Walking in the mountains and valleys of Saas-Fee and the wider Saas valley resorts of Saas Grund and Saas Almagell is the highlight of most of our guests' summer family holidays. Just being on a high Alpine path on the side of a mountain surrounded by flowers and fabulous views of glaciers and high peaks is a great experience. Thanks to the lift system even families with young children can get to the heart of the mountains and those looking for longer walks and bigger challenges have every opportunity by taking advantage of Family Ski childcare.

Getting the best out of walking in Saas-Fee

Here are our tips on how to get the best out of the fabulous walking on offer. Whichever you choose remember that you are entering a high Alpine environment for which you need the appropriate skill, knowledge and equipment.

Use the lifts! For CHF 276 (2010) a family including all children can access all the mountain transport in the Saas valley (except the Metro-Alpin) with a six day pass including lifts and the regular and useful buses plying the Saas valley. This is a bargain, much cheaper than buying individual tickets and gives you the freedom of the valley. Depending on your choice of route the lifts remove much of the steep ascent and descent of alpine walking - you can follow contour paths around the valley and saving your legs does make it easier to enjoy the view.

You don't have to go too far At the top of most lifts there is something close by for families to enjoy as well as accessing the walking trails. At Kreuzboden above Saas-Grund for example, there is a relaxation trail next to a beautiful lake and a children's play area with a very absorbing miniature waterway where children can build dams to manage waterflow. Then it is only 10 minutes or so along a choice of two paths: one a wild-flower trail with pictures and explanations of the varied and abundant flowers and the other to a beautiful viewpoint in a remote setting. It is easy for families to combine a little walking with other activities.

Enjoy the wild-life Spring comes late in the high Alps and the good news is that June to late July is the peak time for alpine flowers long after the Spring and early wild flowers in Britain have passed. Even well into August the Alpine pastures are covered in flowers. One reason you don't need to walk too far is that there is plenty to keep young nature enthusiasts entranced with little distance involved. You will see Chamoix, Wild Mountain Goats, Red Squirrrels, Roe Deer and Marmottes and even Golden Eagles if you keep your eyes peeled. Take a pair of binoculars for the bird and animal life. We have made a point of recording the bird and wild-life we have seen on our travels and include a bird list for all our resorts including Saas-Fee in our Nature Guide.

Your Choice of Walks Itineraries range from gentle family strolls to serious high alpine expeditions of 8 hous or more. The paths have helpful signs indicating time in hours to reach destinations. We find the timings pretty generous for adults if you are reasonably fit and maintain a steady pace. However the key is to pick and then plan your route. How far is it, how long will it take and where will we have lunch are key components of good planning. Most important you need to be equipped properly for high Alpine walking if you are going any further than a short stroll, always know the weather forecast and be prepared for unexpected weather which can turn quickly.

The sample routes we have chosen make the best use of the lifts and contour paths to enjoy the scenery - though there is usually plenty of up and down! Our favourite wallks take full advantage of the Saas valley topography, for example it is very worthwhile to take the bus and lift to Kreuzboden or Hohsaas for the magnificent views of the Saas-Fee glacier on the opposite side of the valley. This is much more rewarding than walking underneath the Saas Glacier in our view. You will need the Saas-Fee 1:25,000 Hiking Map which you can buy in Saas-Fee as well as specialised map shops in the UK.

1. Saas-Fee to Saas Almagell - Easy 1.5 hours

This is a very easy walk gently downhill from Saas-Fee to Saas Almagell along a wide track through the forest which is easily done with a child's push chair.There are good views of the Saas valley through the trees and plenty of restaurants and basic shops in Saas Almagell. The way back is made easy by catching the bus back to Saas-Fee, changing at the bottom of the valley in Saas Grund (included in the six day family pass). The walk starts once you have crossed the bridge over the gorge by the Adventure forest trail and then is well-signed and obvious. (You can see the fixed ropes of the Forest Adventure as you cross over the gorge.)

From Saas Almagell you can continue to Mattmark Dam or take the chairlift up to the Almagellerhorn Adventure trail, including a spectacular 60-metre rope bridge across a canyon, timber walkways and passages over rocks and gorges. This certainly adds spice to the walk.

