Skiing

The first glacier to be used for skiing here was the Längfluh (9,414 feet), accessed by gondola, then cable car. The run is magnificent, sometimes physically demanding, and always varied. From the Längfluh you can take a lift to reach the ski area of Saas-Fee, the Felskinn-Mittelallalin sector (9,840–11,480 feet).

Lifts don't connect with other resorts in the valley—Saas-Almagell, Saas-Balen, or Saas-Grund. Nevertheless, good days of skiing can be found a bus ride away, and hiking trails open in winter and summer link all four valleys. A one-day lift ticket costs 73 SF; a six-day pass costs 365 SF with the Citizens' Pass.

Felskinn-Mittelallalin. Felskinn harbors its own surprise: to preserve the land and landscape, the Valaisans have constructed a subterranean funicular, the Métro Alpin, which climbs through the heart of the mountain to Mittelallalin, that is, halfway up the Allalinhorn (13,210 feet). Tourists debark in a rotating restaurant noted more for the austere grandeur of its natural surroundings than its food. Felskinn-Mittelallalin's exceptional site, its high elevation, 20 km (12½ miles) of runs, and ample facilities (cable car, funicular, and three ski lifts) have made Saas-Fee the number one summer-skiing resort in Switzerland. Saas-Fee, Valais.