REP RESORT REPORT
Saas-Fee, Switzerland
Vital statistics
1800m – 3573m; 100km of pistes (150km including Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell); six-day
Ski Club Rep Kenny MacAllister wasn’t familiar with Saas-Fee until he qualified as a Ski Club Rep and hosted Members during a trip there in 2019. He subsequently Repped at the Swiss resort in 2020, and here he explains why it’s among his favourite places to ski.
Saas-Fee is probably one of the most underrated ski areas in Europe: despite its elevation delivering a variety of accessible and snow-sure terrain, some of it open year-round, the slopes are virtually guaranteed to be quiet. It also boasts a picturesque village, whose winding, car-free streets are flanked by ancient chalets and (inhabited) cowsheds and dwarfed by 13 4000m peaks, including the 4545m-high Dom.
Saas-Fee is perfect for social group skiing, with the Alpin Express base lift station making for an easy rendezvous point and opening up a range of options to pursue, taking advantage of the weather and snow conditions on the day.
Access to two satellite areas, Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell, gives the opportunity for a Saas-Ronda adventure, with access to some lower elevation tree lined runs for part of the day at Saas-Almagell in addition to some spectacular glaciated pistes at Saas-Grund. The lowest elevation area, Saas-Almagell can be accessed on skis from Saas-Fee (snow permitting), while Saas-Grund is typically accessed by bus from Saas-Fee, unless engaging the services of a mountain guide, who can ensure your safe passage from the Britannia hut above Saas-Fee.
“Saas-Fee is perfect for social group skiing”
When making the Saas-Ronda tour from Saas-Fee, head to Saas-Almagel and enjoy a morning coffee at the inviting Heidbodme restaurant at the top of the chair of the same name. Then, after a few runs through the tree-lined pistes of Saas-Almagel, take the 15-minute bus journey to Saas-Grund to experience some great itineraries and beautiful scenery. The public bus returning to Saas-Fee runs frequently and takes about 20 minutes. You can start or end the day with a few runs in Saas-Fee, making it a true Saas-Ronda.
On a powder day, you may wish to stay in Saas-Fee to take advantage of the off-piste itineraries from Langfluh. It is, however, essential to ski with a guide when venturing off-piste away from these itineraries, given the crevasse-ridden nature of the Fee glacier. And also take time to enjoy some of the mountain restaurants in this brilliant mountain environment. Favorites include the rustic Gletschergrotte restaurant, set just off the piste below Speilboden and the self-service restaurant at Morania, which is ideal for a quick stop and makes for a well-located rendezvous point on the mountain. By all means admire the 360° mountain views from the world’s highest revolving restaurant at the top of the Allalin cable car but you will pay through the nose for a mediocre coffee, so I’d advise saving your Francs for drinks at the small, atmospheric PubWise après-ski bar in the centre of town.
MEET THE REP…with Kenny MacAllister
I started skiing at the age of 12, thanks to two long-suffering school staff members taking us to Glenshee and Glencoe at weekends in the school minibus, often staying at the youth hostel at Glenisla. I continued skiing through university with the club and race team there, and also through my weekend work with Activity Travel and the Badenoch Ski School.
After finishing university, I worked in Méribel for a winter and skied virtually every day of the season. I met my wife there, who is now also a Ski Club Rep, and skiing has been part of our lives ever since. Our children are also avid skiers: our son is a ski instructor in Tignes with Ultimate Snow Sports during Alpine winters and with Treble Cone ski school in New Zealand during southern hemisphere winters. Our daughter is also a recently qualified Ski Club Rep.
With retirement from international duties as an exploration geophysicist on the horizon, I considered it timely to become a Ski Club Leader/Rep in 2017 and share my passion for the mountain environment. I have been skiing exclusively on telemark equipment since 1990, focussing on ski touring in more recent years, and have enjoyed several Mountain Tracks hut-to-hut tours. I attended the Club’s Leaders course to broaden my engagement with a wide range of skiing and skiers, and once again become actively involved in the ski scene through the Club.
Since qualifying as a Leader/Rep, I have accompanied groups on several Freshtracks holidays and acted as resort Rep in Zermatt and Saas-Fee. I have had some truly great experiences, meeting and skiing with a diverse and interesting group of Ski Club Members. What a fantastic and amazing Club this is!