An elite Victorian playground turned Swiss Army hub emerging as Switzerland’s next great ski resort

BY HILARY NANGLE

n a bluebird day, the views from the 9,715-foot summit slay me. The optic white panorama encompasses more than 600 craggy peaks surrounding central Switzerland’s Urseren Valley. OPuffy wisps trail skiers descending marked pistes and unblemished powder fields. Far, far below and out of view on the valley floor lies the once-sleepy eye-candy WINTER village of Andermatt, now emerging as a world-class BREAK: Discover destination resort with new hotels and luxury rental emerging apartments layering contemporary chic upon its cozy, Andermatt, traditional town center, speedy new high-capacity lifts now in the zippering surrounding peaks, and cross-country trails midst of a transformation lacing a new championship golf course. project. I discovered Andermatt four years ago while riding the Glacier Express excursion train that bisects the village and zigzags through the 6,706-foot Oberalppass, a highlight on my journey between two of Switzerland’s most glamorous ski destinations — chichi St. Moritz, with its modern town center, and chalet-style Zermatt, with centuries-old log-and-stone farm structures in the old village center. Noticing skiers and construction, I began keeping an eye on this rising Mama Bear staking out a Goldilocks- pleasing location between them as a new, major player positioned to rival, or perhaps more accurately, complement both. I kept returning, watching as a new village center took shape and mountain infrastructure improved. Now, I’m back to share the secret, so that other avid skiers like myself can discover Andermatt — before the crowds do. Looking around, it feels as if I’m standing not only in the center of Switzerland, but also the center of Europe. Three mountain passes — Furka (think James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 chase in Goldfinger), Gotthard, and Oberalp intersect the village and four major European rivers — the Reuss, Rhine,

