Destination Adventure
Saas-Fee/Saastal
The Saas-Fee/Saastal region is an exceptional location. Here the road ends and the adventure begins in a mountain world of glaciers and four-thousanders. You are not there yet in heaven, but you have come a long way.
It’s snowing. And not by much, either. Views and sounds are lost among the thick flakes. With a pair of wide allmountain skis on my shoulder, I walk through the car-free village of Saas-Fee at an altitude of 1,800 meters. Occasionally an electric cart passes by to deliver an order. Or one with hotel guests being taken to the elevator.
Of course, the upper elevators are closed in these conditions. But even the middle stations are unreachable. Too much snow, too much wind. Too dangerous. One gondola does go. To Plattjen at 2,570 meters altitude and that will be a surprisingly fantastic morning, as another surprise awaits this afternoon.
At the summit, a brief search for a sheltered spot to set up gear. And then down. Initially still with little visibility, but once among the trees the fun begins. There I see again how the terrain goes, where the bumps are, the turns, the rocks and – not insignificantly – the precipice.
The gift of the morning: all that fresh snow! Glad I have the wide skis under. They keep me from sinking too deep and allow me to make my powder turns without excessive effort. The first and second downhill still as much as possible on relatively easy slopes to get the right feel, then steeper.
Any plans I had for the Mittelallalin at 3,500 meters or the Längfluh at 2,870 meters were forgotten. It is here and now. And it’s beautiful. Search for beautiful lines on slopes that are untouched. Apparently, many skiers have been discouraged by the lack of visibility in the village. Or through webcam images.
Conditions are ideal for a morning of great skiing. Not at enormous heights or over endless slopes, but very close to nature. Several times it goes right through the forest, in places where it is allowed and the wildlife is not disturbed. Sometimes thick clouds of snow blow from the tree branches, immersing you in white from head to toe.
Skiing, drinking coffee, warming up, skiing, lunching, and when finally even Plattjen’s sight disappears, it’s time for another surprise.
So not much later, mountain guide Mark walks ahead of me through the village. Climbing harness on, helmet on. Ok, stop. Just acclimating. Climbing is what you do in the summer, right? Usually yes, only in Saas-Fee they have come up with something great for winter: the Gorge Alpine, a descent through a gorge, a hidden world of snow and ice.
At a chapel on the outskirts of Saas-Fee, we find our starting point: a plateau and a cable stretched across the gorge. Mark hooks our carabiners to the cable so we are secured and steers across a zip line to the other side. A good start! Left and right the ice, above me the snowy trees and at the bottom a stream flowing valiantly.
First, I need all my attention to move forward over the frozen ledges and ladders. This feels different from a canyoneering trip in the summer. The gloves, the rocks, the iron. Everything is a little smoother and less predictable. Moreover, an occasional icy draft blows through the gorge. But once accustomed to the winter conditions, there is more and more room to take in the surroundings: rocks cut into round shapes over the centuries, walls of different colors, trees growing in the most impossible places and a wondrous mix of ice and flowing glacial water.
Along the way there are ladders, suspension bridges and a swing that sways me to the other side of the gorge. When I end up in a cave after a long zip line, for a moment I think it can’t get any more beautiful, but once at the top it turns out there is another encore waiting: a ladder bridge floating above the abyss. In the middle hangs a rope with which I descend to the bottom as well as the exit of the gorge.
When we are down in Saas-Grund, I remember the story of Pastor Johann Josef Imseng, the tourism pioneer of the Saas Valley. He was reportedly the first Swiss on skis. The cleric found it a convenient way to get around faster in winter. In addition to being a pastor, Imseng was a hotelier, mountain guide and visionary. He opened the region’s first hotel in Saas-Grund in 1856.
Tourism began down there in the 19th century. Logical, because Saas-Fee, a settlement of small farmers, was too high and isolated. When the first guests took the awkward accessibility for granted and went up to get a closer look at the mountain world, the farmers thought it was a little crazy. They themselves mostly respected and feared the glaciers and peaks.
Thus, when the paved road from Saas-Grund to Saas-Fee was constructed in 1951, it was already decided to keep the mountain village car-free
Finally, the first hotel was built in Saas-Fee in 1881. Then more followed, and now the situation has been completely reversed. Upper Saas-Fee is the best known and has the most hotel beds, followed by Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell below.
Pastor Imseng’s pioneering spirit has always remained in the region. Thus, when the paved road from Saas-Grund to Saas-Fee was built in 1951, it was already decided to keep the mountain village car-free. Long before any discussion of sustainability and the environment. Those who come by car put it in a parking lot at the beginning of the village. From the first night’s stay, guests at almost all accommodations receive the SaastalCard that allows them to use public transportation in the region free of charge.
When evening falls and the elevators are at a standstill, it’s great walking through Saas-Fee. The clouds have partly disappeared, the first stars are showing and the highest glaciers are gleaming in the moonlight. Throughout the valley there is a wide choice of restaurants. From traditional to international and modern. Glass of wine from Valais with it. Nothing more to do.
The pleasant news buzzes through the streets in the morning. The elevators to 3,000 meters elevation are open. Ok, that leaves the absolute top of the Mittelallalin still out of reach but we will soon be skiing on and next to glaciers, of which there are more than twenty in the entire Saastal valley.
A helicopter flies under the peaks of the Dom (Switzerland’s highest mountain at 4,545 meters), Täschhorn, Alphubel and Feechopf. Explosives are being thrown down that cause avalanches so they will not come down uncontrolled later when people are on the road. Precaution, in other words.
So much fresh snow, so much visibility, such perfect slopes
What a powerful day. As soon as the first elevators start moving, things go wild. So much fresh snow, so much visibility, such perfect slopes. There is an upbeat positive mood. Getting mileage, enjoying the view, tightening up the turns or just leisurely drifting.oeH
Above Saas-Fee itself, there is over 100 kilometers of descent. In addition, you will find another 35 kilometers in Grund, 15 kilometers in Almagell and 1 kilometer of runs in Saas-Balen. Over 150 kilometers in all. And thanks to the SaastalCard, all can be reached by bus for free.
Then the Metro Alpin to the Mittelallalin also opens, the highest underground cog railway in the world. Straight through the rocks to the summit at 3,500 meters. While the wind below has all but disappeared, it is still storming briskly above. No hand in front of eyes. Backwards we shuffle to the starting point for the descent. I don’t know if I found the right track, but there are poles and numbers. Do then.
As soon as I got out from under the summit, the wind disappeared and the mountain world opened up. Skiing on and along the Feeglacier. The fresh snow made it a beautiful work of art. The virgin white on top and the blue of the ice visible in the wide and deep crevasses. Descending from the summit in one go to Saas-Fee, I have 1,800 altimeters in my legs. There are few ski areas in all the world where that is possible.
I am just in time for the last elevator up. What luck. After me, the gate closes. A strong wind is still blowing upstairs, but the storm has died down. A nice even carpet leads me down between the glacier crevasses. The setting sun gives not only the mountain peaks but even the glaciers a soft orange glow.
Speed I no longer need to make. The elevators are closed. All the time to admire the world of snow and ice. Relaxed descent. 1,800 altimeters long!
The setting sun gives not only the mountain peaks but even the glaciers a soft orange glow
On the roof
of Europe
Experience the mountains
The Saastal is a perfect location to discover the winter mountain world in all its beauty. From sunrise skiing at 3,500 meters to a fondue evening in the gondola and from a spirited tour skiing trip to a four-thousander to winter canyoneering through a stiffly frozen gorge. A matter of choosing and opening all your senses wide.