An Alpine ski tour from Andermatt to Engelberg
The Urner Haute Route features some of the wildest terrain in the Alps

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.
You don't need to be an "extreme skier", but you should be fairly fit and have some touring experience. It's also best to go with experienced guides, not least because of the risk of avalanches, and to book accommodation in advance. Options include "lonely" refuges such as the Maighelshütte, and village stops such as the "picture perfect" Gasthaus Göscheneralp.
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.
The trip costs from £1,187pp ($1,500) with Andermatt Guides; andermatt-guides.ch
Sign up to The Week's Travel newsletter for destination guides and the latest trends.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A journey into Egypt's western desert
The Week Recommends There is much more to be found in Egypt when straying from the usual tourist destinations
-
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style: full of 'revelations and surprises'
The Week Recommends The Design Museum's sweeping collection of all things swimming contains hidden depths
-
The Ugly Stepsister: 'slyly funny' body-horror take on Cinderella
The Week Recommends Emilie Blichfeldt's cutting Norwegian revision of the classic fairy tale leaves no character unscathed
-
John Boyne shares his favourite books
The Week recommends The bestselling novelist picks works by Tobias Wolff, Christos Tsiolkas, and Agatha Christie
-
The Brightening Air: a 'gripping' family drama
The Week Recommends Connor McPherson's Chekhovian drama about a pair of siblings whose lives are upended by the arrival of their relations
-
6 isolated homes for hermits
Feature Featuring a secluded ranch on 560 acres in New Mexico and a home inspired by a 400-year-old Italian farmhouse in Colorado
-
Allies at War: a 'revelatory' account of the Second World War
The Week Recommends Tim Bouverie's 'old-fashioned diplomatic history' explores the often fraught relationship between world powers
-
The Friend: a 'graceful' but flawed dog movie
The Week Recommends Naomi Watts stars in 'intelligent' adaptation of Sigrid Nunez's book about a 'problematic pooch'