This past weekend I kicked off my 41th season as a ski bum in Switzerland. Saas Fee is usually one of the first ski slopes to open with real (not low-angle glacier) skiing. It is on the Magic Pass (the best deal in the Alps), which is typically valid from November 1. However, this year, Saas Fee opened on Halloween on October 31, and the Magic Pass decided to make the pass valid a day early. (I could never imagine that happening in the US). I felt obliged to make the journey across the Alps and descend upon the Promised Land.
Since Saas Fee is a car-free village, you have two options:
1) Drive to the Parkhaus, leave your car and shlep (Mom’s word) 10-15 minutes with all your gear to your accomodations in the village. This option is more expensive between the lodging and the overnight parking CHF15
2) Stay in one of the other towns in the Saastal and take the free bus up each morning. This route is less pricier and more authentico.
I chose the latter.
It is worth mentioning that the ski area offers 1,000+ meters of vertical drop from opening day. This ain’t some WROD ice rink. The lift infrastructure is a funky mix of trams, funitels, chairlifts, surface lifts and the world’s highest funicular.
The pistes that were open were in great shape. The slopes were wide, groomed to perfection and, except for Sunday afternoon, pretty empty.
The views from the ski resort are truly amazing. I don’t think there is another place where you can be so close to glaciers and crevasses. This zone has the highest concentration of 4000-meter peaks in the entire Alps.
PRO TIP: Have lunch at Drehrestaurant Allalin at 3,500 meters, the world’s tallest. A full rotation takes one hour. Bonus points if you take your ski boots off.
Saas Fee is one of the few ski areas to offer summer skiing on the glacier. This summer’s heat wave forced them to close early. Here is a good overview of the upper slopes and surrounding peaks.
All in all, opening weekend exceeded my expectations. Blue skies, great coverage and fairly empty slopes were a good recipe to get the legs moving again.
Swiss perfection and the perfect pour. Prost!