 Poster: A snowHead
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Still planning trip for next year. They say planning is half the fun, but not so sure.
Decided need to go on 3rd April, and thinking of Saas-fee as high altitude with guaranteed snow.
I am competent skier, my wife is happy on red runs, and 5 year old daughter is ready to come with dad on the blues on the mountain.
Some questions.
1. Does the high altitude make any difference to the holiday? Is it something I need to think about?
2. Although I can see blue runs, they seem to be in patches, separated by reds and there seems to be no way to ski back to resort on blues. Will there be enough blue choices on the mountain for self and daughter? She might manage easier reds but can't guarantee that. The uplift for each patch of blues seems to leave from different place, which means it may be tricky to find somewhere suitable to leave skis from one day to next.
3. Daughter has had lots of dry slope lessons and practice. Not sure if she will do ski school, but can anyone recommend good one for kids? My wife will probably go too. We would only want half day lessons though.
4. I have more or less ruled out independent travel to this, although if there was a decent minibus transfer service I would think about it again. I don't like car hire, and there is no station which makes it look too tricky. We would be flying from Scotland, probably to Geneva.
Many thanks again for all the advice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lorenzo, I don't know Saas Fee, but can offer a couple of comments:
1. Saas Fee itself is at 1,800m, not high enough for altitude to cause your daughter any problems. The skiing goes up to 3,600m (according to Google). Sometimes travelling quickly in a lift to a high altitude can give feelings of nausea, dizzyness etc, but if you find this happens to you r your family just avoid the very highest slopes. Beginner slopes on the whole tend to be the lower slopes anyway.
3. Do try and send your daughter to some group ski school lessons if possible - much more fun with other kids!
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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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I have been twice to Saas Fee, in August last year and February this year.
1. Last year was on the glacier and I initially had some altitude sickness (but also wasn't fit enough)
2/3. In February we left our skis/boots overnight in storage in a shop opposite the entrance to the ski school meeting place.
We started off on blues and moved on to reds but I don't know enough about the whole area to tell if there would be adequate
blues for your needs. I do know an instructor (British) who lives there and trains some of the racing teams and could contact him
with your question if you like. We had excellent private lessons with another British instructor from the Swiss Ski School so can't
comment on group lessons.
4. We travelled from Geneva by hire car but apparently you can go by train from there and then by Post Bus direct to the village.
We stayed in the Hotel Elite which is very welcoming and has excellent and plentiful food! The owner will also give advice about
where to ski and I think they are used by Inghams.
Sorry about the layout, not sure what went wrong here!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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1. Not a lot for most. However it is a 1800m - so there may be mild effects for some. More one for the sH docs, this.
2. Saas Fee is generally thought a good resort for beginners. I thought there was good access round the mountain at quite moderate standard- but perhaps other with small children can give you more useful comment.
4. There is a very joined-up linking of the post bus and the Swiss railways to get you to the village. You can buy through tickets at the airport railway station - or travel with a booked in the UK deal (I'd have a look at transfer tickets). Change rail to bus at Brig (or Visp).
Saas Fee is a delightful place.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 18-06-09 12:24; edited 2 times in total
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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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I have only passed through part of the ski area on the way down from a Heli drop when I was in Zermatt. However from what I remember the ski area is fairly narrow and the whole mountain is quite steep from what I could see. Might not be the best for blue skiers. Also lots of glacier so almost no off-piste - but this may not be a factor for you.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lorenzo, the altitude can have an effect for the first couple of days. You just need to avoid exerting yourself too much. After a couple of days you shouldn't notice it at all.
Yes, the true blue runs are in patches, but many of the reds are quite easy. To start, for example, take the Alpin Express up to Felskinn and walk through the tunnel to the piste (bear right just before the entrance to the Metro-Alpin). You can then ski down to Morenia by several routes including straightforward blues and reds, or you could even take a detour through the park. Just below Morenia, on the right as you look down, is a button lift. Its a bit steep for a blue to get there, but the slope is wide. From the top of the button lift you can turn left or right. Left is an easy run, except for the very end back to the button, while right takes you back to Morenia on an almost flat run. You can just about ski down from Morenia on blues, but I would choose to do another run further up and catch the cable car down. As you ski down from Morenia there is a track off to the left which you can follow (watch for the signs) that takes you past the red and you can then take the blue past the Gletschergrotte back to the village. The other main blue run is above Langfluh and is served by a v e r y long T-bar. The run itself is very gentle, but your daughter would need to be confident on the T-bar. There is an easy red down from Langfluh to a 4 man chair. Many of the runs right at the top are quite easy. The track from Allalin can be busy, so you should avoid it with your daughter at the beginning and there is a relatively easy red down to the top of the blue above Langfluh.
There are two ski schools, the Swiss school and Eskimos. Personally I recommend Eskimos - the groups are smaller (and my daughter may be teaching for them in her holidays  ). If your daughter has skied on plastic she should have no difficulty adapting to snow.
