 Poster: A snowHead
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Found a reasonable catered deal for 8th Feb. Anyone know the hotel? what's the on-piste skiing like?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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holidayloverxx, can't tell you about the hotel, but Saas Fee will give you a very enjoyable week's skiing, I think - particularly if you ski in the satellite villages as well. You can also get in an day's skiing at Zermatt for a day. I liked SF so much I did a 2nd visit. I di ski off-ppiste quite a bit - even so I think there are more than enough pistes in the area to keep you happy. Lovely place.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi found the same deal for a little later in Jan, really trying to work out if SF is the right place for our mixed ability group.
Doesnt read like there is much off-piste!. I really like the idea off the day in Zermatt.
Cant work out if its expensive to drink!
Out of the resorts I have been to, this one has the most negative views/opinions on the internet.
achilles, its nice to hear such positive things from experienced people
Its really hard to judge all the reviews, both on this site and others.
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achilles, is it easy to get to satellite villages & Zermatt? perhaps by local bus?
taemo, I'm not ready for off-piste just yet  . what are the negative points you;ve read about?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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On here & ifyouski/skiclub people are saying it limited in its skiing, but to be honest from the piste map I cant quite see that. That its a dark and cold resort, and that the snow can be quite hard packed. But to counter that I have read its snow sure and the powder can be great.
Yeah I would be interested to know how easy it is to get over to Zermatt
Cheers
Jamie
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Lots on here about Saas Fee and very mixed reviews. Personally I love it, beautiful village and scenery with 13 peaks of 4000+ surrounding it hence dark midwinter. I think off piste is tricky because of the glacier and large crevasses, the piste skiing is pretty good at about 100km, some complain limited options to get down the mountain but I think there's enough there for an early/mid intermediate, maybe not lots for really keen piste bashers.
The two local satellites are easy access with the local bus but think Zermatt is more like an 1hr 30, someone else will be along to confirm shortly. Over 3m snow on the upper slopes as well at the moment, I'd definitely recommend it 
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I like Saas Fee, but wouldn't return for a full week. I think that a long weekend is the ideal length of time to spend there......although if you do a day in Zermatt, then i guess that would break up the week a bit. They've improved things a bit since I was last there, but as it's a glacier, then there are a fair amount of T-bars. The top is high, and when I went with a school group, a number of the kids struggled with the altitude. Having said that, I do like the place!
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Elizabeth B, Hmm, I wasn;t sure about the full week, we are ok at altitide so no worries there. I'm dithering towards Selva now 
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I like Saas Fee and I skied there in late November last year when they had a good dump of snow. I took my son back there for a half days skiing when travelling from Wengen to Zermatt. It's not a long journey to Zermatt, but I can't recall exactly how long it took us. It wasn't any more than 1hr 30 and could have been a bit less.
I wouldn't go back for a week as I like to ski a bigger area but it's a beautiful resort. There are T-bars on the glacier but you only need to use them to get to the very top runs and they are not much higher than the funicular takes you.
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holidayloverxx, is it run bu Ski Total?
If so, PM Maggi. I'm fairly sure she was there in Jan last year.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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admin, the saas fee thing was with igluski, as is the selva deal. I'm teetering towards Selva, or maybe San Cassiano or Corvara
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I'm off to Saas Fee in 3 weeks (for 7 nights) and really looking forward to it, like hearing the good comments (knew about the smallish size of the ski area before I booked, this holiday is for a little more relaxation so I think I can cope with it:) )
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holidayloverxx, Igluski are not a tour op themselves, they are an agent selling for other tour ops.
That is the one Maggi was in last Jan - Lord Whitnoise and I almost went there but went to Zermatt instead met her and Thumbstruck on the way.
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You know it makes sense.
