Lauchernalp Lifts & Terrain

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The cable car from Wiler to Lauchernalp can fit 100 people
The cable car from Wiler to Lauchernalp can fit 100 people
The ski resort base at Wiler is a steep 550m vertical below the main skiing zone
The ski resort base at Wiler is a steep 550m vertical below the main skiing zone
The 15-person Gletscherbahn at Lauchernalp rises to 3,111m altitude in extraordinary surrounds
The 15-person Gletscherbahn at Lauchernalp rises to 3,111m altitude in extraordinary surrounds
Lauchernalp top cable car station
Lauchernalp top cable car station
Mid-mountain resort base at Lauchernalp (1,968m)
Mid-mountain resort base at Lauchernalp (1,968m)
Steep ski terrain between Lauchernalp & Wiler off the valley trail
Steep ski terrain between Lauchernalp & Wiler off the valley trail
The new 6-seater chair during a blizzard at Lauchernalp
The new 6-seater chair during a blizzard at Lauchernalp
Lauchernalp alpine ski terrain
Lauchernalp alpine ski terrain
Skiing at Lauchernalp can be challenging in low viz if one doesn
Skiing at Lauchernalp can be challenging in low viz if one doesn't know the hill!
Mid-mountain intermediate piste trails at Lauchernalp
Mid-mountain intermediate piste trails at Lauchernalp
The trails down to Marwig extend down to Stafel on a glorious advanced piste run
The trails down to Marwig extend down to Stafel on a glorious advanced piste run
The largely redundant Marwig T-bar was not running during our visit to Lauchernalp
The largely redundant Marwig T-bar was not running during our visit to Lauchernalp
Stafel-Gandegg 3-seater is the odd lift out at Lauchernalp ski resort
Stafel-Gandegg 3-seater is the odd lift out at Lauchernalp ski resort
Beautiful off-piste terrain into the valley at Lauchernalp ski resort
Beautiful off-piste terrain into the valley at Lauchernalp ski resort
Lauchernalp
Lauchernalp's only novice tow is near Stafal
Stafal ski lifts and facilities at Lauchernalp
Stafal ski lifts and facilities at Lauchernalp
Loading onto the Gletscherbahn gondola at Gandegg during a blizzard.
Loading onto the Gletscherbahn gondola at Gandegg during a blizzard.
Valley trail at Lauchernalp doesn
Valley trail at Lauchernalp doesn't quite lead back to the cable car base at Wiler!
Ski Lauchernalp on a sunny day to get your bearings!
Ski Lauchernalp on a sunny day to get your bearings!
Ski Lauchernalp
Ski Lauchernalp

Lauchernalp Lifts & Terrain

Our Terrain Ratings

Powderhound rating = advanced/expert terrain + powder + freshies + uncrowded

Our Terrain Ratings

Powderhound rating = advanced/expert terrain + powder + freshies + uncrowded

Lauchernalp Maps & Stats

    Lauchernalp Ski Trail Map
  • Lauchernalp Ski Trail Map
  • Vertical (m)
    1,419m - 3,111m (1,692m)
  • Average Snow Fall
    8m
  • Lifts (6)
    2 Gondolas / cable cars
    2 Chairs
  • Opening Dates & Hours
    Mid December to mid-April
    8:30am to 4:30pm
  • Terrain Summary
    Runs - 55km
    Longest run - 10km +
    Advanced - 26%
    Intermediate - 36%
    Beginner - 38%
  • Lift Pass Price
    Day Ticket 23/24
    Dynamically priced online
    Adult - from CHF64
    Child - from CHF32
    Child u/6yr - Free
    Magic Pass is valid

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

We love it when a plan comes together. Powderhounds often peruse ski trail maps in the first instance when deciding on where to ski around the world. Whilst some trail maps are a fantasy, often they provide enough key information to give us the nudge to go & visit. Lauchernalp is one such place. To give an insight, what we saw on the trail map was: a huge skiable vertical (1,700m), high elevation (top of 3,111m), potentially wide off-piste alpine between Stafel at 2,100m & the Hockenhorngrat 1,000m vertical above it, quality ski lifts (newish gondola, new six-seater chair), small enough to be quiet but big enough to have all the services & facilities plus a long valley run into an isolated valley with small villages accessible by public transport. To our great delight all this was true. One gets quite chuffed when instincts are correct & skiing Lauchernalp, even in near zero viz, was an absolute joy. Face shots on the piste after lunch is always a good indication of a wonderful ski hill for Powderhounds!

