Rinderberg Ronda: ski safari in the Simmental

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We had swapped the last great winter season for an equally great midsummer in Patagonia. Although our alternative was anything but bad, we were annoyed that we missed the phenomenal snow conditions in Switzerland. And so, at the beginning of this season, we had really “planted” for the snow. Until the weather and snow were right, however, a little more patience was required than last year. But shortly after New Year’s Day, the time had finally come: The first ski day of the 2018/2019 season was just around the corner.

Take the train to the slopes

There are various alternatives to get to the ski slopes easily and as directly as possible from Zurich by public transport. Flumserberge, Pizol, Hoch-Ybrig and Flims are among the nearest winter sports resorts, which we can reach with a maximum of one change. Equally convenient and directly accessible is one of my favourite ski resorts in the Bernese Oberland; Zweisimmen – Saanenmöser – Schönried – Gstaad. The ski destination in Simmental/Saaneland is well connected to the railway network and the RegioExpress Lötschberger, which takes us straight from Bern to Zweisimmen, even has a commendable facility for safely depositing skis and snowboards – something that I usually look for in vain on the trains to Graubünden.

And since better weather is reported for the western Bernese Oberland than for the eastern Alpine ridge, we set off on Sunday morning equipped with coffee, ski helmet, ski goggles, ski boots and gloves towards Zweisimmen. Unlike the friend who takes his snowboard with him, I leave my skis in the attic. These would urgently need a service, and since I didn’t have the time for that so far, I reserved a few spare skis online at Intersport Matti in Zweisimmen.

Shortly before nine o’clock we reach Zweisimmen. The station is connected to the valley station of the Rinderbergbahn with a short walk. The Intersport shop is located a few metres above the valley station, directly on the valley run. Since I had already filled out everything online, my skis are ready and only need to be adjusted to my boots. When I realize what exquisite slats await me, my mood – which has suffered a dampener from the unexpectedly thick layer of fog to the farthest corner of the Simmental – lifts again. If you book skis online at Intersport, you can choose between three categories. In view of the rather hard slope conditions, I had opted for the most expensive variant (Ski Exclusive) and now I get a pair of AK skis with a purchase value of around 1,700 CHF pressed into my hand. Wow! I’m curious how they feel on the slopes.

Ski safari in the Simmental

Disillusionment follows on the mountain – where is the sun announced in the weather forecasts? Even the mountain station of the Rinderberg at 2,000 m above sea level is surrounded by dense vegetation. Let’s see if we can find the right turns.

The Rinderberg is not only the starting point for the Zweisimmen – Saanenmöser – Schönried ski area, but also offers a great ski safari with the Rinderberg Ronda, which connects three mountains and valleys without using a slope or mountain railway twice. One of the four starting points of the ski safari is the Rinderberg. From there, the Rinderberg-Ronda leads in the direction of St. Stephan to the Lengebrand lift and from there via Parwengsattel to the Saanerslochgrat. From the Saanerslochgrat there is a long descent to Oeschseite and from there it goes back to the Rinderberg. The entire round takes about two hours. If you like varied descents, you will get your money’s worth.

Playing with the clouds

We also follow the route and make our way towards the Saanerslochgrat – maybe the sun will push through there! A short warm-up stop at the Saanerslochgrat mountain restaurant works wonders. As soon as we have finished the hot chocolate, the sun prevails outside and sweeps away the wall of clouds from the summit. Splendid! The slopes are in perfect condition, my rental skis are grippy and racy and without fog we finally see something of the beautiful winter landscape.

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Rinderberg-Ronda Beizli-Tipp

If you want to combine the Rinderberg-Ronda with a fine lunch, I recommend reserving a table at the Kübelialp mountain restaurant. The mountain pub is located on the descent towards the Oesch side and is a well-kept tip of the locals. “He never did any advertising,” owner Adrian Walker tells us later. His credo is: Just cook consistently well and trust word of mouth. The small menu includes long-standing classics such as the Möser Döner, the Johnny Special cheese slices, cheese fondue, soup of the day, the Kübeliteller with dried meat and sliced cheese, Tom’s Chefpasta and a salad plate. All freshly prepared! However, if you want French fries, you’ve come to the wrong place with Adrian Walker – the pickler has his principles and that makes him all the more likeable.

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Mountain panorama on the Rinderberg

By the way, it took us two attempts to find the Kübelialp. Since the pub is located away from the slopes, it is not so easy to find in poor visibility. Fortified with Möser Döner, Johnny Special and a sinful portion of meringue, cream and gelati artigianali from the ice island in Unterlangenegg, we follow the Rinderberg-Ronda back to our starting point – the Rinderberg. And lo and behold: the sun is shining here now! At the end of this really great day of skiing, we get to enjoy a panoramic view over the sea of fog.

Practical tips for your ski trip to Zweisimmen

• In Bern, make sure that you board the correctly labelled part of the train. The RegioExpress Lötschberger is divided in Spiez – one part of the train goes to Zweisimmen and one to Brig.
• The day ticket for the Zweisimmen-Gstaad-Rougemont ski area costs CHF 65 for adults (season 2018/2019).
• On the interactive map of Gstaad Tourism you can see at a glance which facilities are open and which are closed.
• You can find an overview of the Rinderberg-Ronda here: Ski Highlights Gstaad
• Another highlight in the ski area is the sound slope between the middle and valley stations on the Saanerslochgrat.
• In the immediate vicinity of the Rinderberg valley station there are two ski rental shops; Wittwer Sport and Intersport Matti

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If you arrive by train, you benefit from the Snow’n’Rail combined offer with a 20% discount on the 1-, 2- or 6-day ski pass, a 15% discount on Intersport Rent and a 20% discount on the train ticket (when purchased online from the start of the season until 23.12.18 and from 1.3.19 until the end of the season). The Snow & Rail offers are also available at the train stations. All further information can be found at BLS.

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