Ski touring in the Alps can be "glorious", taking you away from the crowds and into snowy valleys so "still and silent", you might imagine yourself in Antarctica. The most famous ski tour adventure is the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, but there are many others, said Tom Robbins in the FT – and none are better than the Urner Haute Route in Switzerland. The Chamonix-Zermatt route was devised by members of Britain's Alpine Club in 1861 as a summer itinerary, and first skied in 1903. These days it is so popular, it can feel "a bit like a procession", whereas the Urner – between the off-piste havens of Andermatt and Engelberg – is relatively quiet. Known as "the skier's haute route", it includes "a succession of steep north-facing descents", in some of the wildest terrain in the Alps.
Perched in the Uri Alps, Andermatt was once a garrison town so bleak that when D.H. Lawrence visited in 1912, he couldn't face staying the night. Latterly, it has become a hang-out for the "jet set", owing to a £1.3bn investment that has transformed it into an upmarket ski and golf resort. But up in the peaks and valleys, things feel as "rugged" as ever. The route begins with a ride on a little rack-and-pinion train up to the Oberalp Pass, where you fix adhesive skins to your skis, and set off uphill. Engelberg lies only 30km away as the crow flies, but the journey passes through such a "tangle of ridges and valleys" that most people set aside five days for it.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How many people are working illegally in the UK?The Explainer Government vows 'nationwide blitz' on illicit workforce believed to number in the hundreds of thousands
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A devastating flood, a hungry manatee, and more
-
6 helpful (and cute) phone accessoriesThe Week Recommends Answer the call of style
-
Properties of the week: grand rural residencesThe Week Recommends Featuring homes in Wiltshire, Devon, and East Sussex
-
Kiefer / Van Gogh: a 'remarkable double act'The Week Recommends Visit this 'heroic' and 'absurd' exhibition at the Royal Academy until 26 October
-
Mark Billingham shares his favourite booksThe Week Recommends The novelist and actor shares works by Mark Lewisohn, John Connolly and Gillian Flynn
-
Heads of State: 'a perfect summer movie'The Week Recommends John Cena and Idris Elba have odd-couple chemistry as the US president and British prime minister
-
The Red Brigades: a 'fascinating insight' into the 'most feared' extremist group of 1970s ItalyThe Week Recommends A 'grimly absorbing' history of the group and their attempts to overthrow the Italian state
-
Jurassic World Rebirth: enjoyable sequel hampered by plot holesTalking Point The latest dinosaur reboot captures the essence of the original – but leans too heavily on 'CGI-heavy set pieces'
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere elseFeature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Film reviews: F1: The Movie, 28 Years Later, and Familiar TouchFeature An aging race car driver gets one last chance, a kid struggles to survive in this '28 Days Later' update, and a woman with dementia adjusts to her new life
