Info
Philosophie // Program // Levels // Team // Location // Questions // Overnight stay // Contact
Philosophie
No need to chase deep powder in early winter – December is the perfect time to sharpen your skills and get ready for the ski season. With zero powder stress, you can fully focus on learning and progression in different areas.
- Freeride ski technique with a real pro
- Alpine skiing basics & carving skills
- Avalanche awareness & prevention
- Rescue training: companion rescue & first aid
- Ski mountaineering & adventure skiing
All this under the guidance of passionate full-time mountain guides and freeride professionals – people who live and breathe snow.
The Titlis area in Engelberg is perfect for this. Thanks to the glacier, there’s usually reliable snow already in December. You won’t find endless 2000m runs here, but you will discover exciting terrain, creative workshops, and loads of fun with like-minded riders.
Our philosophy: share as much mountain know-how and freeride experience as possible in the pre-season – so you’ll enjoy safer, better and more unforgettable adventures later in winter.
Program
The conditions during early season can vary. Therefor also our program during the camp. The participant can look forward to a safe and high-quality program regardless of weather and snow conditions. We want to create an optimal learning climate where everyone can contribute their experiences. The team of mountain guides are very motivated to pass on their own experiences to you in a good way. The participants’ experiences and knowledge from the mountains also give us all additional opportunities to develop even more.
The passion for nature and skiing connects us all and we want to focus on the community of snow sports during these three days.
Let yourself be inspired by pro-skier Piers Solomon’s playful and elegant freeride technique. He will be happy to show you in a pragmatic way how you can progress and work with your freeride technique. Broaden your horizons and have fun while skiing with more flow and new (simple) freestyle elements.
Duration: ½ Tag
Leads by: Ski-Coach & Freeride Pro Piers Solomon oder Bergführer
If things go wrong, we want to be prepared for an extreme situation. Do you have your avalanche transceiver fully under control and are you fast enough even under stress? Do you also function in complex situations under time pressure?
Every situation brings individual problems with it. That’s where we focus and train you in the best possible way.
Duration: ½ day plus evening course
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV & Ski patroller
- Companion rescue
- Search, probing, shoveling
- Multiple burial
- First aid for freeriders / ski tourers with ski patroller
- Minor accidents
- Assistance avalanche accidents
As the name suggests, the Pre-Season Camp takes place in the pre-season. The weather, the conditions and the amount of snow is not always optimal. If the ski area should remain closed because of e.g. storm, heavy snowfall or even too little snow, we offer you alternative possibilities in the valley to be optimally prepared for the upcoming winter season.
Duration: As little as possible, as much as necessary.
Direction: Mountain guide and specialists for this purpose
- Multiple burial LVS
- Rope handling
Knots
Equipment
Rope shortening
Rope maneuver - Abseiling
- Self ascent
- Crevasse rescue
- Improvised rescues
- “Trouble shooting” on the mountain
- First aid
- Snowpack structure, snow crystals etc.
Dreamed by many, realized by few. To live from skiing is a child’s fantasy for many who are reading this text right now. All guides and ski pros in this camp are doing exactly that. We will introduce you to this life in more detail; how does it come about, what does it take and what are the downsides of this outwardly appearing “high gloss” life?
Duration: evening show
Direction: Ski-Coach & Freeride Pro Piers Solomon
- Short ski films
- “Behind the scenes”
- How do such recordings come about?
- What does it take?
- Lifestyle and life of the ski pro
- Skiing philosophy
- Question round with tasty beer
In a real freeride area like Titlis, you need the right skills to get from the classic runs to the adventure terrain. Often you have to “scramble” a bit in short places or abseil into a gully/couloir. This is not only to get to the good snow, but it is an experience in itself.
Duration: 1 day
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV
- Training block “Rope & More” based on different situations
- Equipment
- Knots
- Abseiling normal & improvised
- Anchorages in rock, ice and snow
- Ski skills 40° plus
- Assessment special case couloirs
- Safe skiing in steep terrain
- Jumpturns
- Sliding sideways, spit turns etc.
