 1,666m relive the day and laugh together – 2,806 2,754 Descent 2,570 far away from civilisation. Pure hut life. 1,614 7.5H Duration Scramble up any mountain in Switzerland and you’ll find an SAC hut, good food and a warm bed. Dani Arnold Ice crags and rock faces are his life: Dani Arnold is a qualified mountain guide – and first and foremost a mountaineer, holding several records for difficult climbing routes around the globe. Growing up in Biel, a moun- tain village in the canton of Uri at 1,720m a.s.l., he discov- ered a love for mountaineering That fleeting moment when night at a young age. The 35-year- turns into day and the sky is painted old describes what drives him a thousand colours is one of the most in his book, “Warum das impressive sights when ski touring. alles?” (“Why all this?”) CRISTALLINA Hut 6.8KM Cima di Lago Distance Robièi Elevation profile in m a.s.l. 286m Ascent 2,833 972m 2,568 Descent 2.75H Duration Day 3 The Cristallina hut heralds our arrival on the southern side of the Alps – on a cultural level as well as a geographical one. Emanuele, the hut warden, serves a Ticino Merlot with dinner. The social scene is lively and he won’t let us turn in for the night until we’ve had a grappa with him. The next day is our last stage. By sunrise we are already sitting on the Cima di Lago – surrounded by the prominent peaks of the Valais Alps, striking Central Switzer- land peaks and countless Graubünden peaks too. To the south, the valleys are lost in the vast Po Valley. The imposing Basodino Glacier si- lently witnesses our last turns towards the south. With our thoughts still in the snow-covered mountains, we soon find our ski boots stepping onto the spring meadows of the Val Bavona.