Andermatt sits on a high plain in the canton of Uri, with the Gemsstock rising almost to 3,000 metres above the village. For years it was the place that serious skiers and freeriders knew and everyone else drove past. Today it is the heart of the Andermatt+Sedrun+Disentis ski area, which describes itself as the largest in Central Switzerland. This guide explains how the mountain is laid out, what to expect on the slopes, when the lifts usually run, and how to get there with as little friction as possible.

One ski area, three very different sectors

The operators present Andermatt+Sedrun+Disentis as about 180 kilometres of slopes served by 33 lifts, with peaks reaching 3,000 metres. Their own piste breakdown lists 47.5 kilometres of blue runs, 84 kilometres of red, 37 kilometres of black and 16.5 kilometres of "yellow" runs, which are deep-powder routes. The Andermatt Swiss Alps skiing page divides the area into three sectors, and the difference between them is the best way to choose where to spend your day.

The Gemsstock is the serious one: steep, high and aimed at advanced skiers. Nätschen-Gütsch, directly above the village, is the gentle sector, with wide runs for families and beginners and even night skiing. Sedrun-Disentis, over the Oberalp Pass in canton Graubünden, adds easy blue runs, red and black pistes and a snowpark. A single day rarely covers all three, and most guests who stay a week rotate between them depending on the weather.

Arriving with skis and luggage? A private transfer takes you from the airport or station straight to your door in Andermatt, so the journey is not part of the holiday you have to manage. Tell us where you are going on our transfer page and we will come back to you with a personal offer.

The Gemsstock: Andermatt's high mountain

The Gemsstock is reached by a two-stage aerial tramway from the Gurschen area above the village, and its top station stands just under 3,000 metres; Andermatt Swiss Alps gives the summit as 2,962 metres. The operators describe descents of up to 1,500 metres of vertical drop, deep-powder slopes, a glacier descent and the Bernhard Russi Run, named after the Andermatt-born Olympic downhill champion. Red runs in the area have a maximum incline of about 40 degrees, and the black runs demand strong technique.

It is a mountain with little patience for the unprepared. There is little shelter once you are up high, and the weather can change quickly. If you are comfortable on red runs but have not skied at altitude before, spend a morning on Nätschen-Gütsch first and go up the Gemsstock when you know how your legs and lungs feel at height.

Freeride terrain and the yellow runs

Freeriders come for the Gemsstock above all. According to the off-piste page of Andermatt Swiss Alps, the local microclimate brings consistent snowfall from November to April, and the terrain includes bowls, couloirs and large powder fields. The resort advises hiring a local guide, who knows the avalanche risks and the hidden lines, and avalanche transceivers, probes and shovels can be rented in the village. After fresh snow, guests can take the gondola up at first light with a guide to reach untracked fields before the crowds.

The yellow runs deserve a note. The operators describe them as avalanche-protected but neither groomed nor patrolled, which makes them a halfway step between the piste and the open mountain. They are not a safe zone, and they are not for beginners. The official avalanche bulletin of the SLF is the reference to read before you leave the piste, every single day.

Nätschen-Gütsch and the Oberalp Pass

Above the village, the Nätschen-Gütsch sector is where families learn and where the less ambitious skiers spend a relaxed day. The slopes are wide and forgiving, and the area is lit for night skiing, which the resort promotes with the line about skiing beneath the stars. There is a KidsArena in Andermatt, and further children's areas elsewhere in the system. On the Gütsch, The Japanese at Gütsch, a restaurant with panoramic views, shows how upmarket the mountain dining has become.

Over at the Oberalp Pass the character changes again: wide pistes and sunny restaurant terraces with mountain views. The local tip on the resort page is to start with the run from the Schneehüenerstock down to the Oberalp, after a coffee at the panoramic restaurant. The sectors are linked by the Sport Train and the Cuolm da Vi gondola; the official page puts the ride from Dieni to the Sedrun station at about five minutes. The interactive piste map helps you plan the route before you set off.

A driver for the whole stay. Moving between Andermatt, the Oberalp Pass and Sedrun with boots, skis and children is easier with someone else at the wheel. Our chauffeur by the hour stays with you for the day, and you can ask us about a driver for a weekend too. Get in touch and we will prepare a personal offer.

