Tips for safe freeriding in Engelberg

If you are looking for the ultimate freeride El Dorado, Engelberg is the place to be. Thanks to the unique topography on the Titlis, powder snow lovers will find countless spectacular descents at altitudes of up to 3,020 m here for almost the entire winter season. But off-piste skiing also involves risks that every freerider should definitely prepare for in advance. In order to fully enjoy Engelberg's backcountry, you will find valuable tips here for a carefree day on freeride runs such as Laub, Steinberg or Galtiberg:

Professional guides are a must

Skiing far away from the prepared slopes means being further away from rescue services or possibly exposed to a higher avalanche risk. Good equipment is worth its weight in gold here, but should not lead you to lull yourself into a sufficient sense of security. If you don't know the freeride areas around Engelberg (and other places in the world) like the back of your hand, you should definitely have a trained mountain guide or ski instructor with you. They can assess distances, topographical conditions and the consequences of weather changes much better than someone who only knows the terrain from Google Maps. The basic rule for all freeriders is: never go off-piste alone!

The necessary equipment

When freeriding, avalanche equipment is an absolute must in addition to the usual ski equipment. Such equipment includes, first of all, an avalanche transceiver (LVS), which helps in the search for buried victims in the event of an avalanche. The same applies to an avalanche probe. In addition, freeriders should carry an avalanche shovel, a first aid kit and a mobile phone with a full battery. If you are going deep into the backcountry, it is also advisable to carry an airbag backpack, which inflates in the event of an avalanche and helps prevent you from being buried by too much snow.

Know the terrain

In addition to booking a trained mountain guide/ski instructor and buying avalanche equipment, it is of course also important to get comprehensive information about the terrain in advance. What routes are there? What is the current snow and avalanche situation? Which areas should be avoided at all costs? Etc. Only those who know the terrain, at least in theory, should enter it. In Switzerland, the Snow & Avalanche Research Institute (SLF) provides information about the current avalanche situation.

Mastering the driving technique

Skiing off-piste, i.e. in deep snow, requires a much more sophisticated skiing technique than skiing on groomed slopes. In deep snow, it is important not to sink in too much or to generate enough lift through a very active high-low movement in order to move forward well and in a controlled manner. Accordingly, freeriding is only something for advanced, very experienced skiers for whom deep snow skiing is not new territory. Those who are not quite sure of their abilities should take a special course for off-piste skiing.

Author

Carla Meyer has been an enthusiastic skier since she was a little girl and also enjoys skiing in deep snow. As an online editor for the winter sports tour operator SnowTrex, she is primarily concerned with topics related to safe skiing. What she absolutely must not be without on the slopes? - A ski helmet! (And a few chocolate bars as provisions for the lift rides...)