Poster: A snowHead
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Off to Saas Fee in first week of April (school hols). Can't wait. Will be skiing with our 5 year old daughter who is happy on blues but hasn't tried a red yet.
I know this is a big ask, but can anyone suggest suitable runs that don't involve lots of T-bars. I know most of the mountain has T-bars because of glacier, but I am hoping there are one or two long routes we can use from the gondola or cable car too.
Will the runs to resort still be complete/open in April? I know it is high, but that is pretty late in season.
Many thanks as always for any help.
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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, Saas can be open down to mid station in April weather depending. Most of the lifts below the Funicular railway are chairs, only right at the top do you have a situation where it is drag lift only.
Evertying betwen the top of the Alpin express and mid station is chairs and Cable cars
So if the conditions are good it wont be an issue. If only the Glacier at the top is open its Drags all the way
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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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Hmmm.. this may not be what you want to hear, but by far the best run for a 5 year old in Saas Fee is the Feechatz/Langfluh run, which is served by an extremely long T-Bar! Having said that, people complain about that lift but it's quite gentle, just rather long. The run itself is a dream for family skiing - long, smooth and pretty much flat. Who knows - your five year old may impress you with her T-bar skills! The T-bars above this lift (ie the glacier lifts) are a different proposition, very steep and unpleasant (IMO). You can access the Langfluh/Feechatz lift by gondola then cable car.
I think the top section of the Alpin express gondola can be accessed from the middle station, which should open top of Funicular to Morenia for you. There seems to be a lot of snowmaking in Saas Fee, so I'd imagine this would be open in April, though I could be wrong - I've only been there early season! One word of warning though - I'd suggest scoping out the run from the top of the funicular down to the glacier before committing your daughter to it. I found it terrifying (narrow with steep drops and loads of people) and I consider myself to be a reasonably good skier. Your daughter may triumph over me on this run, of course. According to the map there's an easier way down on a blue, but it wasn't immediately apparent to me.
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Yes, take the two sections of the Alpin Express and walk through the tunnel towards the Metro. Just before you reach the entrance gates to the Metro, turn right then left and follow the tunnel which has two paths separated by a screen. There is a track at the end of the tunnel. Ski down the track which curves round nearly 180 degrees. Where it widens, you can fork left or right. To begin with, fork left and this will bring you down to the main run across the top of the Fee glacier. Turn right. When you pass the top of the 6 man chair keep well right and follow the track past the top of the T-bar up from Morenia. Be careful, there is a crossing just before the T-bar. Follow the track to the top of the piste to the left of the T-bar (looking up from Morenia) and enjoy the ski down to Morenia. You can get back on the cable car from the entrance on the right (looking down) and walk through to the second section of the Alpin Express. Repeat as may times as you wish. This is all blue. When finished catch the cable car down (do not depart from this advice unless very confident on reds!).
Alternative approach is to take the Felskinn cablecar, walk across the snowy divide and back into the second building and follow the tunnel. This time keep straight on instead of bearing left to the Metro.
Variations after building up confidence.
1. Instead of bearing left at the fork, bear right. There is a short somewhat steeper slope (graded red) which brings you down (at the crossing mentioned above) to the track close to the top of the T-bar up from Morenia. We often use this as a warm-up run.
2. Instead of following the piste straight down to Morenia, bear right and explore the terrain park. There is no need to try it out, just watch.
3. Instead of bearing right above the top of the T-bar, go straight across. It is a little steeper at the top (graded red) but then takes you down to the left hand side of Morenia. Walk past the restaurant to the cable car.
Once you have tried these, you need to be a little more adventurous.
Looking down from Morenia, there are two choices (both graded red). You can take the right hand side down 200 m or so. There is a button lift rather than a T-bar. At the top of the button lift turn right and follow the route back to Morenia (across the bottom of the terrain park). If you turn left there is a pleasant blue run _except_ for the last few metres which are a bit steeper. If you come down this blue you will need to repeat the button lift and turn right at the top to return to Morenia and a supply of warming hot chocolate.
If you take the left hand side down from Morenia, after about 200m there is a track on the left which leads to the 6 man chair which you should take. From the top there are several choices. Bear right and with a little bit of uphill you can gain the track past the top of the T-bar. Bear more gently right and there is a steepish but short red down to the red leading to Morenia. Bear left and there is another red with a couple of steeper sections leading back to Morenia. From this red you can bear left and follow the piste back to the bottom of the 6 man chair (red again).
Will the runs be complete at the beginning of April - absolutely - the season doesn't end until the end of April. We will be there over Easter and we wouldn't be going if we thought there was any risk of there being a lack of snow.
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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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Fattes13, Draybs74, Derek Jackson, thanks for all the useful info. Pleased to hear that there are plenty choices on the mountain for us. Derek Jackson, where are you staying Easter? We are at Hotel Elite that week.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lorenzo PM sent.
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