Topographical maps on a small scale are the be-all and end-all of tour planning in the mountains - whether summer or winter. They are the only way to plan the route in the terrain. But who has high-resolution maps of the entire Alpine arc in their cupboard? This is where digital maps can help. If they are still online and freely available, all the better.
Swisstopo, the Federal Office of Topography of the Swiss Confederation, offers such a tool at map.geo.admin.ch. All representations of the Swiss national maps are available online here, from the 1:500'000 national map to the topographically high-resolution 1:25'000 maps. This allows you not only to find out which mountain is where, but also whether it is better to cross around rocky outcrop XY to the north or south.
You can select the automatic browser display with changing scales, as well as specify the map material displayed, so that you only ever work on one scale, regardless of the map section (to be found under "Basic data/Geographical designations"). In addition to the 1:25'000 and 1:50'000 maps that are useful for mountain sports enthusiasts, you will also find historical map material and special maps. A lot of information on structure or geology can also be overlaid on the maps, although only very few of these are of any importance to winter sports enthusiasts Unfortunately, the wildlife rest areas are missing, as these fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Office for the Environment (yes, the officialdom). These can be found at http://www.wildruhezonen.ch/wr400.php. Unfortunately, all the other useful information that can be found on the 1:50'000 ski tour maps is also missing.
The online maps from swisstopo, however, offer outstanding functionality. Multi-vector lines or areas can be drawn and measured, azimuth measurements with distance and height difference can be carried out, or a height profile can be created using several waypoints. You can also import .kml files, such as those created with Google Earth. For legal reasons, however, these must be stored somewhere on the web. However, the measurement and import functions are hidden behind an inconspicuous button at the top right next to the print button. Which is great in itself, of course. Even if printed maps at a proper A4 scale are difficult to produce and the resulting map sections are so small that navigation becomes difficult and you can end up on the wrong summit. In serious terrain, the classic folding map on paper is still recommended.
But for planning and browsing for projects, the online maps from Swisstopo are ideal. Especially if you also want to plan or exchange ideas with buddies at the other end of the Alps: right-click on the map and you can get a link with crosshairs to this position. Very helpful. There is also a version for mobile devices.
All in all, the topographical Swiss national maps available online are an extremely useful tool for route planning.
To the map viewer of the Federal Office of Topography
To the map display of the wildlife rest zones of the Federal Office for the Environment