3 PRIVATECLUBS.COM WINTER 2017 WINTER 2017 PRIVATECLUBS.COM 4 Andermatt’s two ski areas, Gemsstock, two more six-packs, a children’s lift, and revered for its challenging runs and a surface lift will complete the unification off-piste powder, and Nätschen-Gütsch, through the Oberalppass. favored by intermediates and families, face each other across the village, with the latter ocusing infrastructure development comprising a series of peaks rising toward on Nätschen-Gütsch preserved the Oberalppass. The Sedrun-Oberalp Gemsstock’s most-favored-nation area, another family pleaser, flows down status among freeriders, who covet the other side. Currently, the Matterhorn Fthe seemingly endless off-piste powder — Gotthard Bahn, a cog and rack railway, perfect for hucking cliffs, schussing couloirs, provides the only winter transit between and making first tracks. “From the summit, Andermatt and Sedrun. Back in 2012, with you can freeride in all directions, and end the Chedi rising, Sawaris acquired the three up in Andermatt,” says Fränggi Gehrig, an lift companies serving the two resorts, Andermatt native and instructor with the renaming the combined area SkiArena Andermatt Ski School. I pirouette gracelessly Andermatt-Sedrun. in ski boots following his gloved hand as it In a brilliant move, Sawaris met with sweeps the panorama. environmental, cultural preservation, The eponymous run honoring Olympic, and tourism organizations along with World Cup, and World Champion Rhone, and Ticino — originate posh yet understated resort ON AND OFF wins me over with soaring Asian chic meets cozy local residents when shaping his plans. downhiller Bernhard Russi, an Andermatt in the region. Thirteenth- that preserves the region’s THE SLOPES: Swiss design, the sushi in the Japanese Restaurant Gemsstock, accessible via an existing native still revered throughout Switzerland, Above, challenge century Benedictine monks unspoiled environment yourself on with Switzerland’s only sake sommelier, the two-stage cable car from Andermatt’s west belies Gemsstock’s freerider rep. The labeled this divine landscape and rich cultural heritage Gemsstock's towering walk-in cheese humidor and East- end, shines as an example of the resulting summit-to-mid-mountain groomed trail the Valley of the Devil, and while delivering world- off-piste meets-West cuisine prepared in the Restaurant’s environmental and cultural detente. Here, plummets 3,150 feet. “The key section is myths still haunt the Devil’s class skiing. Phase I, on powder. Below four open kitchens, the separate wine and cigar Sawaris took a mostly hands-off approach, the last 500 meters; it’s straight down, a right, unwind Bridge spanning Schöllenen target for completion in the in the Chedi libraries off the main lobby, full-service spa, with upgrades only to make things a bit 60-percent grade,” Russi says. “Everyone’s Gorge. In Victorian times, 2017-18 season, already has Andermatt's Wine and especially the pampering ski butlers, who comfier, such as last season’s new high- goal is to ski it without stopping. Turning, Andermatt shined as an elite upgraded the overall resort and Cigar Library. rush to buckle and unbuckle my boots and speed, bubble-covered six-pack servicing turning, turning, and trying to carve is one escape, attracting Queen and skiing experience. chauffeur me to the lifts. the midmountain intermediate slopes. challenge. The other is to put the skis in the Victoria, Charles Dickens, and Phase II, as yet unscheduled, North of the tracks, private vacation chalets Of nine new lifts — including two eight- fall line and run straight down. I’ve reached Arthur Conan Doyle, among adds a new train station and sprout beside the new Kurt Rossknecht-designed passenger gondolas — planned for the over 160 kilometers per hour, but I don’t others. Then, in 1882, the more lifts. Those who crave golf course, where the Chedi-operated Club House combined area, three now transport skiers, suggest this,” he cautions. I heed his advice. Gotthard rail tunnel bypassed scoring first bragging rights and restaurant double as a base for the cross- including two new-this-season six-packs Over lunch at Restaurant Gurschenalp, the village and three years will find plenty to entertain country trails. Next season, a 180-room hotel with on Nätschen-Gütsch’s grin-inducing, renovated last season, I ponder Gemsstock’s later, the Swiss Federal Army them now and coo about to serviced apartments, a swimming and wellness sun-bathed slopes. Also noteworthy, as split freerider/racer personality: On one garrisoned the strategically the folks back home. area, and a concert-conference hall will open, of this season, at least one trail from each side, backpack-toting freeriders refuel with sited town to secure the joining other new and under-construction luxury lift has snowmaking, ensuring a longer ham-and-cheese rösti, a fried grated-potato passes and tunnel. ndermatt’s complexes with rental apartments, all linked season and giving an advantage in an era pancake gilded with ham, melted cheese, When the Army abandoned transformation began to the old village center via a pedestrian tunnel of climate warming, when many European and egg; on the other, young racers clad in barracks in the early 2000s, with the village in under the tracks. resorts are scrambling to add it. Next one-piece suits cheer and jeer a World Cup Andermatt’s economy December 2013, Despite all the new, Andermatt’s old season, the gondolas (one a two-stage from race on TV. sagged. In 2005, local officials Awith the opening of the Chedi village retains its traditional vibe. Pedestrians the new village center ascending Gütsch), This yin-yang dichotomy not only consulted with Egyptian Andermatt, named Hotel of shouldering skis or towing kids on sleds still far distinguishes Gemsstock, but also the entire businessman Samih Sawiris the Year 2017 by the respected outnumber cars. Horse-drawn sleighs clip-clop Andermatt Swiss Alps project. Intimate yet about redeveloping the region Gault Millau Switzerland along narrow streets shadowed by St. Peter and expansive, it embraces Old World traditions as a tourism destination, and restaurant guide. The first Paul Church, a Baroque beauty queen dating and contemporary style, offers racer- Sawaris saw potential. After of six planned hotels, the from 1602. Timber and stone buildings house challenging steeps and freerider-pleasing rounds of discussion, during Jean-Michel Gathy-designed, restaurants such as Bären, an Italian restaurant adventures, deep powder and groomed which community leaders 123-room contemporary- presided over by a Ticino chef, and Ochsen, the pistes, serves rösti and sushi, and sells realized they couldn’t do it chalet-style Chedi, sited in the go-to for authentic fondue, along with inviting handmade socks and handcrafted skis. themselves, they agreed to old village, just steps from the specialty shops. I drool over local foods in Neither St. Moritz nor Zermatt, Andermatt acquire the Swiss Army’s train station, architecturally Muheim’s butcher shop, smile at the colorful successfully captures the center. Donning land and sell it to Sawaris at integrates Andermatt’s homemade socks in aptly named Sockenfenster sunglasses, I set my sight on the village far market price. In 2007, Sawaris traditional town center on the (Sock Window), and long for a pair of Birdos below, briefly entertain the inviting powder launched Andermatt Swiss south side of the train tracks custom freeride skis, handcrafted by American fields, but opt for a seemingly endless Alps, with a $1.8 billion plan to with the new developments ex-pat Daniel Loutrel, a pioneer in innovative cruiser, my grin as bright as Andermatt’s

revive the town, promising a on the north side. The hotel powder-ski design. (GEMSTOCK) WABEL MARTIN ROC) (EDEN HOMBERGER FOTO future. andermatt.ch

5 PRIVATECLUBS.COM WINTER 2017 WINTER 2017 PRIVATECLUBS.COM 6