
Chäserrugg - Unterwasser (Toggenburg)
50km of skiing across 1362m vertical in eastern Switzerland. Award-winning Herzog & de Meuron summit building at 2262m.
Chäserrugg – Unterwasser operates between 900 and 2262 metres across 1362 vertical metres in eastern Switzerland's Toggenburg region. The resort distributes 50 kilometres of piste across 23 marked runs serving the linked villages of Unterwasser, Alt St Johann and Wildhaus. Terrain breaks down as 16 per cent beginner, 80 per cent intermediate and 4 per cent advanced, with 2 kilometres of additional ski routes for freeriders. Annual snowfall averages 4.3 metres, supplemented by snowmaking coverage across key sectors.
Intermediate skiers dominate the clientele, drawn to the area's cruising terrain spread beneath the seven-peaked Churfirsten massif. The Chäserrugg East Run descends 5 kilometres through largely untouched terrain from the 2262-metre summit to Espel pavilion. Valley runs to both Unterwasser and Alt St Johann provide genuine top-to-bottom skiing across the full vertical. A funpark operates for freestylers below the Chäserrugg summit, whilst practice slopes at Iltios and Alt St Johann cater to families.
The resort distinguishes itself through architecture rather than extreme terrain, with six Herzog & de Meuron structures integrated since 2015. The award-winning timber summit building at 2262 metres exemplifies the collaboration between Swiss design and mountain infrastructure. Toggenburg received Landscape of the Year 2021 recognition for infrastructure renewal that emphasises landscape preservation over commercial visual pollution. The area maintains agricultural traditions alongside tourism, creating an atmosphere closer to working mountain communities than purpose-built resorts.
Chäserrugg operates independently without major pass affiliations, though the Chäserrugg Pass covers summer and winter access across the network. The 2025-26 season runs 30 November to 6 April with typical mid-November to mid-April operations. Night skiing operates Fridays 18:30 to 21:30 from late December through February at Alt St Johann-Sellamatt. The resort suits intermediate skiers seeking uncrowded terrain, families prioritising manageable scale, and visitors valuing architectural merit alongside skiing.
Beneath the seven peaks of the Churfirsten range, Chäserrugg - Unterwasser is an intermediate skier's mountain in the Toggenburg valley. Piste length is 50 kilometres across 23 runs, with 1,362 metres of vertical between 900 and 2,262 metres. Grading is heavily centred: 80% intermediate, 16% beginner and only 4% advanced, with no expert pistes. Because the base sits at just 900 metres, the top-to-bottom runs finish well down in the valley, giving a long and satisfying descent for a relatively modest area, and a compact lift network makes it easy to find your way around.
Skiers looking for distance should try the east descent from Chäserrugg, one of the longer runs here at close to 8 kilometres, passing through Stöfeli and Iltios on the way to the valley. Alp Sellamatt and Alt St Johann form a separate side with a forested run down to the village. The steepest pitch is the short Sureboden slope, and a small fun park suits freestylers. Beyond the groomed slopes there are about 2 kilometres of ski routes, so freeriding is limited. A solid choice for relaxed intermediates and families rather than anyone chasing steeps.
The 2025-26 season operates 30 November 2025 to 6 April 2026, closing 12 April for an 18-day maintenance period before summer operations commence 1 May. Typical season length extends late November through mid-April, delivering approximately four and a half months of skiing. Lift operations run 08:30 to 16:30 daily, with earlier 08:15 starts during weekends and holiday periods. The resort benefits from north-facing valley orientation despite its position as Switzerland's most northerly major ski area.
Annual snowfall averages 4.3 metres, with eastern Switzerland's snow belt delivering reliable winter storms throughout the season. Elevation advantage between 900 and 2262 metres ensures snowpack longevity even during marginal periods at lower altitudes. Snowmaking covers 10 kilometres of piste with 24 cannons, concentrating on key runs and valley approaches. Current season data shows 190-centimetre base depth with 185 centimetres accumulated season total, reflecting above-average early-season conditions for the 2025-26 winter.
January through March delivers most consistent powder conditions, whilst spring skiing extends into April with reliable coverage on higher aspects. December and early January suit visitors avoiding peak crowds, though snowpack depth may vary year to year. North-facing slopes preserve powder longer than southern exposures, allowing strategic terrain selection throughout the day. The Chäserrugg massif's varied aspects create microclimates where skiers can follow optimal conditions between sun-warmed southern runs and powder-preserving northern bowls.
Friday night skiing operates 18:30 to 21:30 from late December through February end on the 3-kilometre floodlit Alt St Johann-Sellamatt run. March events include NostalSki vintage equipment races and live music at Espel Pavilion on Saturday afternoons. August brings Federal Day sunrise celebrations with 05:00 first lifts and 23:30 final descents. The traditional Stöfeli alpine service in August features yodelling and alphorn performances at 1662 metres, accessible via special gondola operations.
Daily snow reports at Chäserrugg - Unterwasser (Toggenburg) go back to 2017, 10 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
Chäserrugg – Unterwasser occupies the upper Toggenburg valley in canton St Gallen, eastern Switzerland, between the Säntis massif and the seven-peaked Churfirsten range. Base villages sit at 900 to 911 metres elevation, with Unterwasser and Alt St Johann separated by approximately 300 metres and Wildhaus positioned 1.2 kilometres west. The Thur river drains the valley, which forms part of the broader Obertoggenburg region characterised by working farms and traditional wooden architecture. The easternmost Churfirsten peak, Chäserrugg itself, rises to 2262 metres with dramatic southern cliffs plunging toward Walensee.
Wildhaus lies 5 kilometres from Alt St Johann along the valley floor, connected by PostBus services included with lift passes. Nesslau municipality encompasses both Unterwasser and Alt St Johann within a merged administrative unit created in 2013. The area maintains authentic Toggenburg culture, with Wildhaus notable as reformer Ulrich Zwingli's birthplace in 1484. Traditional mountain restaurants like Berggasthaus Stöfeli and facilities at Iltios serve regional specialities alongside standard mountain fare.
Road access follows Route 16 through the Toggenburg valley from Wattwil, continuing southwest from St Gallen. Driving time from Zurich measures approximately 1 hour 15 minutes covering 95 kilometres via the A1 motorway to Wattwil, then secondary roads through the valley. From Basel, expect 2 hours over 179 kilometres. St Gallen lies roughly one hour northeast, providing the nearest major city access. Free parking operates at Unterwasser valley station.
Zurich Airport sits 90 kilometres distant with 90-minute transfer times by road. St Gallen-Altenrhein Airport lies 20 kilometres from St Gallen city, roughly 50 kilometres from the resort. Train connections reach Nesslau-Neu St Johann station via the S2 service on the Bodensee-Toggenburg railway from St Gallen, with PostBus route 790 continuing to Unterwasser valley station in approximately 10 minutes. Total journey from Zurich by public transport requires roughly 2 hours with changes at Wattwil. The Voralpen-Express offers scenic routing from St Gallen via Rapperswil, though transfers remain necessary for final valley access.
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Rain down low, snow up high, and a snow report full of zeros that mostly means ‘not updated yet’. Utah’s first proper storm of 2026-27 is rolling through the Wasatch, Snowbird’s snow stake is closing in on 10 inches, and Brian Head is five days from opening day. Early November snow rarely looks like much, but it is the layer every November opening date is built on. Here is where it stands.

