Lauchernalp

Lauchernalp is a wonderful mid-sized Swiss ski area. Lotschental (the name of the region) is in the valley Wallis, and Canton Valais, on the Magic Pass which includes over 90 Swiss ski resorts! Lauchernalp has big vertical, above the very humble village of Wiler. An Aerial Tramway whisks you to the upper mountain village of Lauchernalp (1968-meters).

Skiers take 4 lifts, the Wiler tram to a six-pack, to a triple to a summit gondola, to access Lauchernalp’s Hockenhorngrat summit (3100-meters) at 10,170′ to get the full ski experience. Its over 5,500′ vert if you ski from the “tip top” as the Swiss say, back to Wiler village!

From Lauchernalp’s summit “Glacier Bahn” gondola, you’re atop Hockenhorngrat, with magnificent views of countless, locals say 40, Swiss peaks over 4000 meters, that’s over 13,000′. On a clear day (they claim 300 days of sunshine here) you can see the Weisshorn and the mighty Matterhorn, the Dom of Saas Fee, to name a few spectacular iconic Swiss peaks. No wonder Lotschental Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Beautiful glaciers cling to the valley of Lotschental, the biggest glaciers are Beitsch Glacier & Langgletscher at 3158-meters. Just up the bucolic steep glacial valley on the Lonza River is the village of Blatten which was destroyed by landslide when a massive glacier piece crashed down in summer of 2025 (Blatten = flattened sadly), not to be confused with nearby ski area of Belalp Blatten.

Lauchernalp has just 13 trails, but they are fun, long, interesting and undulating terrain, well-groomed. The terrain is steeper than nearby Belalp Blatten for example. Corwds mid week are non-existent, while prime weekends you may encounter a small lift line of mostly locals and folks from nearby Bern.

Lauchernalp has tons of easy to reach off piste from the summit gondola and the mid mountain triple and T-bar! However some of the eastern aspects are prone to slide, so hire a local guide to explore safely. A ski touring adventure with a little climb could deliver you to amazing nearby snowfields and valleys, with a trained Berg Fuhrer. Tragically, local pro snowboarder and Swiss Olympian, Ueli Kestenholz, died in an avalanche at Lauchernalp just days before our ski visit. So know before you go…

Lauchernalp has lots for non skier activities – winter wandering, sledging (sledding), snowshoeing, Nordic skiin. Its super family-friendly with a wonderful “Cool School” kids learn to ski area mid-mountain and all-day ski lessons. You’ll also see speed-kiters launching with huge sails from the summit and soaring with skis on, touching the slopes and lofting back up into the sky – what a sight! You can try it with a guide – if you dare!

Charming ski-to huts and chalet restaurants for lunch or a drink include Berghaus Lauchernalp – just below the T-Bar – you can traverse out to this special historic spot. They serve the best wood-fired pizza in the Swiss alps, with an amazing view too! Restaurant Bargsunna chalet just above the Tram and six-pack chair has a sunny terrace and an amazing alpine cheeseburger among other offerings. Bargsunna is a great spot for après ski too at Lauchernalp before you ski a few turns back to the Tram to download to the village, or ski to your on-mountain chalet.

Skiing to the base village of Wiler, is a long, 4-mile, ski run shared with winter wanderers and sledders, with a dozen switchbacks. The winding trail ends at the far side of the Village of Wiler, so it’s a 15-minute walk through the rustic chalet village, back to the Tram or the paid parking (about $8 Swiss francs per day).

We liked this Lotschental ski valley so much, we stayed at the charming traditional Alpenhotel zur Wildiwith its panoramic outdoor deck and apres ski umbrella bar, neat alpine modern rooms. We loved our spectacular view from #9, 3rd floor. Zur WIldi has a friendly staff, and great food – breakfast included, plus evening dining a la carte including a raclette & fondue night! Sleeping on the mountain is so peaceful, aside from the groomers sweeping the slopes outside. The stars at night in the clear mountain air are stellar! And you can be first on the upper mountain ski trails and lifts in the morning after your yummy buffet breakfast. Zur Wildi made our Top Swiss Hotel list!

We also stayed at Residence Resort Lauchernalp which is a modern condo style one-bedroom just below the mountain village and the Tram. Our modern glacier view suite was well-appointed. We rode the Tram down and back to Wiler’s Volg market for staples to enjoy in our full kitchen. This condo apartment development is expanding across the hillside, promising more luxury apartments, and a spa, but the luxury resort is not completed yet, much construction and fulfillment to come (as of Jan 2026).

Lauchernalp feels like mostly local Swiss skiers, folks from Bern, Brig and Lausanne. We encountered many of the same skiers in our 4 days skiing here.

We highly recommend a few days at this magical Swiss ski resort, Lauchernalp in the Lotschental valley… no crowds, lots of charm and authentic chalets, steeper ski terrain, and magnificent Alps views! And its on the Magic Pass, you can include skiing here with other resort on a Swiss ski safari to Leukerbad, Grimentz-Zinal, Belalp, Anzere, and more.

Lauchernalp Ski Stats:
Elevation: 1403 – 3091 M, 10,141′
Vertical: 1688 M, 5,538′
Lifts: 6
Trails: 40 km of prepared pistes, 13 named groomed trails. Miles of Freeride terrain.

See more on Top Swiss Ski Resorts for Family Skiing and Top Swiss Ski Hotel