- Small application tour with e.g. abseiling into a couloir
- The conditions for such terrain must be suitable!
Adapted according to the current circumstances and on the way in the field, we give you our experience on the subject of avalanche prevention. What do we do today and why not the different? Where is the best place to ski our planned line and above all why? What do I do if things turn out differently than planned? These and many other questions occupy us every day, and we are happy to share our thoughts with you. High practical part.
Duration: ½ day
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV
- Prevention
(Bulletin, practice-oriented tour planning, rolling tour planning, human factor - Behavior in the terrain
(line selection, safe points, group tactics)
On a small application tour we deepen your alpine ski technique in the ascent and descent in challenging terrain. Because good skiing and solid accenting mean also safety! Sometimes it takes only a few small tips to achieve a great result.
Duration: ½ day
Direction: Mountain guide IVBV
- Sicherheit & Taktik in steilem / schwierigem Gelände
- (Spitzkehren, Seitwärts Abrutschen, Ski anziehen in steilem Gelände)
- Technik Aufstieg
- (Kick-Truns, Spitzkehren mit Fellen, Handling Felle & Harsteisen, effizienter Wechsel, Bootpacking, etc.)
Dates
Levels
We run the camp in different groups – from strong ski tourers to freeride enthusiasts. The program and practice tours are adapted to your skills. Unsure about your level? No stress, just ask us – we’re happy to help you find the right fit.
Team
Piers Solomon
“I am a professional freerider from Central Switzerland who spends his winters following the best conditions, having the best possible time and meeting new people from all over the world.”
Born and raised in the Swiss Alps, Piers was introduced to skiing by his mother at the age of three. At the age of six, he devoted most of his life to alpine ski racing. After ten years of ski racing, Piers felt more and more attracted by the freedom of freestyle and freeride. As a result, he was given his first pair of “fat skis” at the age of 17. From then on, he was definitely attracted to off-piste skiing. Soon he met Oskar Enander, the professional snow sports photographer from Sweden, in Engelberg. Piers started some photo projects with Oskar and with his help he got his first sponsors. Oskar opened Piers the door to other parts of the industry, like his first film trip, which took place at the age of 19 for sweetgrass productions’ “Walhalla”. In the meantime he has been travelling for big film projects and was included in a webisode series of DPS-skis. In addition, Piers has spent much of his summers in Argentina in recent years, where he trains and guides skiers and snowboarders in the “Cerro Cathedral” area near San Carlos de Bariloche for a travel company called SASS Global Travel.
Dani Perret
“Skiing in the adventure area means a lot to me. With some imagination and the right skills, you can experience something in all conditions. Thanks to rope & skins, you can reach slopes and gullies that will make your heart beat faster.”
Dani was born and raised in the same area as Piers. The adventure in the mountains attracted him already as a child and teenager again and again to lonely and secluded terrain. He feels at home on skis, mountain-, climbing- or trailrunning shoes, in all disciplines. The focus is not so much on relative performance, but rather on lasting experiences with the highest possible level of safety.
Dani is a full-time mountain guide in winter as well as summer, stationed in Engelberg. Again and again he discovers the Engelberg valley and the surrounding areas in the Alps with new eyes and is happy to share his newly gained ideas with you.
www.mountainguide-dani.com
Tobias Granath
“The strong Swede on the team”
Tobias Granath is a Swedish IFMGA/UIAGM/IVBV mountain guide and has lived in the Alps since 2000. Today he lives with his family in Engelberg and works as a mountain guide all year round.
It inspires me to take clients into the wild alpine environment and show them my secret places and discover new places. From ski touring for beginners to ski mountaineering for experts – offering clients the best possible mountain experience is not only my job, it is my passion.
Robert Lönnell
“Robert Lönnell a Swedish IFMGA / UIAGM / IVBV mountain guide. He has lived in Engelberg with his family since 2009.”
Robert started skiing at a young age and after finishing school he was ready to leave Sweden and start exploring different mountains and terrain.
After 10 years of travelling to different places such as Chamonix, Tirol, Canada and more he came to Engelberg in 2009 and decided to turn his passion for the mountains into a career.