Opening times: what is typical

Dates and hours change from year to year, so treat everything here as a guide and not as a promise. The Graubünden tourist board, in its listing for the Sedrun-Oberalp-Andermatt area, gives a season that typically runs from mid-November to mid-April, with lifts usually running from 08:30 to 16:00. Weather can shorten or interrupt the day at any time for safety reasons.

The official operating hours and season dates for the coming winter are published on the mountain railways' operating-hours page. Check it before you book travel, and again the evening before you ski.

Snow: why Andermatt keeps it

The reliable snow comes from altitude. The ski area reaches about 3,000 metres, and the resort describes a microclimate that brings steady snowfall from November to April. Because conditions vary from sector to sector and from day to day, the sensible habit is to read the evidence yourself. The webcams of Andermatt Swiss Alps show the Gütsch, the middle station at Nätschen and the Gemsstock top station, along with several cameras over towards Sedrun and the Oberalp Pass.

For lift status and the current snow report, use the Graubünden page above or the operators' own website. We deliberately do not quote snow depths here: any number printed in a guide is out of date by the time you read it. The same goes for the avalanche situation, which you should read from the SLF bulletin, not from a summary.

Looking back: from the 1963 tramway to the Epic Pass

Skiing at the Gemsstock has a longer history than the recent building boom suggests. According to the Bergbahnen database, the first Gurschen-Gemsstock aerial tramway, a 40-person cabin built by Bell, opened in 1963 and ran until 1990, when the current 80-person tramway by Garaventa replaced it. That upgrade is what gave the mountain the capacity it has today.

The village has changed a great deal since. The Chedi Andermatt opened in 2013, and it was followed by further hotels and apartments, a concert hall and a growing list of restaurants. The area also now belongs to the Epic Pass network, as Andermatt Swiss Alps notes on its skiing page. The mountain itself is the constant: a steep Gemsstock and gentler slopes around it.

Where to stay

Most visitors stay in Andermatt village itself. The resort's own pages do not give walking distances from each hotel to the lifts, so ask when you book whether you can reach the lifts on foot or need the ski bus; the following options are the best known.

The Chedi Andermatt, on Gotthardstrasse, is the five-star flagship, with a large spa and several restaurants.
The Radisson Blu Hotel Reussen is a chalet-style hotel in the village with 244 rooms, suites and residences.
Andermatt Alpine Apartments offers self-catering apartments for families and groups who want their own kitchen.

Whatever you choose, the full list of places to stay, including holiday apartments, is on the Andermatt Swiss Alps accommodation page.

Getting there

By train, there is no direct service from the airport. The usual route runs from Zürich Airport to Zürich main station, then on towards Göschenen and the connecting line into Andermatt. Exact connections and journey times are in the SBB timetable, which we do not reproduce here because they change with the season. Expect to change trains at least once, and to carry your own skis, boots and bags at every platform.

From Geneva Airport, the journey is considerably longer and involves more changes. Check the route before booking flights. By road, the village is reached from central Switzerland, and the Oberalp Pass links it with Sedrun on the Graubünden side.

From the airport to the door. Rather than changing trains with ski bags, you can have a private chauffeur collect you at Zürich Airport and drive you directly to your hotel in Andermatt. On the way home, ask us about a private tour that stops somewhere worth seeing before you reach the airport. Get in touch and we will come back to you with a personal offer.

Planning your days

A sensible first week might look like this. Spend the first morning on Nätschen-Gütsch to find your ski legs. Take the Gemsstock on a clear day when the visibility is good, and give the ride a second look from the top station before you decide on a descent. Reserve one day for the Oberalp Pass and Sedrun, using the Sport Train link. Leave a slack day for weather, because the high ground can close.

Book lessons or a guide early if you need one, particularly for off-piste days, and rent avalanche equipment in the village. Pack layers: even on a sunny day the top station is cold, and the temperature drop between the village and the summit is substantial. The ski map above, the webcams and the SLF bulletin make a good morning routine over breakfast.

Is Andermatt right for you?

Andermatt suits skiers who want a real mountain, a quiet village and good food more than a long list of après-ski bars. Experts get the Gemsstock and the guided freeride terrain, families get a compact learning area and a children's area, and everyone gets a base in a village that has invested heavily in its hotels and restaurants. If you value crowds and nightlife above all, other resorts will serve you better. If you value space, altitude and snow that holds, this is one of the better bets in Central Switzerland.

Andermatt: skiing the Gemsstock and the Andermatt-Sedrun ski area