Engelberg | Pre-Season Camps

What are the Pre-season Camp?

The pre-season camp has been running for around 10 years and was founded by Engelberg mountain guide legend Dani Perret. The philosophy behind it: optimal preparation for the winter - even in the difficult conditions that often prevail in the pre-season. The camp is aimed at experienced freeriders and ski tourers who want to refresh and improve their skills, but also to exchange knowledge and experience unusual ski touring adventures.

The multifaceted program is flexibly adapted to the conditions - a great advantage that the guides make full use of thanks to their local knowledge.

Day 1 – The Mountain Studio

As it is common in Switzerland, the morning began at 9 o'clock sharp with a "Znüni" with coffee and croissants. The meeting point was the store of "The Mountain Studio", which was to be the namesake of our pre-season camp. Each camp has an individual motto that runs through various side events during the three days.

After a brief welcome from all the mountain guides and ski guides, we headed up the mountain as quickly as possible. With bright sunshine and fresh powder, the conditions were ideal.

Packed with rope, ice axe and climbing harness, we headed straight for the Titlis. After a warm-up run on the completely rutted Steinberg, we headed straight for the traverse to the "knife". The name is no coincidence, as a fall here would have had nasty consequences. Dani coached us directly on the mountain, showed us his tricks with the rope and ice axe and left the belaying over the ridge to us. The steep descent into the northern slope led us to a rocky narrow section, where Dani again gave us helpful tips. Here too, he showed us how to master such sections safely but also quickly. We put the rope over our shoulders and off we went into the powder.

After a short ascent with skins, we headed for the S-couloir on the Jochstock side, which was still closed. How do I master such steep descents? Here too, Dani had the right tips at the ready and we followed the force of gravity with precise turns. One lift ride later, we were at the entrance to the famous "Laub", circled through the stone world at the top and enjoyed fine powder turns on the descent. But not without Dani drawing our attention to the dangers of this enormous slope. Back in the village, we reviewed the day over mulled wine and beer in the TMS store. What a way to start the day!

Day 3 - Hands-on Tour in the Engelberg valley

Early in the morning, we stood at one of the more than 40 "Buiräbähnli" (little trains) in the Engelberg valley. These are operated by the locals and save you a few tedious metres in altitude and are a real highlight.

During the ascent, we analysed the current conditions as a team. Did our observations match the avalanche report? It read: A 2+ with drift snow, an old snow problem, sugared with approx. 10cm of fresh snow. Not without!

Julian also asked us the right questions here and gave us input on how to interpret our own observations. We took a defensive approach and still had fun in the powder.

Muesli bars in and skins on the skis. Our second summit awaited us with a few extra metres of altitude. During a short break, we watched as a group in front of us triggered a snow slab - first in a small area, then half the slope tore. Fortunately, we were on a flat section and the avalanche rolled out on us. But what happened to the other group? It was unclear! Possibly two people buried. Not a drill, but an emergency. Short announcements about who was doing what, then off to the top. Shortly after the emergency call was made, the all-clear was given: no one was buried and everyone was fine, and the REGA helicopter flew back down into the valley above us. We were lucky! Nevertheless, a strong reminder of the dangers on the mountain.

After this shock, we skipped the summit. Instead, we rewarded ourselves with a fantastic descent with sunshine, powder and a cold drink to match. But not without reflecting on the day with our group!

Conclusion

The pre-season camps are the ideal way to kick off the winter season: adjusting your skiing gear, sharpening your awareness of alpine dangers, refreshing old knowledge and learning new things - all this makes the camps a special experience. The organisation is first-class, and the motivated mountain guides ensure that you experience the mountains intensively from morning to night. Dani also succeeds in authentically integrating local businesses without giving the impression that you have to buy something there. Instead, it reflects the unique spirit of the freeride mecca of Engelberg.
One thing is certain for me: it wasn't my last camp!