Hiking in Switzerland – Gabrielle and Urs: Saas Fee

August 15, 2016

Two-Day Vacation in the Popular Saas Valley - Part 2

Monday August 15, 2016 -- On August 14th (photos HERE) we hiked five hours (14 km) on a popular high trail in Canton Valais, from the "fork" of the Saas and Matter Valleys (the latter ends at the Matterhorn) all the way to the back of the Saas Valley, where we overnighted in a pleasant hotel with a very fancy breakfast buffet.

As this is mainly a ski area, and the summers are rather quiet, the tourist bureau offers special passes for anyone overnighting here, that you can ride the cable cars for free! Since there were plenty to choose from, we decided to ride two of them the next day before heading home:

First up to an altitude of almost 3000m right into the snow where there is a popular glacier trail that is easy to navigate (we had time only to walk on it a few meters) to the viewing platform called Felskinn, from which the Swiss, not satisfied with their awesome cable car construction, decided they needed to tunnel a metro through solid mountain up to another revolving restaurant at 3457 m!

From there we headed back down into the valley for a ride up to over 3000m altitude where you supposedly can view the peaks of 18 mountains over 4000 meters! Except the clouds had moved in and the peaks were missing, but it was impressive just the same.

So it's a plan to return some other time when the sky is clear, and it can only get better! Maybe we'll ride the metro next time (that one's NOT free!)

Our wonderful hotel in Saas Fee, on the outskirts of this ski village.

Sitting on my balcony and admiring Mount Allalinhorn, where we are heading up after breakfast.

Heading up to Mount Allalinhorn, to a viewing platform at just about 3000m altitude.

The peak on the left is Mount Allalinhorn, it is just over 4000m. We are surrounded by several 4000+, including the highest mountain that is fully on Swiss territory, the DOM, which is to my right.

Glaciers and more glaciers, never cease to fascinate me.

First cable-car ride is to the viewing platform at Felskinn, 2991m altitude. (there is also a restaurant here). Later we headed back to Saas Grund and took another cable-car to Hohsaas.

First ride with the Alpin Express Cable car to the viewing platform at 2991 meters below Mount Allalinhorn. Below is the village of Saas Fee.

The Swiss are extreme builders, giving access to rock and ice with their fantastic engineering feats.

This is the approach to the viewing platform.

This is a year-round skiing area, and there are still many ski fans up here, mid-summer.

Felskinn viewing platform (2991m) in the Saas Valley.

Heading out a few meters onto the Fee glacier trail. No time for a hike today, we have to ride cable cars for free.

A short walk on the glacier

A short walk on the glacier. You can keep going all the way to the Swiss Alpine Hostel Brittaniahütte.

Back down in Saas Fee, we can see where we will head next, up to Hoh Saas, but the clouds are moving in.

First cable car ride from Saas Fee to Felskinn (2991m), the second from Saas Grund to Hoh Saas (3145m). The DOM peak is the highest mountain that is 100% on Swiss territory.

From our second cable car, we look into the Saas Valley to Saas Grund below, and Saas Fee on the upper plateau.

Hoh Saas Cable Car

Middle Station on the way to the top, Hoh Saas Cable Car.

This is simply breathtaking.

Heading up higher from the middle station to Hoh Saas, from which we should be able to see 18 peaks over 4000m.

How cool is it to be able to get up here without doing any work at all....

You can walk down to that little glacier lake.

Somewhere in those clouds are 18 peaks over 4000 meters, and way behind them the Mont Blanc.

It was nice when the sun was out, but the clouds moved in quickly and then it was COLD!

To the North, beautiful glacier moraines, where a glacier also once resided and has now retreated.

One more look at the beautiful Mount Allalinhorn with the subway to the revolving restaurant, up on that white saddle somewhere.

As we descend, we get another view of where we walked the day before, looking North along the Saas Valley.

August 14, 2016

Two-Day Vacation in the Popular Saas Valley - Part 1

Sunday August 14, 2016 -- Canton Valais in the Southwestern Part of Switzerland (near Lake Geneva) seems to have more sunny days, so with a decent weekend in the forecast (and a holiday on Monday) we headed back there, not far from where we had been a couple of weeks earlier. In fact, just two valleys over. But this time not an Alpine Hostel, but rather a really nice hotel room with our own bathroom!

There is a popular trail in the Saas Valley called the Gspon High Trail, so this is what we did this weekend. It's a 5-hour, 14 km hike high up above the Saas Valley, starting with a cable car ride up from Stalden (capacity 10 people or 3 people plus their bikes, and on this beautiful Sunday there were at least 30 people and 10 bikes waiting to get up the mountain! So we started 30 minutes later than planned).

The goal of the hike was a ski village in the valley bottom, Saas Grund, from where we took a bus up to the vehicle-free village of Saas Fee. It just started to cloud over and rain when we got there, so no sun-tanning on the balcony, but we were too tired for more than dinner and sleep! (and how lovely and quiet it was!)

Saas Fee sits on a high "plateau" surrounded by the highest mountains in the Swiss Alps, most over 4000m. Mount Dom, at 4545m, is the highest mountain entirely on Swiss soil, and it was right behind the hotel...

Starting in Stalden near Visp (and at the junction to the famous Matter Valley) we took the cable car up to Gspon, and walked 14 km (5 hours) to the back of the Saas Valley.

Two weeks ago we hiked the high trail in the Turtmann Valley, on the other side of the Augsbord Pass

The quaint little mountain village called Gspon is the start of our 14 km high trail hike.

This view is looking North to the village of Gspon and into the Rhone Valley.

The slate-tile roofs are very typical for this area of the Canton Valais.

Our favourite adorable sheep, Valais Black-Noses, although they are all hiding their noses.

Strewn high above the valley floor are small groups of homes, most of which you can only reach on foot.

Often we have to pass sections where there had been large landslides decades ago. Due to more slide danger, you are not supposed to stop along these stretches (like for picnics).

View NorthWest into the Saas and Matter Valleys.

View South into the Saas Valley. The highest peak is Mount Allalinhorn, a popular summer ski area. Saas Fee is just below that.

Mount Allalinhorn, 4027m, and the peak I got to see as I lay in bed in my hotel room that night!

Usually if we do hikes of more than 3 hours, I take a little nap along the way (after a picnic lunch, of course)

Continuing along the Gspon High Trail.

More rock-strewn passages.

These mountains to the West of us are under 4000m, but their peaks are magnificent.

First view of Saas Grund at the valley bottom, our destination before heading up to Saas Fee by bus.

There is nothing quite like walking a high trail and looking down into the steep valley.

Mount Allalinhorn in the center, and to the right is Mount Dom, the highest mountain totally located in Switzerland (about 4500m)

Sometimes they run out of poles for the trail markers?

I am Swiss! And how lucky I am to see so many beautiful places in Switzerland.

From now on it's all downhill to Saas-Grund.

Another pretty cluster of typical Valais mountain homes.

Last stop to admire Mount Allalinhorn before the final 30 minutes to the valley bottom.

Finally in Saas-Fee, a motor-vehicle-free village. Near our hotel was this cute restaurant where we had a very tasty meal.

Our Hotel for the night in Saas-Fee. They gave us a great South-facing room with a balcony and a view to Mount Allalinhorn. Only the weather could have been better.