Engelberg Skigebiet Guide

Engelberg, in Switzerland (in the Central region), is a large resort with 25 lifts (inc 2 gondolas/7 cable cars/funiculars, 8 chair lifts, 7 surface lifts) that offers skiers an incredible 2100 metres (6890 feet) of vertical descent. Engelberg has 200 acres of pisted terrain, with 25 runs over a total length of 82 kilometers (51 miles). Most of Engelberg's pistes are above 1800 metres and best suited to intermediate skiers and snowboarders, with some terrain lower down for beginners; however, Engelberg has deliberately left much of its terrain un-pisted, making the resort especially popular with powder skiers and snowboarders. Much of the off-piste is easily accessible and perfect for confident intermediates, while for advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders there are cliffs, couloirs and genuinely extreme terrain. There are 35 kilometers (20 miles) of cross country ski trails at Engelberg. For snowboarders, there is a terrain park. About 50% of the pistes at Engelberg are covered by snow-making. The closest airports are at Zurich and Basel, each with a transfer time of 1/1.5 hours by road. There are rail services from Zurich airport to the resort and Engelberg can be reached by rail from most parts of the country. Engelberg is not a purpose built resort and there is limited accommodation located close to the pistes. Most of the resort's hotels have shuttle buses and equipment can be stored at the lift stations.