Halloween weekend brings a wet, windy storm to the Sierra Nevada. Our five-day forecast has Dodge Ridge on top with 19 in, followed by Bear Valley at 15 in and Mammoth Mountain at 12 in, with most of it landing on Saturday. A winter weather advisory covers the Tahoe Basin and Mono County until 7 AM Sunday, gusts could reach 47 mph and the freezing level swings between 4,900 and 8,700 ft, so some bases will see rain. A dry spell follows from Monday.

The Rockies get their first lift-served turns of the season early. Lake Louise opens Sunday 1 November, five days ahead of schedule, after a cold October and round-the-clock work from the snowmaking and mountain crews. Terrain is limited to Juniper Express Chair and Easy Street, with two small terrain parks and the beginner area for lessons. Opening-day tickets are over 60% off, with prices rising as more lifts open. First chair is at 9:30 am under the resort’s new lift hours.

A Tyrolean summit lift that has been carrying guests up the Kitzbüheler Horn since 1955 is on borrowed time. Its licence runs to 2045, but a new inspection rule has made refurbishment uneconomic, so Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel will spend around €15 million on a replacement on the same line. It should hold roughly 100 people and keep running in winds that would stop today’s lift. Building starts in autumn 2027, which makes this winter and next summer the last chances to ride the old one.

Niseko Village is replacing a lift from the early 1980s with an eight-person gondola, Tsugaike gets a six-person chairlift, Madarao joins the Ikon Pass and Togari opens Asia’s first private ski resort. Here’s what is actually new in Japan skiing for 2026/27, plus what is still a year or two away.

Colorado’s early-season dominoes keep falling. Arapahoe Basin opened on Wednesday, Keystone follows on Friday, and now Wolf Creek is joining in on Saturday 31 October, just in time for Halloween. A storm on 23 and 24 October left 20 inches of natural snow in the San Juans, and three lifts will turn from 9:00 am, covering about 30% of the mountain. Expect rocks, unmarked obstacles and open water, but also Local Appreciation lift tickets at $73 for adults.

Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.

Beaver Creek is getting ready for the biggest Birds of Prey ever, and this time it is not leaving the snow to chance. Crews started making snow on 27 October with 16 newly installed automated guns on the lower third of the course, after last December’s warm spell forced a downhill off the schedule. Seven races across two weekends run from 3 to 13 December, the most the course has hosted since its 1997 debut, and the guns start themselves whenever the weather allows.
Live open status isn’t available right now.
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
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Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Snow depth at Chäserrugg - Unterwasser (Toggenburg) is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 1362m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Chäserrugg - Unterwasser (Toggenburg)'s base and summit.
Snowfall and depth figures for Chäserrugg - Unterwasser (Toggenburg) come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 6 lifts, including an aerial tram and a quad chairlift.
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check Chäserrugg - Unterwasser (Toggenburg)'s report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.