Skiing and Switzerland are two words which both conjure up thoughts of the snow capped Alps. They both however also carry the connotation of expense. Fortunately, I was invited to stay at a friend's chalet in Engelberg, making the whole venture affordable. While many people were still studying for exams, I was lucky enough to have spent the last week or so skiing.
Engelberg is nestled between Mt. Brunni and Mt. Titlis in central Switzerland.
The ski resort is in many ways different to Flumserberg, where I've previously been. First of all, Engelberg has a lot of steep slopes – not an ideal place to bring a beginner, as one of my poor friends had to find out! Another difference to Flumserberg is that, although Engelberg is pretty much just a village, there seems to be a small, yet decent, Apres Ski scene. And, thanks to the Talabfahrt (a ski run which descends into the valley), it's possible to spend a bit more time on the mountain, have a drink or two in the igloo bar and not have to worry about missing the last gondola to the bottom!
The top gondola station at Mt. Titlis.
A rather curious observation that was made, was that the number of Asian tourists equipped with cameras and smart phones (all wearing jeans) out numbered the number of actual skiers and snowboarders on the mountain! Strange indeed, although at least that meant that the pistes weren't too congested.
The village of Engelberg seen from the Talabfahrt.
I also have a pair of rather nice souvenirs at the end of it all too. A pair of skis I essentially bought for 20 Francs! Well, my options were to either rent the skis for 180 CHF or buy them for 200 CHF (exc. boots and poles). A no brainer, I think. Besides, it makes for a good excuse to do even more skiing this season!
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