High jinks at Swiss resort of Saas-Fee

Aug 31 2008 Sunday Sun

CATHERINE VONLEDEBUR and son Jude search for high adventure in an Alpine village.

MY seven-year-old son and I flew to Geneva airport for a four-day summer adventure in the family-friendly Swiss resort of Saas-Fee.

For any thrill-seeking young Indiana Jones, this is the real deal . . . skiing on a glacier, zip-wiring across an Alpine gorge, swinging Tarzan-style in trees, and bobsleighing.

Our adventure began with a two-hour train ride to Visp and a one-hour coach trip to Saas-Fee past some of the most spectacular scenery in the world . . . Lake Geneva, Swiss vineyards and the Alps.

The coach winds around hair-raising bends high into the mountains before it arrives at Sass-Fee, a stunning car-free glacier village.

It is dotted with 400-year-old traditional wooden houses and grain barns, and 56 Swiss chalet-style hotels, which accommodate up to 7700 guests.

The village nestles in a valley below the highest Swiss mountain range, the Mischabel group. Here, there are activities for children of all ages, from baking sessions at the Bread Museum to feeding marmots on Hannig mountain, mountain climbing, circus school and summer skiing.

At Saas-Fee you can enjoy the unusual experience of summer snowboarding or skiing from July 5 onwards, and a ski pass for children up to nine is free.

Late teen and twentysomething snowboarders slide off the slopes straight into apres ski cafe bars such as Popcorn.

We stayed at the cosy Hotel La Collina, a small, friendly hotel on split-levels, with three floors and its own leisure club, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. My son Jude and I shared a twin ensuite room with a fabulous view from our balcony overlooking the mountains.

Three-course evening meals with wine or soft drinks are included six nights per week, with a vegetarian option and, at 4pm, afternoon tea and cakes are served.

We were up bright and early on our first morning to get ski hire equipment fitted in the village. A one-day lift pass costs £32 for adults, £19 for children over nine.

Taking the Alpin Express and underground funicular, Metro Alpin, we ascended 2.2 miles to the summer ski area.

Until we arrived at a cable car station I was absolutely fine, having been under the impression that we were travelling all the way to the top via alpine railway.

Palms sweating and face drained of colour, it was one of the most agonising 10 minutes of my life . . . I was relieved to get to the mountain top, where the altitude literally takes your breath away.

Saas-Fee’s glacier offers 12 miles of varied pistes, as well as a half pipe and “boardercross” area for free-riding snowboarders.

The area is notoriously sunny, but we must have brought the English weather with us . . . not only did it rain, but we also had thunder and lightning.

It was so bad that they had to close the piste on the first day of opening and bring back stray skiers on snow ploughs.

We took refuge in the world’s highest revolving restaurant, Drehrestaurant Allalin, eating spaghetti and apple strudel with 360 degree panoramic views . . . of stormy black clouds! Apparently, when visibility is good, you can see Milan. Next door to the restaurant is the world’s biggest ice grotto, where you climb down 100 or so steps into a huge underground ice palace with Pingo-esque igloo, Disney ice sculptures, a children’s slide and even a chapel where couples can marry.

On the way down, the cable car stopped in mid-air twice . . . swinging slowly from side-to-side. Thank God it was foggy.

The next day, we set off on a village tour with our friendly German guide and had a swim and game of ping pong at the resort’s newly-refurbished leisure club, which has a 25m pool with fountains and wave machines, sauna, steam room, indoor tennis and badminton.

Later, more adventure was in store for Jude . . . the Gorge Alpine, a rugged gorge between Saas-Fee and neighbouring Saas-Grund. Mountain guides assist you across using cable pulleys, ladders and cables, for £55 per person.

Jude was able to complete the first task — a zip wire from one side of a 30.5m (100ft) gorge to another — but the rest of the two-hour course was too advanced.

One minute he was absolutely terrified, clinging to the rockface — “I feel like I am going to die!” — the next, he experienced a massive adrenaline rush . . . “I did it!”

As a parent, it was nailbiting to watch . . . particularly if you suffer from vertigo.

Before we left to catch our flight the following day, we ended our adventure break with one final thrill . . . a rollercoaster ride on the Feeblitz, a 900m (984- yd) winter and summer toboggan run, with speeds up to 40kph.

Switzerland is still the home of tinkling cowbells and cuckoo clocks, and has some of the finest cheese, chocolate and trains in the world.

But if you are looking for an alternative summer holiday action-packed with thrills galore for all the family, snow and a million-dollar view, Saas-Fee has it all.

5 things to do

FEED marmots at the new children’s playground on Hannig Mountain, which also has a 14m (46ft) slide, pygmy goats, pot-bellied pigs and a fairy trail.

VISIT the Adventure Forest . . . adult £13, child £9.

TAKE an exhilarating hike over one of Saas-Fee’s magnificent glaciers. Suitable for all levels. £28 per person.

HAVE lunch in the world’s highest revolving restaurant, Drehrestaurant Allalin, with 360 degree views of the Alps.

TRY the Wine Trail: The Valais is the Napa Valley of Switzerland, £20.

Fact File

CATHERINE AND JUDE were guests of Crystal Lakes. The starting price for a week’s half-board stay at Hotel La Collina is from £480 per adult in August, with a £50 reduction per child aged two to 11 years when sharing a room with one adult. Price includes return flights from Gatwick, transfers, and a daily packed lunch.

FOR more information, visit the website at www.crystalholidays.co.uk or call the 24-hour line for a free brochure on 0871-230 8145. More information at Sass-Fee Tourist Board, www.saas-fee.ch, or call +4127-958 1858.