See the Lauchernalp ski trail map.

Skiing Highlights

By no means a secret to the Swiss locals living in Bern, Lauchernalp-Lötschental is relatively unknown to most other skiers & snowboarders. And scoring freshies here is all but guaranteed when a storm is raging. It is perhaps a different proposition on a sunny weekend day! Here are the highlights of Lauchernalp to tick off when you visit.

  • Do a reconnaissance of Lauchernalp on a sunny midweek day taking your time to get to know the resort and soaking in all the jaw-dropping views.
  • Having done a reconnaissance, DURING the next blizzard, get there early for first lifts (the chairs spin from 8.30am but be in line earlier) and cut lonely powder lap after powder lap from Hockenhorngrat to Stafal.
  • When the sun comes out after a storm, if conditions allow (i.e. are safe enough), explore the backcountry terrain toward the Lötschenpass and all the way down to the valley toward Kippel & Ferdun. Take a bus back to the cable car base at Wiler.
  • It may seem lame to some but do the valley trail from Lauchernalp down to Wiler at least once. Whilst sections of the trail are flat and should be avoided by snowboarders, there are loads of steep sections to ski between the hairpin bends that are in classic Swiss Alps forested, rural settings. And there is something undeniably pleasant about cruising through this landscape on ski. The walk from the end of the trail back through the village to the cable car is memorable. Check out a few of the cow barns along the way.
  • Challenge yourself to ski the 1,150m vertical on piste without stopping from Hockenhorngrat to the main base facilities at Lauchernalp. We do love a thigh-melting exercise!

Ski Lifts

We love resorts that are simple to understand and explain. Lauchernalp is one of them. Effectively a 'string' of four major ski lifts from valley to peak, it makes for easy navigation. But whilst it is easy to explain the set up, it is not easy to explain the type of lifts as one goes up the mountain. The base cable car with a 100-person capacity from Wiler (1,419m) to Lauchernalp (1,968m) makes perfect sense, given it was installed in the mid-90s. The next short section from Lauchernalp up to Stafal (2,100m) has a modern 6-seater chair which despite its tiny vertical, makes complete sense to get novices, beginners & intermediates up and out of the mid-mountain base. The third section makes no sense. A 3-seater chair from the late '80s runs from Stafal up 620m vertical to Gandegg (2,720m). Sounds reasonable until you see what the next lift is - a modern 15-person gondola. What the? Shouldn't that be the third lift? Seems a little over-capitalised! Who knows? It is nice to travel from Gandegg to the highest lifted point at Hockenhorngrat (3,111m) in comfort, but why the 3-seater chair below Grandegg hasn't been replaced is beyond us. Also at Gandegg is the top station of a largely redundant surface tow extending up from Marwig (2,400m) (which was not running during our visit). The only other lift is a novice tow at Stafal. Simples!

Good to know is that the cable car from Wiler up to the main ski area starts at 7.15am.

Lift Pass

As with many ski resorts in Switzerland, there are two types of lift pass price. One is the 'get what you are given' high priced lift pass at the cash desk/ticket window. The other is the cheaper pre-purchased online lift pass. Lauchernalp has adopted this system which dynamically prices lift passes based on weather, time of year, demand etc. The high price paid at the cash desk is the upper limit of a ticket. At Lauchernalp, pre-purchasing a day pass online can save up to 16CHF for an adult. Get them from here.

A recent boon is the inclusion of Lauchernalp on the Magic Pass, meaning one can ski or ride here every day of the season for a super-cheap rate. Get yourself one, we have!

Snowboarding at Lauchernalp

Lauchernalp is totally snowboard friendly EXCEPT for the valley trail. Long flat sections will see most boarders walking, particularly if the snow is slow. Avoid it and go off-piste down to the valley or download on the cable car.

More information on Skiing & Snowboarding Lauchernalp ski resort is coming soon after we revisit the resort in 2024. In the meantime look at the photos above that were taken on our visit to the resort during a seriously cold, seriously fun blizzard. Cannot wait to go back & ski it in the sun.