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holidayloverxx, admin is right. I was there last year! The hotel was very good - no complaints at all, would recommend it. Resort? Well, we're glad we went to Saas Fee but probably wouldn't go again. It is very pretty but the ski area is not extensive. The other Saases nearby are a pain to get to as you have to trek to the bus station at both ends and they are much smaller than Saas Fee anyway. It is a very long way to the top of the glacier but the scenery is absolutely stunning up there. Totally worth the trip! There is enough piste skiing for a week, unless you are the type of person who won't ski the same run twice. It's not the 3 valleys . It was OK, but there seemed quite a bit of walking to do between lifts. We went to Zermatt one day. It broke up the week. By the time you get there, sort yourself out etc, factor in lunch and having to get back for the bus, at, I think, 4.00pm you won't get an awfully long way into the Zermatt system, though. Again, worth doing if you've never been there but a bit pointless if you have.
In a nutshell? I enjoyed it, hotel was great, village picturesque, glacial ice spectacular, ski area adequate. If the price is right, go for it!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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maggi, thanks for that, the price isn;t that right I think. I like the chocolate box setting idea but it sounds like a lot of trashing about. I'm happy skiing the same run several times, but I like to know that I don;t have to. Selva is getting ever closer.....
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Poster: A snowHead
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What sold it for me is we have 1 single traveller coming, and the Hotel Allalin is one of the few that had single rooms within pounds of the per person cost for 2 sharing a double room
That, and the 4 course+salad course meals included
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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eddyr, Be sure to lunch at the Gletschergrotte restaurant which is just off the blue run back to the village. When I was there I lunched there every day apart from one day, when I did the rotating restaurant at the top (also worth doing).
A little bit of advice when skiing to the Gletschergrotte, you will see a sign to the restaurant just after a turn in the piste. Ski halfway down and then get a bit of speed to do the uphill bit. you will then hit a downhill path but don't worry it the goes into an uphill path to the restaurant and you can ski uphill to about 20 metres from the restaurant. Enjoy. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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geepee, Thanks, will certainly look out for it
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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maggi, achilles, Do you remember how you got over to Zermatt from Saas Fee ?
I called the lift office and they said with a 6 day lift pass you can extend it to 1 day in Zermatt for 20chf (paid in saas fee)
but that doesnt include transport over they. Apparently the tourist office runs a a daily bus service, but I can get in touch with
them to find out more.
Many thanks
Taemo
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taemo, we did this last week. You need to go to the Alpin Express lift pass office and buy an upgrade to your fixed 6-day lift pass. They will issue you with a voucher and charge you CHF20. Then you go to Imseng Travel Agency which is on the main street from the village square to the nursery slopes and you book you seat on their bus to Zermatt. This leaves from in front of the Post Office and you go either 0800-1600 or 1000-1800 - we chose the earlier times. The cost for this part is CHF40.
The journey usually takes about 1 hour or a little less.
The bus will take you to Spiss which is on the edge of Zermatt. From here you can walk down to Sunegga or along the main street to the Gornergrat. Alternatively you can take a bus either to Sunegga or the Klein Matterhorn lifts. You need to present your Saas-Fee lift pass and your voucher at the ticket office where they will upgrade your lift pass and issue you with a receipt. Your lift pass (not the receipt) will then work for the day in Zermatt.
Make sure you are back at Spiss by the departure time. If you are late the driver will be very upset because he either has to be back in Zermatt for the 1800 return journey or it is already late and he wants to be home.
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Derek Jackson, Thanks a million Derek.
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Derek Jackson, Sounds a lot of effort!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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eddyr, if you want to go to Zermatt for the day then this is the best way. It takes about 2 hours each way on public transport. I have done the trip this way several times over the years and some trips have been better than others. Personally, I am not a Zermatt person, but I have to acknowledge the views of the Matterhorn are magnificent. The skiing is also very different to Saas-Fee - much more extensive of course (although there is only so much you can do in a day) and in my view rather more flattering for an ageing intermediate, but so many of the runs there seem to be based on tracks running around the mountains and these really don't do anything for me.
I think the answer is that if you are in Saas-Fee and you fancy a day in Zermatt then give it a go. Otherwise, either go to Zermatt for a week (unlikely for me) or stick to Saas-Fee.
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Derek Jackson, Thanks- my brother will be in ski school in the mornings so unlikely we'll abandon him for a day, I'm not much a traveller at the best of times to be fair.
Would certainly like to see the Matterhorn but perhaps it can wait a little while, build up to it
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FAQ
it was fine, really 
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