Tag: Engelberg

First Days in Engelberg

Engelberg, Titlis, clouds, Switzerland, January

Reissend Nollen Above the Clouds : Prints Available

The sharp, steep ridge of Reissend Nollen (3,003m) towers above the clouds, as seen from Klein Titlis - January.

I have moved into my studio apartment in Engelberg, Switzerland, where I will be spending the rest of the winter! And I have already had my first days on the mountain!

There’s no fresh snow right now, so I’ve just been cruising around on the different lifts and pistes, trying to get a feel for the place. My first impression is that the ski area is pretty BIG, despite looking fairly small on the ski map. There seems to be many options for off-piste skiing, and I know there are a lot of major lines that I can’t see. But this is not a place for carefree exploring, with large cliffs and crevasses on many slopes, not to mention potential avy danger. So a big hope I have is to find some people to ski with, who know this place and can show me the ropes. And that’s the impression I have, is that it will take some time, effort, and guidance to figure out the secrets of this place. Good thing I have all winter for that!

Engelberg, Titlis, Switzerland, clouds, january, Fleckistock

Cloudy Fleckistock : Prints Available

Misty clouds float amongst the peaks around Fleckistock, as seen from Klein Titlis - January.

Engelberg Moon

Moon over Engelberg, Switzerland

Moon over the town of Engelberg, Switzerland. This town is situated in a deep flat valley with steep rugged peaks soaring over 6,000 vertical feet above. The slopes around town are still green and winter doesn’t seem to have set in around here too much yet, at least compared to what I’ve seen at Andermatt or Zermatt this last week.

UPDATE: My Swiss recon trip was a success… I found a sweet studio apartment to rent in Engelberg! I will have it from January through April. I am very relieved to have gotten this sorted out, since I was constantly thinking/worrying about where would be the best place to live and whether or not I’d be able to find an apartment, which is not easy this time of year. And after one week in Switzerland I knew that simply traveling around all winter would not be a viable or affordable option. As always, there is never a “perfect” place so it was just a matter of finding somewhere that felt right. And best of all, Engelberg is pretty much the closest ski area to Claudia in Freiburg – 3 hours by train. Now that the recon and rental search is over, I am free to enjoy the rest of November and December without worries!