Switzerland, Europe

Klosters-Andermatt Ski Safari

This is a fantastic guided ski touring safari through the stunning Walliser Alps in Graubünden, the largest and one of the most beautiful cantons of Switzerland. Graubünden is also one of Switzerland’s leading winter sports regions with an abundance of above average altitude resorts and hence a reputation for great snow throughout the season – meaning we can sometimes ski to the door of our next hotel!

Our journey covers a total of 160km on skis, and yet the mix of lifts, some short hikes carrying your skis and some ski touring means that you get to enjoy a staggering amount of downhill skiing. We try to ensure that most of the trip is spent away from the crowds enjoying the powder snow, long descents and beautiful Alpine scenery. Each day we move to a new area, experiencing constantly changing alpine scenery and a huge variety of great off-piste skiing terrain.

Starting in Klosters, a charming, romantic Swiss village  we cross the region via Arosa, Flims, Laax and Dissentis to finish in Andermatt, renowned as one of the top off-piste destinations in the Alps.

Day Itinerary

  • Meet in Klosters in the evening for welcome meeting and briefing. Stay overnight in hotel.

  • We leave our hotel and use the luggage service offered by the Swiss railway system to send any extra baggage onto Andermatt where it can be collected on our arrival at the end of the tour. Our first skiing will be a warm-up morning in Klosters - using the resort ski lifts and exploring the extensive off and on-piste terrain. Typical runs: the short hike up the Gaudergrant to ski the NW face of the Weissflüh; the north slope of the Gruenhorn or ski the beautiful and quiet Totalp valley back to Davos. All perfect options for the first, long off-piste descents of the week.

    After lunch we start at the Weissflühjoch and ski down into the Haupter Tälli. We pass the amazing mountain refuge Heimeli and ski all the way down to the road. This long descent takes us down big powdery slopes, through forests and past amazing frozen waterfalls. From the road we walk 15 minutes to catch the train in Langwies to Arosa, where we shall spend the night.

  • In Arosa we buy a ski pass for 3 ski areas and take the Hörnli lift up the mountain. After a nice warm-up run, we ski down the back of Hörnli into the Urdenbach Tal. There are several nice steep sections on this route and we finish with a beautiful ski through the pine and larch forest. With a brief stop for lunch we will then be spending the afternoon skiing in the Tschiertschen ski area.

    Here we have several options; a 15-20 minute hike carrying our skis will take us to the north or the east face of the Gürgaletsch. Both offer fantastic descents in powder snow. We finish the day with an off-piste descent into Lenzerheide, where we stay the night.

  • Today’s skiing will be in Lenzerheide and depending on the weather we have several options - the south face of the Parpaner Rothorn or different options from Piz Scalottas or Piz Danis.

    We'll have an early lunch and afterwards we'll hike for about 20 minutes to reach the north face of the Fulenberg from where we have a fantastic ski down into the village of Churwalden. In Churwalden we take the lift up and have another short hike to the mountain of the Fulbergegg. We have a variety of descents from this point and depending on the snow we can ski past Alp di Plaun all the way down to Domat/Ems, or we ski to the Brambrüesch ski area and follow the piste back to Chur. At the end of the day we take the bus to our overnight destination of Flims.

  • Flims and Laax today! After a couple of warm-up runs we take the lift up to Bündner Vorab. From this peak we walk about 15 minutes on the ridge, to where our descent starts. This is an amazing little descent, with huge views across to the high Alps of the Oberland. This is followed by another 20 minute skin to access the main ski descent which will give us 1,000m of wide open slopes all the way back to the Lavandinas ski lift. The run is south facing and usually provides great snow and is one of the highlights of the week.

    After this we enjoy a well earn lunch on the sunny slopes before taking the lift towards the Piz Grisch. From here we ski the east face, into a small couloir and through the amazing natural amphitheater called Vonn. After this spectacular descent we have to walk 15 minutes over the Segnas Lake to get back to the piste. Depending on the snow conditions we can either ski all the way back down the valley or back into Laax, where we take the train to Disentis, which is where we stay for the night.

