resort of Klosters is here, and pretty alpine villages such as Murren, Zermatt and Wengen are commonplace.
The Swiss pride themselves on efficiency and cleanliness. Unfortunately though, at the first village I sampled – Saas Fee – keeping the village picturesque and traffic free has been achieved at the expense of the skiers’ convenience.
Staying at the wrong end of town can lead to a 15min walk to the lift station – and it’s no fun carrying skis in full kit – either that or a £6 cab ride in one of the town’s electric taxis. One thing Saas Fee is crying out for is a free shuttle-bus service.
And the skiing?In good conditions, which the resort tends to get later in the season, skiing here would be a pleasure. In the middle of January, three weeks after the last good fall of snow, it’s a bit more of a challenge.
The saving grace though is its height. The top station – at 3,500 metres – is accessed by Europe’s highest funicular railway, which brings you directly into Europe’s highest restaurant: the Mittelallalin. And if the height isn’t enough to impress, it revolves too.
One of only three revolving restaurants in Europe (all of which are in Switzerland), you can eat well here for under £10, while enjoying fabulous views – try doing that in France. The glacier that carves through Saas Fee allows for a long season. But although there is enough to keep beginner and intermediate skiers happy, experts may find it a little tame, with only one mogul-field separating the quick from the dead.
The same could be said of Crans Montana, about an 1hr and 30mins down the road. But this is no bad thing. Both resorts cater well for intermediate skiers like me, who, admittedly, make up the majority of the market.
Where Crans Montana scores over Saas Fee though is in the user friendly stakes. The base lift is easily accessed by car, the pistes are the widest I’ve ever seen and the view from the mountain over the cloudline is achingly beautiful.
Something that the authorities seem to have grasped well in Crans Montana is that skiing can work up quite a thirst. Fortunately, a number of piste-bound watering holes – known as ice bars – have sprung up over the mountain. No wonder that well known bon-viveur Roger Moore recently moved his winter home here from nearby Gstaad.
I couldn’t get any of the barmen to confirm whether they had shaken a Martini for the erstwhile James Bond, but the waitress at the Bella Lui restaurant where Ihad lunch that day said they had a table reserved in Mr Moore’s name.
Unfortunately he didn’t show, and perhaps my only chance to ski with a septuagenarian action hero eluded me.
Saas Fee is not without its famous visitors though. A week before my visit, Switzerland’s young and eligible daughters were reportedly swooning over Prince William, who had checked into the resort. According to my guide, the rumours were true and apparently he skied better than he danced.
The royals are yet to endorse snowboarding, which Saas Fee caters for in a big way. Not only does it feature the world’s only year-round snowboarding jump, riders can also test their skills on any of the resort’s three half-pipes.
All of which is encouraging for a country well known for staid tradition. Like I said, there’s more to it than cheese.
There is more, much more to Switzerland than cheese. Though at first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Fondue graces just about every menu, and on the few it doesn’t, raclette abounds.
But of course, this diverse country has something slightly more important to offer than dairy products, not least a fair few alps.
Switzerland has long been a favourite with jet-setting high rollers. The royals’ favourite resort of Klosters is here, and pretty alpine villages such as Murren, Zermatt and Wengen are commonplace.
The Swiss pride themselves on efficiency and cleanliness. Unfortunately though, at the first village I sampled – Saas Fee – keeping the village picturesque and traffic free has been achieved at the expense of the skiers’ convenience.
Staying at the wrong end of town can lead to a 15min walk to the lift station – and it’s no fun carrying skis in full kit – either that or a £6 cab ride in one of the town’s electric taxis. One thing Saas Fee is crying out for is a free shuttle-bus service.
And the skiing?In good conditions, which the resort tends to get later in the season, skiing here would be a pleasure. In the middle of January, three weeks after the last good fall of snow, it’s a bit more of a challenge.
The saving grace though is its height. The top station – at 3,500 metres – is accessed by Europe’s highest funicular railway, which brings you directly into Europe’s highest restaurant: the Mittelallalin. And if the height isn’t enough to impress, it revolves too.
One of only three revolving restaurants in Europe (all of which are in Switzerland), you can eat well here for under £10, while enjoying fabulous views – try doing that in France. The glacier that carves through Saas Fee allows for a long season. But although there is enough to keep beginner and intermediate skiers happy, experts may find it a little tame, with only one mogul-field separating the quick from the dead.
The same could be said of Crans Montana, about an 1hr and 30mins down the road. But this is no bad thing. Both resorts cater well for intermediate skiers like me, who, admittedly, make up the majority of the market.
Where Crans Montana scores over Saas Fee though is in the user friendly stakes. The base lift is easily accessed by car, the pistes are the widest I’ve ever seen and the view from the mountain over the cloudline is achingly beautiful.
Something that the authorities seem to have grasped well in Crans Montana is that skiing can work up quite a thirst. Fortunately, a number of piste-bound watering holes – known as ice bars – have sprung up over the mountain. No wonder that well known bon-viveur Roger Moore recently moved his winter home here from nearby Gstaad.
I couldn’t get any of the barmen to confirm whether they had shaken a Martini for the erstwhile James Bond, but the waitress at the Bella Lui restaurant where Ihad lunch that day said they had a table reserved in Mr Moore’s name.
Unfortunately he didn’t show, and perhaps my only chance to ski with a septuagenarian action hero eluded me.
Saas Fee is not without its famous visitors though. A week before my visit, Switzerland’s young and eligible daughters were reportedly swooning over Prince William, who had checked into the resort. According to my guide, the rumours were true and apparently he skied better than he danced.
The royals are yet to endorse snowboarding, which Saas Fee caters for in a big way. Not only does it feature the world’s only year-round snowboarding jump, riders can also test their skills on any of the resort’s three half-pipes.
All of which is encouraging for a country well known for staid tradition. Like I said, there’s more to it than cheese.
Saas Fee
Description: Saas Fee is a car-free village with a base lift at 1,800 metres.
Pros: long season, great facilities for boarders, pretty village.
Cons: long walks to lifts, few expert pistes.
Sample product: Crystal offers seven nights’ half-board at the Club Hotel La Collina for £415, including flights and transfers.
Crans montana
Description: Crans and Montana are two adjoining villages with a base lift at 1,500 metres, offering three ski areas, Cry d’Err, Violettes and Aminona.
Pros: sunny, often densely wooded slopes, very wide pistes. There is a half-pipe for boarders at Cry d’Err, and a fun-park at Aminona.
Cons: unattractive village, conditions often poor, little in the way of expert terrain.
Sample product: seven-nights’ half-board at the Hotel Curling leads in at £385 with Crystal, including flights and transfers.