Fall '12 Dates Coming Soon!
WSA Tour Features
- 2 nights in our own private Swiss Chalet (FRI, SAT)
- Pass to the pool, jacuzzi, gym and ice skating rink
- 15% off on all ski and board gear rental
- 3 Breakfasts, 2 Dinners and 3 lunches
- 5% off on all extreme sports: skydiving, canyon jumping and paragliding
- Full-time expertise of your WSA guide
- A world of outdoor opportunities to take advantage of
- Starlit mountain hike and midnight "sledge" back down the slopes
- Fun group of fellow backpackers
- Bedding, sheets and pillow
Yes, it's happening! Our famous Alpine ski adventure is back! We've rented out an entire Swiss Ski Chalet for three weekends in in the best time for skiing in the year, and we want you to join us in Gimmelwald at altitude 4500ft for a weekend you'll never forget. With over 6,000 skiable vertical feet above our home for the weekend, this skiing will put anything you've ever done in the past to shame! Included also is all your food for the weekend--we're packing it all in and cooking for ourselves and cleaning up as well. This means 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 delicious dinners!
Get in to Gimmelwald any time on Friday morning and stay through Sunday. People flying in should consider arriving Thursday evening and sleeping in the valley.
The weekend is yours to enjoy the slopes, and you can look forward to hot breakfasts and dinners. And you can feel free to pack yourself lunches with supplies included in the tour.
Back at the toasty hostel each night, enjoy the evening getting to know your new skiing buddies while sipping Heidi Cocoas and catching glimpses of the clearest night sky that you've ever seen. Don't forget the free passes to the hot tub either!
WHY GIMMELWALD AND NOT INTERLAKEN?
The reasons are numerous. Many tour operators offer trips to Interlaken. What they don't tell you is that it takes at least 1.5 hours each way to and from the slopes (longer with the crowds in the evening) from the large city of Interlaken and additional expenses. Our hostel is ski-in, ski-out (well, ski-in, and take the lift back up!), located directly on the side of the mountain, and well away from the tourist hoardes. Additionally, since it takes so long to get to the slopes from Interlaken, your only other alternatives are activites that cost upwards of 350CHF. Very quickly, the "convenience factor" turns in to an "expense factor".
WSA Gimmelwald includes all your food for the weekend. In Interlaken food is expensive (Kebabs alone are 8.5CHF) and you're completely on your own for all your meals.
Don't spend your weekend stuck in a big city looking at the mountains, spend your weekend IN the mountains!
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE TRIP IS IN OUR TOUR DETAILS PDF INCLUDING DIRECTIONS, FAQ, GEAR RENTAL INFO, BUDGET TIPS AND MORE.
Don't ski? No prob- there are tons of hiking, snowshoeing and even ice skating opportunities in the area. You can even opt to skydive in the extreme sports capital of the world. Your choices for activities are endless including passes to the community center indoor pool and hot tub, ice rink, skydiving, curling, yodeling, and sledding along with a star-lit mountain hike.
Check it out on Google Maps
Getting there:
Round trip air transportation from your abroad city (fly into BASEL, GENEVA or ZURICH airports and transfer into Interlaken Ost via train--super easy). 2.5 hours in to Interlaken Ost, 1 hr from there to Gimmelwald. Find great rates using these search engines: skyscanner.net, kayak.com and cheapoair.com.
--OR--
Night train directly into Interlaken Ost - Great option for those coming in from Prague, Paris or Rome. Check out the transpo page for ideas. 1 hr from Interlaken to Gimmelwald.
DETAILED LOGISTICAL INFORMATION and FAQ FOUND IN OUR TOUR DETAILS PDF
Video
Download Video: MP4
Photo Album:
Happy Backpackers:
“How do I sufficiently describe how these famous mountains pierce the sky with their majestic peaks, endlessly jutting upward as they ignore the existence of clouds and wind, and the unpalatable yearning I will have for this snowy paradise for the rest of my life? Absolutely worth the travel difficulties and cost to experience the most perfect location I have ever been to. A Gimmelwald adventure your family and friends will be supremely jealous of; and rightfully so. ”
Marko, Spring 2011
Read all our testimonials here
Back to the Land of Cows and Chocolate
I decided to return to Gimmelwald to see the place where I skied in January. I stayed in Gimmelwald for four or five …
Fearless skier and extreme sledder,