  • Disentis, a small area with a lot of opportunities! After a brief warm-up we take the lift to Piz Ault and ski down into the Val Acletta, this gives us a wonderful 1500m descent back into Disentis across wide slopes with magnificent views and endless powder turns. After that we have several smaller options in the ski area, or we can ski the same route again with a variation.

    We usually have an early lunch ready to take the lift back up again for a 20 minute skin underneath Piz Ault to a small col, where its necessary to use some ladders to climb up to access the rest of the route. On the other side we ski a short distance and skin 10 minutes to the Fuorcla da Strem. From there we can enjoy a very long descent through the Strem Valley all the way to Sedrun.

    We take the train from Sedrun to the Oberalppass where we get off at Natschen. From here we enjoy a delightful, gentle off-piste ski down into Andermatt.

    On arriving in Andermatt we check into the hotel and collect our luggage from the nearby train station.

     

  • In Andermatt we start by taking the lift to the Gemstock, the mountain which accesses most of Andermatt’s famous off-piste terrain. From the summit we can enjoy some great views over the Swiss Alps in all directions, and many choices for our descents.

    A 10-minute hike will access the Guspi Valley which is a wonderful north-facing valley holding great snow and it is a beautiful and long descent all the way to Hospental. From there we take the train back to Andermatt.

    The second descent from the Gemstock will be on the other side, in the Unteralp Valley where several different couloirs - for example the ‘Giraffe’ - allow us to ski all the way down into the Unteralp Valley which leads us back to Andermatt. 

  • Departure after breakfast.

Prices include 6 guided days with all guide fees and expenses, 7 nights accommodation 2 nights B&B and 5 nights half board.
Prices do not include: travel to/from Klosters, uplift and local transfers, personal insurance, equipment hire, lunches, beverages and 2 evening meals.

On this safari we will buy daily lift passes as we pass through the various resorts. We also have some bus and train travel as the ski areas cannot be linked entirely on skis. This does add to the cost and we estimate the costs for travel and uplift to be about 350 CHF per person (which is not included in the price of the trip).

 

We proudly offer our returning customers a discount.

The promotion is valid for qualifying bookings made before the end of October 2024 (using the discount codes provided) at the checkout.

 

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This page is an extensive list of the equipment you will need for one of our multi-day ski safaris,.
During the trip you will be staying in a mix of catered high mountain huts and valley hotels.
On some of the safaris we do provide luggage transfers (e.g. Courchevel-Chamonix) but on most you will need to carry all the equipment and clothing you require for the duration of the tour. The huts are comfortable but basic with limited facilities – running cold water, European-style toilets, dormitory-style accommodation. All the huts provide ‘hut slippers’ – these days they are usually crocs - and so you will not need to carry additional footwear.
Any clothing or other items not required on the tour can be left in a travel bag at your first hotel ready for your return on the final night.
We recommend keeping the weight of your pack as light as possible. If you are new to alpine multi-day ski touring, try taking your pack out on the slopes before the tour to see how it feels. You quickly realise the benefit of ‘skiing light’.
If you are uncertain or need further information, don't hesitate to contact us.

Please remember that it is very important to travel light on the hut ski-tour and weight should be kept down to approx. 8-10kg. It will be possible to leave some baggage at the valley hotel.

  • When choosing clothing for ski touring you want to think light, warm and versatile. During the trip weather conditions will change and you’re likely to go from warm afternoons where you’ll be carrying most of your gear in your rucksack, to icy-cold mornings when you’re wearing everything to keep warm! Getting hold of the best and lightest kit available is always worth it and most of the major brands will be able to supply a suitable kit.

    This season, we’ve partnered with Ortovox to provide us with the very best safety kit and clothing. Our guides will all be decked out in the latest Ortovox jackets and trousers and will keep warm, dry and comfortable thanks to their technical wool base- and mid-layers. Our guides couldn’t recommend their kit more highly.