Independent travel is easy. You catch the train from Geneva to Visp, walk out of the station to the bus stand and catch the bus to Saas-Fee. This is Switzerland and it all goes like clockwork. You should buy a Swiss Travel Pass which covers the entire journey (and which you need to buy before you leave the UK). You need to pre-book your return journey at least two hours before you leave so they can ensure there are sufficient seats. Look at www.sbb.ch for travel options, travelling from Genf Flughafen to Saas-Fee Busterminal.
We might well be there over Easter.
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snowball, a little OT, but did you drop down form the Italian side of the border?
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I have only passed through part of the ski area on the way down from a Heli drop when I was in Zermatt. However from what I remember the ski area is fairly narrow and the whole mountain is quite steep from what I could see. Might not be the best for blue skiers (but don't take it from me, wait for someone who has stayed there). Also lots of glacier so almost no off-piste without a guide - but this may not be a factor for you.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Is there something up with the forum today? snowball, post is posted twice, and I've been getting eratic / double email notifcations. ANyone else getting this?
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Iski, we were thinking of Hotel Elite too. It is not clear how much of an effort it is to get to slopes from there, particularly as I can't work out which uplift point to use yet. We went to Zell am See last year and vowed that we would stay close to slopes to avoid the trudge. I am rethinking though.....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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| achilles wrote: |
| snowball, a little OT, but did you drop down form the Italian side of the border? |
Oh well, OK it was a long time ago (about 20 years?) and I mostly only looked up at it from the bottom.
I came from the top, which I assumed was the border but may not have been. Arrived down the glacier on the left edge (looking down).
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Lorenzo, I would say that the Elite is about 5 - 10 mins walk from the store near the ski school meeting place where we left our skis overnight. The Alpin Express is about 10 mins, but in February we only used this to come down the mountain sometimes. Otherwise you can get a T bar from the meeting place area and then the cable car up to Felskinn. There is also a button lift and a T bar up to the lower blue runs from this area. I think the Hotel Elite has a room to put your boots in if you want to but the store we used also had heated boot lockers so saved us carrying kit back and forth every day (we booked with them direct by the way).
I agree with achilles, about Saas Fee being a delightful place.
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You know it makes sense.
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geepee, It was good to meet you at Hemel and interesting to read your tips about Gletschergrotte restaurant. We didn't get there but maybe will another time.
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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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The Elite seems to be near the "dead centre" of the village just up a little hill (and very close to the doctor if needed). If heading for the nursery slopes most of the route is an easy walk, if heading up the slopes go for the Alpin Express. You will find many walking the same routes. Can't tell you anything about the hotel.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Check out this place for somewhere to stay. http://www.shangri-la-saas-fee.ch/en/shangrila.html
Its right on the side of the beginners slope. I stayed there last year and really enjoyed it.
The "wellness area" is great. It is made up of a sauna and jacuzzi which you book in hourly slots (no charge) so that only your family will be there during your allocated time.
I really liked the resort, so did my partner who stuck to blue runs only. The only problem with the blue runs is that they are all serviced by button lifts or T bars. The longest T bar ride must be close to 12 minutes long.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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Lorenzo, I can second Iski's recommendation of the food at the Hotel Elite  . Friendly staff and fairly central location.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi, the nursery slope area (called the village) in Saas Fee is very good, and is actually located at the edge of the village with three ski tows. I would go for Eskimo Ski School, but book early as their group classes are small and fill up.
I like Saas Fee as it's traffic free, and guaranteed snow. I go there by public transport; Geneva - train (about every hour) - Visp - bus (outside station) - Saas Fee.
When you book your accomodation make sure it's as close as possible (and what you can afford) to the nursery area for these reasons (1), ski school meets here, (2) its easy to access the mountain lifts from here, (3) a lot of ski apartments are quite a way back down the village or up the side of the mountain, or if unlucky, both. So this can lead to a very long walk every morning or expensive electric taxi ride. There are free electric buses that do a route around the village but I would not rely on these as your method of getting to the ski area as invariably these will be full when you need them, i.e when the lifts open in the morning (8.30) and close (16.30) in the evening. (4) every so often (check out Saas Fee tourist office for dates) in the ski season there is a firework display, torchlight procession,and skiing /snowboarding display put on by all the ski school instructors, All this happens at the nursery area.
It is possible to do a blue run down to the village, but sometimes sections of it are closed off and the alternative route will be a red. Being with your daughter I would get the cable car back down. There is a long blue run up on the glacier but the T bar along side it is very long, and if there is any wind about this area seems to catch it so it can be very cold on the T bar. It's better to get the lift higher up the mountain and link into this blue run on your way down.
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FAQ
They do, however, provide some nice benches once you have reached the top for a rest. 
