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.
Ascent
The Oberalppass or Cuolm d'Ursera, 2044m, forms the border between the German-speaking Urserental and the Romansh-speaking Tujetsch. Whether "ürnerisch" or "rumantsch", the pass is the starting point for a touring paradise that also offers plenty of potential away from the red lines on the ski touring map. The red trains of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway take ski tourers from Atermatt to the top of the pass in 18 minutes, covering 600 m of ascent, which can be easily saved on the subsequent ascent to the Rossbodenstock. Only in the early season or in extremely nasty weather conditions will you have the privilege of taking the first track towards the intermediate destination Pazolastock. In most cases, however, you follow a comfortable ascent track via Puozas dil Lai to the Pazolastock, 2740m. You can also leave this summit to the right and head directly via P.2685 to P.2743. Instead of descending directly to the Martschallücke, it is worth enjoying the inviting W slopes of Tümsli as an "appetizer". A short ascent leads back to the Martschallücke, 2684m. We then hike up the Nordgrat to the Rossbodenstock, 2828m. As the name suggests, it is actually quite flat at the top. Towards the northwest, the summit plateau breaks off into a 400m wide flank, which forms a veritable Eldorado for interesting lines. All of them are at least 35°-40° steep, interspersed with rock and exposed to the north.
Descent
In dubious conditions, you can descend from P. 2838 via the official ski touring route. However, if conditions permit, you can find your own way down through gullies and steep slopes to Alp Rossboden. A photo taken from Andermatt can help you find your way. It is still a good 800 vertical meters to Andermatt, which is not very steep, but all the more playful. To avoid conflict with the merciless Uri gamekeepers, you should avoid being tempted by the wideSW slopes in the Unteralp. Via Unter Stafel - Rossboden - Laucheren you bypass the wildlife rest area. The best place to find out the exact route is here http://www.wildruhezonen.ch/. At Matill, you will come across the trail from Unteralp, which you now follow to the freeride metropolis of the Gotthard massif. The Spycher, the Alte Apotheke or, classy and exclusive, The Chedi are then just a few minutes' walk away. Time to turn your attention to the Rossbodenstock once again, admire its tracks in the evening light and then treat yourself to a coffee by the open fire immediately afterwards...
Tip
For the very persistent, I can recommend this combo, but only feasible before 01.12., as the wildlife rest zone in the Unteralp comes into force every year from this date...
Information
Difficulty: ***
Special dangers: steep, avalanche-prone north-facing slopes
Average/maximum steepness: 30°/40°-45° depending on the variant from Rossbodenstock
Exposure: W-NW
Altitude start | finish: 2044m | 1440m
Altitude meters uphill | downhill: 950m | 1550m
Duration5-6 hours total