     

    • Roll neck rather than a scarf. We use and recommend the ‘Buff¹ ¬ a light, stretchable tube. Excellent despite the name! They do both a fleece/cotton version for warmth or just a cotton one (to keep the sun off).
    • Headwear to include warm hat and sun-cap or wide-brim hat for extra protection from the sun. Mountain Tracks fully supports the wearing of helmets for skiing, although not mandatory for any of our trips we do recommend them.
    • An outer shell jacket made of waterproof and breathable material like Gore-Tex or similar with a built-in hood. The lighter the better and so a shell is recommended rather than an insulated jacket.
    • 1-2 thin fleeces - rather than a thick layer between your skin and the outer shell - an approach which gives better heat retention and good flexibility. These tops are known as ‘mid layers’. The principle of ‘layering’ e.g. allowing you to easily add/remove layers depending on the temperature and the activity is recommended to ensure comfort on the mountain.
    • Insulation layer like a down or Primaloft jacket is a good item to have ready to wear in the event of cold weather, it can live in your rucksack as a spare layer and can come in very handy for sudden changes in the weather.
    • For the lower half it’s essential that you have a pair of thermal base layer pants (long johns).
    • These can then be combined with either:
    • (a) a good pair of ‘technical shell’ pants in a waterproof and breathable fabric like Gore-Tex (b) a pair of mountain or alpine pants in a softshell material together with a pair of lightweight, breathable over trousers with long side zips.
    • Top and bottom underwear made of a synthetic, wicking material. Very popular at the moment are the wool based layers from companies such as Ortovox. They are comfy, breathable and warm when needed and can be worn for days without your friends catching a whiff!
    • Good quality Gore-Tex gloves or mitts and a thin pair of softshell or fleece gloves for when it is hot and for ski touring in. Silk inner gloves can be useful if the weather is cold and you suffer from cold hands.
    • Technical Socks - Investing in good quality ski socks will improve fit, warmth and feel when skiing for long periods. Bring along a few pairs.
  • On our ski safaris we do use the lift systems in resorts to gain height before heading off into the back country on a tour. You will need to have:
    Ski Skins – these are skins, now made of artificial fabric, that stick to the bottom of your skis and allow you to walk up hill. They must be cut to fit your skis exactly, so if you are bringing your own skis you must provide your own skins.
    Ski Crampons (aka couteaux in French) - most ski touring bindings have ski crampons specifically designed for the binding. We always carry these just in case. Again if you are bringing your skis and touring bindings you must provide your own ski crampons.
    Ice Axe - general lightweight mountaineering / alpine pick. Ideally this needs to be short enough to fit in your pack.
    Boot Crampons - ideally lightweight aluminium ones although steel crampons are required for more demanding tours
    Climbing Harness - a simple lightweight harness. The key feature is that it should have fully adjustable leg loops for putting on over ski boots, crampons, etc.

    On some safaris in non-glaciated terrain an ice-axe, boot crampons and climbing harness may not always be required. However as conditions and itineraries can change we do generally recommend that you bring these items with you. If you do not own these items they can be rented to you by our guides or via one of the local sports shops.

  • The “Safety Trilogy” - required on all our ski tours and off-piste courses.

    • Avalanche Transceiver/Beacon
    • Snow shovel
    • Avalanche probe

    We recommend Simple and intuitive ORTOVOX AVALANCHE RESCUE KIT 3+ 

     

    Remember it is not enough just to carry this equipment; you have to know how to use it. 

    How about joining one of our specialist avalanche courses – check out www.mountaintracks.co.uk/activity/avalanche-training

  • Most resorts have ski shops that hire ski equipment and we try to provide relevant contact details for all our courses and tours.