He now works full time as a professional IFMGA Mountain Guide.
Skiing powder, climbing walls or guiding you up your dream peak. He is always happy to take you out in to the mountains.
Jonas Alajuuma
Jonas Alajuuma is an IFMGA mountain guide who was born and raised in snowy northern Finland but has had Engelberg as his home and base since 2015. He’s been actively skiing and climbing in the mountains for over a decade and nowadays works as a full time mountain guide. No matter the chosen activity or level Jonas loves to guide people outdoors to offer new experiences and beautiful moments while keeping the adventures as safe as possible.
Jonas has experience all the way from the northern mountains of Sweden, Norway and Svalbard down to the different corners of the Alps. He gladly takes you to different places for an adventure and guides you in an assuring, compelling and calm way with a smile on his face on your next exciting adventure!
Location
Snow guarantee included!
Engelberg village sits at just 1000 m a.s.l., but with Titlis and the Steinberg & Galtiberg glaciers towering at 3238 m, skiing is usually possible from early October.
That means: a very good chance of making your first turns already in early December. For a solid pre-season camp you don’t need mega 2000m downhill runs – what counts is safe snow, cool terrain and variety for training and tours.
Plus: Engelberg is super easy to reach – by train or by car. Just 2 hours from Zurich airport and you’re in the mountains.
Welcome to Engelberg – your basecamp for freeride and ski touring!
FAQ
What are the requirements?
This camp isn’t for absolute beginners. You should already have experience in freeride or ski touring, feel solid on skis or snowboard and bring a good basic fitness. We split into groups by level, so you’ll always ride and learn at the right pace.
Can snowboarders join?
Yes! With a splitboard you’re good to go. If enough riders sign up, we’ll make a boarder-only group. Technique workshops are mainly ski-based, but if there’s a crew of snowboarders we adapt to that too.
How about overnight stay?
You’re free to choose – van, holiday flat, or hotel. If you want to join the dinners and evening programs, we recommend one of our partner hotels in Engelberg. Best part: you can enjoy a beer after a long day on the mountain without worrying about driving.
What if the weather is bad or there’s no snow?
Storm, foehn wind, or lack of snow? No problem. We’ve got backup programs in the valley, so the camp is always worth it. Check the program for details.
Can I join alone?
Absolutely! Many participants sign up solo. You’ll be placed in a group that matches your level, and you’ll meet new ski buddies right away.
Could the camp be cancelled if not enough people sign up?
Nope. The Pre-Season Camp Engelberg is super popular – spots are usually booked fast. So the only risk is being too late 😉
Is it all-day skiing or are there theory sessions?
We’re outside as much as possible. Theory is integrated directly into workshops on the mountain – practical, hands-on and fun.
Travel from Zurich Airport – best option?
Easy: train straight to Engelberg in about 2 hours. Check www.sbb.ch for schedules.
Can you help me book simple accommodation?
Sure – check this option here for a cozy and affordable stay.
When do days start and finish?
We kick off at 09:00 on the first day and are on the mountain all day. In the evening we sometimes run workshops or grab a drink together in Engelberg. Usually back in town around 4–5 pm – unless you’re with Luki Iten, then don’t forget your headlamp 😉
Overnight stay
Accommodation is up to you – vanlife, apartment, or hotel. Since we spend the whole day together, the important part is riding, not where you sleep. Still looking for a place? Here are some solid Engelberg tips:
- Ski Lodge: the place to be – where mountain guides and ski pros say goodnight.
- Terrasse: stunning views and Bed & Ski package.
- Crystal: cozy, family-style hotel in the center of Engelberg.
- Hotel Engelberg: historic, charming and right on the main street.
- GRAND Hostel & Bar: unbeatable value for money.
- Youth Hostel: budget-friendly, because we’re here to ski more than drink champagne.
Contact
Pre-Season Camp Engelberg
Mountain Camps Engelberg
c/o Dani Perret
Wydenstrasse 32b
6390 Engelberg
welcome@mountain-camps.ch
+41 79 513 16 56