2. Saas-Fee to Mattmark - Medium/Easy 3.5 hours

This walk has the same easy gentle wallk to Saas Almagell, as above and then continues along but just above the valley floor through a fascinating mix of mossy glades, flower meadows and rock gardens. For much of the walk the road below is not visible giving a remote intimate feel even though you are not that far from civilisation. This is a good walk if it is misty on the tops. The last part of the walk is over the road at the head of the Mattmark Dam and the restaurant at the far end of the dam is a welcome refreshment stop. Once again there is an easy return option via the bus which leaves from the restaurant. (Check the timetable by the bus stop.) You can continue further along either shore of the lake if you have time and energy left and then you will find yourself in high alpine rocky meadow with glacial streams and fine views of the lake. (The West side is closest to the bus stop and journey home.)

 

Click on the map to see the numbered walks described on this page.

3. Kreuzboden - Almagelleralp - Saas Almagell Medium 4 hours

This is one of the very best walks in the valley with fabulous views of the the Saas glacier and fine high alpine contour walking. There are some reasonably challenging rock scrambles where the path crosses large boulders but this is on the level and most youngsters will enjoy this part of the walking although the Almagellerhorn Adventure Trail is something to look forward to at the end of he walk. The picture below shows the contour path at the start.

The walk starts from the top of the Kreuzboden lift at 2400 m, taken from Saas Grund. Before starting you will want to walk down a hundred or so meters to the Kreuzbodensee - a small lake which offers the best photographic opportunity in the valley. The photo is in the entrance of La Collina. (Continuing North along this side of the valley on a long but easy and very rewarding route all the way to Gspon and then descending by cable car to Stalden is highly recommended and on our list to try.) However our walk takes us in the opposite direction South and high on the side of the valley toward Saas Almagell. It starts by the lift and at first follows the absorbing flower trail with name plates identifying specialised alpine flowers in their natural habitat.

The route continues high above the Saas Valley to the Triftgratji viewpoint and then to the Hotel Almagelleralp at 2,200m and then on to the hamlet of Furggstalden and over the Almagell Adventure Trail. From here you will probably be ready to save your knees the descent and take the chairlift down to Saas Almagell and the bus back to Saas-Fee.

4. High Alpine: Felskinn - Britannia Hut - Plattjen Difficult 2.5 hours walking

This is a challenging route that starts from the top station at Felskinn above Saas-Fee and takes you straight onto the Fee glacier and then across the Chessjen glacier to the Britannia Hut. This is a challenging and exciting walk where you need to take advice on the condition of the trail especially as you will be walking on ice/hard pack snow over the glaciers - snow shoes and even crampons may be needed in certain conditions. The Brittania Hut is a large but very remote mountain refuge at 3030m which is much used in the winter ski-touring season (it is on the famous Haute Route) and in the summer and provides a good basic restaurant service in an amazing setting.

The route back takes you round the other side of the immense Mittaghorn on a descending contour path to the top of the Plattjen cable car which offers a leg-saving descent back to Saas-Fee. The view over the valley and the Mattmark Dam is breathtaking and returning by a different route adds variety. The way over the Chessen glacier both across to the Britannia Hut and back towards Plattjen is not that obvious as the path goes over large boulders which can leave you guessing at the route if you miss the painted path markers. This is a walk to savour but also one to prepare well for.

The picure is taken from Plattjen looking back in the direction to the Britannia Hut.

Less challenging but very worthwhile is to take the Plattjen cable car and start the contour path towards the Britannia Hut going as far as you please and returning the same way. The path is great fun for adventurous older children as it passes through rock gardens of large boulders which present a scrambling and leaping challenge - be carerful though! Afterwards a walk down a few hundred meters to the good restaurant at Berghaus Plattjen in the direction of Saas-Fee is a good idea. Then you have the option of to carry on walking down to Saas-Fee which is rewarding or taking the much quicker option of a short sharp walk up to the cable car to return to Saas-Fee.

5. Hannig - Mallig Peak - Senggboden - Saas-Fee - Medium/ Difficult 3 hours

This is a dramatic ridge walk with some challenging cliff paths and spectacular views. The Hannig cable car is 10 minutes walk from Family Ski Hotel La Collina. From the top there is a 300m climb taking about 1hr 20min to the summit of Mallig and from there a descending ridge walk on top of the Senggflue mountain heading North East initially and then following the path clockwise in a descent to Senggboden and carrying on down into Saas-Fee. Once you have left the Hannig lift station you will need your own supplies on this challenging yet rewarding route.

Additional Photos © courtesy of PeterOrr Photography