    Prices do change by resort/country, but here’s an approximate guide to hire costs for 6-days hire:

    Touring Skis plus skins and ski crampons €150-180
    Touring boots €80-90 
    Boot Crampons €45-50
    Ice Axe €30-40
    Harness €20-30
    Helmet €20-30
    Transceiver/shovel/probe €75-80

    Our guides also generally have additional sets of safety equipment (transceiver/shovel/probe) which they hire out to clients for €65 for 6 days hire. Must be booked in advance.
  • For all touring trips it is essential you ski with an all-mountain/freeride type skis, ski touring boots and ski touring bindings. If you have your own skis but they do not have ski touring bindings then you will need to rent skis. The same applies if you have downhill ski boots, you will need to rent ski touring boots.

    Skis

    This winter our lead guides are using Elan skis. Praised by magazine testers and professional skiers alike for its unique blend of lightweight performance, the Ripstick 96 is proven to be the ultimate freeride ski in all snow conditions. The Ripstick 106 is the ultimate freeride ski for any terrain. From boundary line to the base lodge, peak to the parking lot, and trailhead to tailgate this ski excels in all conditions. The new Ripstick Tour 94 is designed on a wider platform, enabling the skier to float better, ski faster, and turn easier in backcountry conditions.

    It is built to blend high performance at a low weight, for the perfect mix of freeride downhill performance and efficient ascending capability. With Ripstick Tour 94, the confidence to conquer long ascents and charge challenging descents is the name of the game.

    There are many ‘all-mountain/freeride’ skis to choose from and we also recommend skis from Salomon, Dynastar, Movement, Black Crows, Trab Skis, Scott and Volkl.  Look for a ski that is the right size for your height, typically the tip of the ski should be somewhere around your nose height.  As for the width of the ski or “side cut” a mid-fat ski – 90-110mm under the foot is a good place to start; this offers plenty of flotation off-piste while remaining suitable for day tours and they should also handle reasonably well on piste and mixed terrain.

    Elan Skis: www.elanskis.com

    Dynastar Skis:  www.dynastar.com

    Movement Skis: www.movementskis.com                                       

    Black Crows Skis: www.blackcrows-skis.com/

    Trab Skis: www.skitrab.com/en-us/

    Scott Skis: http://www.scott-sports.com

    Volkl Skis: http://www.voelkl.com

     

    There are plenty of other great skis to choose from so if you’re planning on buying skis for ski touring or general skiing and have any questions do not hesitate to call us, or Lockwoods, to discuss the options available.

    If you are planning on buying skis for ski touring and general skiing and have any questions do not hesitate to call us to discuss the options available to you.

    Boots

    It is essential that you have ski touring boots for these trips as walking uphill is much more comfortable in these types of boots with a walk mode and great flex; a dedicated touring boot or a hybrid hike & ride boot is best. 

    Our guides are using ROXA boots. They recommend R3 ski boots, the lightest high-performance alpine ski boot in its class. The 110 TI is geared for big mountain chargers who may use “Tech” and/or Alpine bindings and often hike or skin to find their lines. The RX Tours is targeted toward skiers who prefer to blaze their own trail and leave the lift lines behind.

    Scarpa has led the way in touring boots for many years but they have been joined by other manufacturers like Dynafit, Salomon, Scott, Black Diamond, Dalbello and K2; all producing their own versions of ski touring boot.

    ROXAR3 and RX Tour ski boots provide a range of models suitable for all sorts of terrain and snow conditions. It is a family-owned company located in Italy, focused on advanced materials, and ultralight compounds and one of the first companies to use

    • Scarpa’s Freedom boots are their Hybrid offerings, with great ski performance, a walk mode and Vibram sole. Their Maestrale (men’s) and Gea (women’s) boots are also highly recommended.
    • The Scott Celeste and Cosmo boots have stood the test of time and are good all-around choices.
    • Salomon’s Quest Max series offer boots with a walk mode in various flex’s with good downhill performance.
    • Dynafit offer the Mercury or Vulcan boots plus a range of lightweight options like the TLT6.

