The Best Backcountry Skiing Routes in Bernese Oberland

A relatively easy day with an optional extra 600m skin up a summit, easily missed in poor weather or if acclimatising slowly. Our day begins descending the ladders, then a gentle skin up to the Grunhornlucke, 3280m....

Make sure you have an alpine start for this day as your final 3 hours will be uphill on a S facing slope to the bivi hut. We left at 6 and that was only just early enough....

This is one of the most enjoyable ski ascents in the Oberland, which in good conditions is possible on skins all the way. Descend from the hut, skiing down the easy glacier until you are right beneath the peak at about 2800m....

Again this day allows a short semi rest day if conditions are poor and you can simply go from one hut to the other. We are reversing the route of 2 days ago, over the Grunhornlucke, 3280m, then down to Konkordiaplatz....

The Gross Fiescherhorn is undeniably a major mountain, with its huge N wall, the Fiescherwand, dropping away impressively from the summit. The Hinter Fiescherhorn is of much less interest but an irresistible add-on peak, with the bonus of being able to skin to/ski from the summit rocks....

This is a straight up out and back trip from the Finsteraarhorn Hut. The glacial slopes approaching the high col, the Hugisattel at 4088m, are relatively steep but are wide, hence great for the ski down....

It is a long gentle glacial skin to the Hollandia Hut if going direct from the Konkordia hut. This is an option for tired legs or bad weather. Much more enjoyable is to take in Kranzberg on the way....

The isolated nature is evidenced by the fact that this route is from an unguarded bivouac hut, adding to the effort and logistical challenge. Steep S facing slopes are unavoidable in descent so an early start is essential....