Wispile - Gstaad

The praise is for the mountain right above Gstaad: the gondola from the village is a long, scenic ride, and from the top Wispile is called a sporty hill with punchy descents to the valley. Nursery slopes sit at village level for beginners, and lift queues are essentially unknown. The Berghaus Wispile at the summit has a 360-degree panorama and a play corner, and a toboggan run heads towards Gsteig past inns. Regulars advise the Gstaad Card over a single fare.

Snow cover and choice are the weak points. The middle section has no snowmaking, and there have been spells when the summit slope stayed shut and only two fields in the valley were open; the valley run often carries a very thin cover. A red and a black from the top are effectively the whole menu for a confident skier. Across Gstaad the same complaint recurs: fewer lifts and pistes than before, and not everything marked gets groomed.