    The best of the rest are:
    Fischer - Transalp
    Black Diamond – Quadrant and Factor
    K2 – Pinnacle boot
    Dalbello – Lupo or Sherpa
    Langue – XT series offer a ski boot with a walk mode in various flex options

    Boot Liners
    These days many manufacturers offer ‘thermo-fit¹ liners as standard equipment. You may also want to consider a custom liner as these are heated and molded to your foot and boot for a perfect fit. They can make all the difference especially if you have trouble finding really comfortable ‘off-the-shelf’ boots. Zipfit liners are a great option for anyone seeking total customisation in fit and comfort. They will replace the original liner.

    Custom Footbeds
    Essential kit – to provide additional comfort and ski control. If you want to get footbeds made or a pair of new boots fitted then we suggest you visit somewhere like Profeet for a professional fitting. Don’t forget if you have footbeds in your downhill boots but need to rent touring boots then you can bring the footbeds with you and put them in the hire boots.

    Bindings
    For all ski touring trips ski touring bindings are essential. Fritschi and Marker both make excellent ski-touring bindings and you have a few different options to choose from. Many more people are seeing the advantage of the “pin” binding system now offered by a number of manufacturers as these are light and offer ever-improving security despite their minimalist looks!

    It’s essential you have ski touring bindings on your skis. Although Pin bindings have been around since the Dynafit Low Tech bindings over 30 years ago since their patent expired the technology has advanced substantially. Salomon, with their Shift Binding, are at the forefront; they’re ‘multi norm compatible’ so fit a selection of boots and are lighter than most freeride bindings. Our lead guides are using the Shift binding this winter, so if you’d like to know more about them give Lockwoods a ring.

    Ski Poles
    We recommend telescopic poles. They must have wide powder baskets (4-5 inches/100-120mm diameter) otherwise you’ll be up to your armpits on the ascents. Go for an alloy rather than carbon poles which are lighter but have a nasty habit of snapping near the basket due to ski edge nicks.

    Rucksack
    For most ski tours especially multi-day hut-to-hut tours you will need a 35 - 40 litre rucksack. You might get away with a big 30 liter pack if you are an experienced ski tourer and know what to pack. Most people will find a 35-40 liter pack is a good size for touring.

    Key features of a good ski touring pack:

    • a method of attaching your skis in either an A-frame (one either side) or both together on a diagonal ski carriage
    • easy access into the main compartment without having to empty the sack to get something at the bottom
    • separate pocket for avalanche shovel, handle and probe
    • small top pocket for items like wallet, sunglassed/goggles etc; an ice axe loop
    • built-in rain cover and a secure method of attaching/stowing a ski helmet 
    • good hip/waist belt and adjustable shoulder straps

    Ortovox Haute Route 40 rucksack will be a good choice for ski touring trips. 

    Avalanche airbag rucksacks can be used for touring but they are heavy, adding somewhere between 5-8kg just for an empty pack plus canister. So unless you are sure you can carry it and fit all you need in, we do not recommend you use one. 

    Over a long multiday tour, every gram of weight is important as you have to carry and move it yourself. Carrying a heavy pack will hinder and tire all but the most experienced and fit ski tourer.

     

    • Good pair of ski goggles with a lens for low light is essential in the event of snow and poor visibility
    • Good quality sunglasses with 100% UV protection
    • 35 – 40 liter rucksack
    • 1 – 1.5 Liter water bottle – we don’t recommend hydration systems (e.g. camelbak) in winter as they can freeze.
    • Food – bring some of your favorite hill nibbles (chocolate, energy bars)*
    • Suncream and lip salve
    • Camera with a large capacity memory card!
    • Money – most hotels, shops and restaurants accept credit cards, but not all the alpine huts do. You should allow about 30-40 Swiss Francs or 20-30 Euros per day for lunch and drinks (amount approximate and depends on consumption)
    Please note that your guide will have a few “spares” and other safety items that he or she will ask the group to carry between them; so leave a small space in your sack for an item e.g. spare skin, spare ski pole, emergency shelter.

