Tour description
Take the cable car up to the Gemsstock in comfort, preferably early in the morning to avoid long waiting times at the valley station. From the summit, you ski down the south side to the Schwarzbachfirn. This slope and the short ascent to the Gafallenlücke are usually already groomed. From the Gafallenlücke, a short detour to the Rothorn is worthwhile. From the Rothorn, you ski through the upper part of the Guspi, one of the fashionable runs in the Gemsstock freeride area, down to the "Unterem Glockentürmli" area. Now it's time to switch back to ascent mode. You have the choice between the ascent to the Sunnig gap or to the Gloggentürmli. At 200-300 metres in altitude, both ascents are well within the range of freeride tourers.
The subsequent descents down to the Gotthard Pass are, as already mentioned, mostly untracked. However, if there are already a few disturbing tracks, with a little spirit of discovery and possibly a few extra metres of ascent you will still find enough space for your own first lines.
Once you have reached the Gotthard Pass, you can ride along the Gotthardreuss back to Hospental. However, you'll be lucky if you still have enough time and fit legs, as peaks such as Pizzo Lucendro and Winterhorn rise up on the other side of the pass road. With 660 or 960 metres of ascent as a "supplement", there are then 1500 metres of open terrain downhill. A glance at the map is enough to assess the potential of these descents: The elevation curves are almost parallel and guarantee evenly steep slopes all the way into the Urseren Valley. And if that's still not enough, you can ski down from Lucendro to the Rotondo hut and tackle the next tour from there the following day.
Watch out! Please be sure to observe the usually clearly signposted wildlife sanctuaries. Driving in or entering the game reserves can result in heavy fines!
Information
Difficulty (5-level scale): All summits are possible with **
Average steepness/Maximum steepness: 25°/ 35-40°
Exposure: All
Altitude metres Start and finish: Gemsstock 2961 m | Hospental 1452 m
Altitude metres uphill and downhill: 360 m , 1820 m (with ascent Gloggentürmli and direct descent)
Duration: 3-4 hours. Can be extended as required.
Best time of year: Mid-December - April (with good snow conditions)
Accommodation: Many beautiful bivouac sites near the Gotthard Pass. The Rotondo hut is also recommended for a stay.
Addresses: Reservation Rotondohütte How to get there: From Zurich, take the Gotthard motorway to Göschenen. Leave the motorway in Göschenen and drive up through the Schöllenen Gorge to Andermatt. Andermatt is also easily accessible by public transport.
Topographic maps: LK 1:25000 1231 Urseren, S 1:50000 255-S Sustenpass
