Gemsstock

Dear Splitties, some mountains challenge, others reward. A bit pathetic, but La Rossa did both. I was traveling with my longtime touring partner and what was planned as a classic splitboard tour turned into an intense adventure in Alaskan scenery and solitude; and a great splitboarding terrain.

We three ladies don't know each other from the barbecue, but from Davos. We've lived there for many years. Why we have to go to Andermatt of all places, even though we have the Davos mountains on our doorstep, is easy to explain: firstly, we fancy something new and secondly, at home we rarely take the time to really ski for 4 days in a row. Especially since two of us have children.

If you take the gondola to Gemsstock and look left in the direction of travel for potential outside the ski area, your eyes will inevitably be drawn to the NW and W flanks of the Rossbodenstock-Badus chain. While the steep western slopes between Rossbodenstock and Piz Badus in the Unteralp are off-limits in winter due to a wildlife sanctuary, the Rossbodenstock NW flank offers a multitude of "legal" lines, almost all of which are steep and interspersed with rocks. Thanks to Swiss engineering, the Rossbodenstock is also easier to reach than you would expect in Andermatt.

The Gotthard, which is visited thousands of times in summer by pale-faced northerners who drive over this historic pass on their way to the southern sun, hides under a thick blanket of snow in winter and the humming engine noises are silenced. Only a few freeriders get to enjoy the many untouched slopes around the pass, even though we are close to Andermatt, where skiers and snowboarders compete with each other for the white gold. Reason enough to escape this ski circus and explore the quiet hinterland.

Everything pointed to a perfect day. I had been following the daily avalanche reports from the SLF and the weather reports for the Gotthard region since the end of January. After the heavy snowfall and strong winds, it was clear to me: wait for relief!