    For a hut night:
    • Lightweight sleeping bag liner – now compulsory in most huts.
    • Wash kit with small personal first aid items – should include:
    • Toothbrush and paste - a mini one is ideal
    • Soap
    • Anti-bacterial hand cleaner
    • Wet wipes – essential to try to maintain hygiene
    • Tissues and toilet roll
    • Plasters – of various sizes and possibly some adhesive wound dressings.
    • Pain Killers – aspirin or Paracetamol/Nurofen
    • Antiseptic cream or wipes
    • Blister kit – compeed and elastic tape to hold it in place (essential)!
    • (Note: Guides will have comprehensive first aid kits and are qualified in mountain first aid)
    • Small light quick dry towel e.g. a Lifeventure Soft fiber towel
    • Most huts have limited washing facilities
    • Earplugs – it can get quite noisy!
    • Headtorch - lightweight and carry spare batteries.
    • Book, pack of cards and or Ipod/MP3 player – It’s nice to have something to read or listen to when you are in the huts or to challenge your fellow travelers to a game of card. These items are not essential but if you have space you might appreciate them.
    What to wear in the hut
    We are often asked by people what they should wear in the hut. It's a good question as you don't want to carry many or any extra clothes with you if they are not required. In the winter you will probably end up wearing your base layer thermals (top & bottom) or you can carry a lightweight pair of loose trousers to wear around the hut in the afternoons/evenings. Your base layer top is what you will probably wear on your top half or you can carry a t-shirt to wear in the hut that can double to sleep in. 

    Food and Water
    We suggest you bring with you or buy in resort snack food that you can take out on the hill with you each day. Things like cereal bars, dried fruit and nuts, chocolate, sugary sweets or your favorite hill snacks. When you’re staying overnight in huts its best to take supplies for the days you are away. Huts do sell food but it’s expensive and sometimes stocks run low.
    If you have any food allergies or dietary requirements especially if you are a Coeliac (Gluten free) or have a dairy allergy we strongly recommend you bring some food with you that you can supplement your dinners with. The huts are fairly good at providing for vegetarians but less so for other dietary needs.
    You have to buy bottled water in the huts as usually any running water is non-potable. Bottled water is expensive in French and Swiss huts; you can be paying upto 12-16CHF per 1.5L bottle of water. So please ensure you budget for this cost.

Klosters.jpg

Klosters

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Klosters is located in the canton of Grisons, eastern Switzerland about 150 km (93 miles) from Zurich. Synonymous with the British Royal Family the village of Klosters is quintessentially Swiss with chocolate-box chalets and a quiet and sophisticated village centre.

The bigger resort and town of Davos is located a just 20 mins away, linked by train Davos is the home to the World Economic Forum every January.  Big hotels and a bustling long main street with a large linked ski area plus plenty of nightlife if you want it; signify Davos.  

Our top reasons for visiting Klosters

  • Great off piste skiing and tree lined runs
  • Great snow record and easy links to other neighbouring resorts
  • The start point of our Klosters to Andermatt Ski Safari travelling through Flims, Lenzerhide, Arosa and Disentis  

 

Resort Information:

Resort Height: 1,200m
Highest Lift: 2,602m
Nearst Airport: Zurich

Transfer Options: We recommend you take the train from Zurich airport to Klosters. Connections are regular and the its takes between just over 2hrs for the journey with 2 changes. To look up train timetables use this link Swiss Railway Timetables

  • It is a condition of booking that you are insured for your chosen activity and the cover must include medical expenses, personal accident, personal liability, third party risks and rescue (including helicopter rescue). You are strongly advised also to take out cover against cancellation and curtailment.

    For UK residents Ski Club Travel Insurance may be a suitable option.

    For more details and to purchase a policy online visit http://www.skiclubinsurance.co.uk/
    If you need assistance arranging your personal insurance please let us know.
     

  • All our ski tours are led by our team of IFMGA Mountain Guides. The team is led by Olly Allen, Matt Dickinson and Nick Parks. 

  • At the start and end of the tour you will stay in a comfortable hotel/pension on a B&B basis. For the rest of the week you will stay in traditional Swiss hotels and guesthouses (twin-rooms) with breakfast and evening meal included.
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