Mountain Layout — Skiing

Here is a map of the Northern Region including Pischa, Jakobshorn and Rinerhorn in pdf format.

Here is a map of the Southern Region including Parsenn and Madrisa in pdf format.

From the village center, 3,937 feet high, the lift system takes you to 9,330 feet on the Parsenn side at the Weissfluhgipfel, and up to about 7,874 feet on the upper lift of the Madrisa.

The Parsenn is the best-known area and is reached by the Gotschna cable car, which leaves every 15 to 20 min-utes in ski season. The cable car lets you off at the Gotschnagrat, where you can either traverse to the Parsenn or ski under the cable car to a T-bar and chair lift. The Parsenn reaches its peak at the Weissfluhgipfel (9,330 feet) where it drops into two expert runs. Here it is wide open, offering both beginners and intermediates a paradise for cruising. The Parsenn has 40 seemingly end-less runs, including what was once Europe’s longest—from Weissfluhjoch to Kublis. If you like carefree cruising, you will love the Parsenn.

The Madrisa area is much smaller: some 30 miles of runs served by seven lifts. The area is reached by cable car from Klosters-Dorf, an outlying hamlet, which is a hike from the center of town. The area runs are mostly beginner and intermediate. When the sun is out, the Madrisa slopes are bathed with warming rays the entire day, something to remember when it’s cold but sunny. The longest and most scenic Madrisa run is from Glatteggen, 8,340 feet down to the Schlappin overlook, then down to the Madrisa cable car.

For the jaded, Madrisa is a springboard for an exciting ski mountaineering trek to Austria, which combines both skiing and climbing. The Swiss Ski School can line you up with a guide for this adventure if the snow quality is good.

Mountain rating
Klosters earns an A-plus from beginning and intermediate skiers. The Parsenn is perhaps the ideal terrain for learning to ski and perfecting your technique.

Experts may find the Parsenn terrain somewhat bor-ing and should ask instructors where the most challeng-ing skiing can be found. The best expert runs on the Parsenn are from the top of the Weissfluhgipfel. Otherwise, stick to the trails that drop into town alongside the Parsennbahn, or take the Drostobel-to-Klosters run, which is narrow and sometimes steep. The Wang trail, which runs directly under the Gotschna cable car, is one of the toughest expert runs in Europe. Unfortunately, it seems to be closed more often than open, but if it’s open and there is no avalanche danger, you’re in for an experi-ence. Watch yourself here: This is the spot where Prince Charles narrowly escaped an avalanche and his aide was killed while skiing out of bounds.

The Madrisa area is strictly for intermediates, beginners and sun-worshippers.