Report from January 9, 2024

Engelberg

Engelberg is located in a valley only a 41 minute train ride from the Luzern Central Train Station. There are two main areas, Engelberg Titlis and Engelberg Brunni.

With 82km of slopes and 24 lifts it starts to feel more like a North American sized resort. Yet with the vertical it is still massive.

Lift tickets will cost around $60-$70 depending on dynamic online pricing.

The main Engelberg Titlis area is typically crowded with non-skier tourists heading to the top of Titlis.

Skiing

View of Luzern this morning on the walk to the train station. Image: Brett Ploss.

After taking the train to Engelberg in the morning, it was easy to store my bags in a locker. These were more expensive than Austria around $12 USD for a day.

Prices of everything were noticeably two to three times higher in Switzerland than Austria.

The valley was full of many single lifts and trams. People with backcountry packs and touring gear were exiting the train to get on them. Most of them appeared to be solo and not connected to ski areas or other lifts.

View of valley Engelberg is located in from the train. Image: Brett Ploss.

From the train station, it is about half a mile to the lift station so busses run every five to 10 minutes. I started off at Brunni because I hopped on the wrong bus.

Once I made it to the smaller area in Engelberg, I couldn’t complain. It was south facing a sunny day which made everything finally bright from the base to the top.

View of lift on the way up Engelberg Brunni. Image: Brett Ploss.

I took the tram and a lift and found a surface lift at the top. There were only three of us lapping it on deep two-foot snow.

It had been a little tracked out the day before, but there were still stashes of light snow everywhere. People seem to avoid the smaller ski areas, but in my experience, these have the best powder stashes left over without crowds.

Runs off the top of Brunni. Image: Brett Ploss.

To get down, it was necessary to take the tram and catch a bus (line 303) to the Engelberg Titlis gondola station. The area is north-facing, so it was shaded.

Tram from Ristis to Engelberg. Image: Brett Ploss.

The gondola and tram to the top were crowded with pedestrian tourists. The views from the top were worth it.

View from the top of Titlis after clouds rolled in. Image: Brett Ploss.

I skied around and made it to most of the lifts. The access to un-patrolled free-ride terrain was incredible and expansive.

In Europe, there are no backcountry gates or people telling you where you can or cannot go. It’s always a safe bet to ski with a buddy and avalanche gear.

I finished the day at Chalet and then headed off on the train to see more of what the Alps have to offer.