The ski area of Arosa Lenzerheide comprises two resorts linked by the Urdenbahn – a cable car that was installed in 2014, creating a whole new world of winter opportunities. Skiers can now get from the Hörnli in Arosa to the Urdenfüggli in Lenzerheide via a five-minute ride over the Urdental valley. Together, the resorts offer 225km of stunning ski runs. The views from the Weisshorn peak in Arosa are remarkable, while the 360 degree panoramas from the top of the Parpaner Rothorn in Lenzerheide look out over more than 1000 Alpine summits. Arosa Lenzerheide boasts an enviable number of sunny days, too and Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer even has a chalet in the hamlet of Valbella on the outskirts of Lenzerheide.
Skiing and snowboarding – Where steep means steep
Thanks to Arosa Lenzerheide’s 225km of pistes, there’s a little bit of everything here. For beginners, there are wide pistes and rolling hills aplenty; for those who prefer to spend their holiday up in the air, or jibbing boxes and rails, there are four terrain parks spread across the resort; and experts can enjoy an impressive 28km of pisted black terrain. The crown jewel of all this is the Silvano Beltrametti World Cup slope. Startging at the Motthütte and ending in the village of Parpan, it measures 2.45km, dropping 727m in the process. With an average gradient of 31 per cent – and slanting by as much as 65 per cent at points – the thigh-burner is one of the steepest courses on the downhill World Cup circuit, and one of the toughest pisted runs on the planet. For the less vertically inclined, special night-time skiing options give the resort a starry-eyed edge. On nights when there’s a full moon, skier can get a sundowner and dinner at well above 2,500m before skiing down beneath the Alpine moonlight – watching out for snow werewolves, of course.
Winter Hiking - Sun, serenity and crackling snow
Crunch. Silence. Crunch. Silence. This is the sound of hiking in Arosa Lenzerheide; pure serenity, where the only noise is your feet crossing the prepared tracks in the snow. If you want silence in your hike, there are more than 140km of marked and prepared trails for winter hiking here. Some run almost alongside the resort’s pistes, while others go right through the snow-covered woods and courntryside, away from the hustle and bustle of the ski slopes. The Heidi & Gigi Trail is a particularly popular 9km option, connecting Arosa and Lenzerheide and affording endless panoramas.
Mountain adventures – The day doesn’t end when the lifts shut
There’s a mix of emotions at the end of the day’s skiing. On the one hand, there’s disappointment that the ski day is over; on the other, if all has gone to plan, you’ve had a damn good day on the mountain and now you get to take off your ski boots. In Arosa Lenzerheide, the adventures don’t end when you step back into your regular shoes. Grab dinner, then head to the Scharmoin halfway station and restaurant and you’ll be able to spend the evening eating Swiss cheese fondue, drinking mulled wine and sledging speedy downhill runs. If getting out of the snow but still gazing at the views is more your style, you have plenty of options, too. You can even jump in a snow groomer and head around the mountains, looking back on Arosa and Lenzerheide lit up in the dark. Fear not, the melted cheese will still be there when you return (see: arosalenzerheide.swiss/en)