jamesdeluxe
Administrator
For my final ski day in Schwyz, I only had a few hours of turns left in my aching legs, so I decided to try the ski safari that connects Mythen with neighboring Hoch-Ybrig (pronounced HOKE EEH BRIG), which isn't on the regional Swiss Knife Valley ski ticket (unless you buy a season pass). The route claims to be nine miles in length but felt longer. The point of something like this isn't necessarily to ski challenging terrain or shralp powder, but to travel a healthy distance on skis and admire the beautiful scenery. You get one lift ride on certain lifts that enable you to complete the circuit in a little less than three hours, more if you stop for a meal.
Skies were bright blue until the early afternoon when clouds moved in, which would've made the safari a lot less interesting, so I'm glad that I got out early. Like the two previous days, I started at the Handgruobi t-bar 100 yards away from my hotel:
Beer tent at Grossenboden:
Continuing uphill:
Brünellistock and the first Ski Safari sign in orange. Extra points for it looking homemade!
A fork in the road:
I skied right by the safari sign that was partially buried and had to bootpack back uphill:
I followed a few other people skied by who seemed to know where they were going:
Very idyllic:
You head downhill into the village of Oberiberg, which is at the bottom of the ski area Hoch-Ybrig:
And walk across a parking lot to one of the base lifts -- my first chair (high-speed too!) in four days. How's that for hardcore?
The "hometown" brand -- certainly the ski you see most frequently in these parts:
Quick stop at a mid-mountain restaurant:
While Mythen is predominantly south-facing, Hoch-Ybrig is completely north-facing so the offpiste was in nice shape.
It's also at a higher elevation than Mythen and has a healthy percentage of above-treeline/more challenging terrain along with high-speed chairs: thus, a more mainstream ski area than its old-school neighbor.
All of that ridgeline on the left is lift-served. Unfortunately, my day pass was only for the specific chairs for the safari itinerary.
Continuing to follow the Ski Safari signs:
Beginning the 3,100-vert downhill toward the village of Illgau:
"You're now leaving the Hoch-Ybrig ski area"
Literally, an "over the river and through the woods" affair:
The village of Illgau in the distance:
A short uphill walk:
Into the village:
A gondola from 1955, but as the sign tells us: fully renovated in 1983!
For emergencies: a phone powered by a crank:
In the home stretch:
A fine day to hang laundry:
Finally, I exit the woods at the Handgruobi base area:
And glide into my hotel:
Another great Alps trip in the can. Couldn't have timed it any better.
Skies were bright blue until the early afternoon when clouds moved in, which would've made the safari a lot less interesting, so I'm glad that I got out early. Like the two previous days, I started at the Handgruobi t-bar 100 yards away from my hotel:
Beer tent at Grossenboden:
Continuing uphill:
Brünellistock and the first Ski Safari sign in orange. Extra points for it looking homemade!
A fork in the road:
I skied right by the safari sign that was partially buried and had to bootpack back uphill:
I followed a few other people skied by who seemed to know where they were going:
Very idyllic:
You head downhill into the village of Oberiberg, which is at the bottom of the ski area Hoch-Ybrig:
And walk across a parking lot to one of the base lifts -- my first chair (high-speed too!) in four days. How's that for hardcore?
The "hometown" brand -- certainly the ski you see most frequently in these parts:
Quick stop at a mid-mountain restaurant:
While Mythen is predominantly south-facing, Hoch-Ybrig is completely north-facing so the offpiste was in nice shape.
It's also at a higher elevation than Mythen and has a healthy percentage of above-treeline/more challenging terrain along with high-speed chairs: thus, a more mainstream ski area than its old-school neighbor.
All of that ridgeline on the left is lift-served. Unfortunately, my day pass was only for the specific chairs for the safari itinerary.
Continuing to follow the Ski Safari signs:
Beginning the 3,100-vert downhill toward the village of Illgau:
"You're now leaving the Hoch-Ybrig ski area"
Literally, an "over the river and through the woods" affair:
The village of Illgau in the distance:
A short uphill walk:
Into the village:
A gondola from 1955, but as the sign tells us: fully renovated in 1983!
For emergencies: a phone powered by a crank:
In the home stretch:
A fine day to hang laundry:
Finally, I exit the woods at the Handgruobi base area:
And glide into my hotel:
Another great Alps trip in the can. Couldn't have timed it any better.
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