Grindelwald - slopes
Grindelwald
Selected Packages
View and book ski packages from tour operators with rail travel and transfers included.
Statistics
Skiing altitude:
| Local | Wider | |
|---|---|---|
| Pistes | 160km |
213km |
| Total Runs | 55 |
81 |
| Green Runs | 0 |
0 |
| Blue Runs | 16 |
23 |
| Red Runs | 24 |
36 |
| Black Runs | 15 |
22 |
| Lifts Total | 26 |
40 |
| Lifts Cabin | 5 |
10 |
| Lifts Chair | 12 |
20 |
| Lifts Drag | 9 |
10 |
| Terrain Park | 1 |
2 |
| Lift Pass | €178 |
€198 |
Ski highlights for all levels
Beginners: First has some nursery slopes within easy striking distance of the town centre, but the best beginner slopes are up at Kleine Scheidegg where the superior altitude increases the chances of good snow.
Intermediate: with its rolling meadows, Grindelwald is ideal for intermediates, with long red and blue runs just about everywhere. The First area provides largely wide-open, sometimes quite steep intermediate skiing.
Experts: there are more than 10 miles of black runs on the Grindelwald side, but real experts will want to tackle the off-piste below the Eiger. Oh God! and Black Rock are well-known challenges.
Off-piste
By traversing from Eigergletscher station or the top of the Eigernordwand lift it’s possible to access some excellent off-piste. The White Hair is reached by traversing beneath the Eiger, but it’s important to ask about snow conditions first as the area is avalanche-prone. Heliskiing is also possible from Grindelwald.
Ski schools and guides
The main ones are the Swiss Ski and Snowboard School (00 41 33 854 12 80) and the Altitude Snowsport School (00 41 33 853 00 40)
which is affiliated to BASI – the British Association of Snowsport Instructors.
Guiding is available through the Swiss Snowsports and Mountaineering School (00 41 33 854 12 80), the Privat ski school (00 41 33 853 04 73) and Skischule Kleine Scheidegg (00 41 855 15 45).
Lift system
Grindelwald’s lift system is gradually being upgraded with a new 6-seater chairlift operating from Arvengarten to Eigergletscher in winter 2009-2010.
The trains provide an added bonus: even as the lifts are closing, you can hop on a train up to Kleine Scheidegg then ski down as dusk is falling. With any luck you’ll be able to pick out your route by moonlight down an easy run back to Grindelwald.
Snow reliability and snowmaking
At 1,034m, Grindelwald is on the low side and the snow record here is a little unpredictable. Until recently about a quarter of the area had snowmaking, but this has been gradually improved until now when around 50% of the 100 miles of runs is covered.
Terrain park
There’s a large terrain park at First at Bärgelegg, with kickers, rails, boxes and a wallslide.