Magazine summer 2022

Adventure
ON TO NEW SPHERES
Via Ferrata Britannia – host Dario Andenmatten and his
team expanded the offer at the Britannia Hut last early summer:
the new Via Ferrata leads up to the ridge of Hinter Allalin at difficulty
levels K-3 (fairly difficult) to K-4 (difficult). The entrance is
only a few minutes’ walk below the Britannia Hut, which
can be reached from the Felskinn mountain station in less
than an hour via a hiking trail. The Via Ferrata is extremely
varied. After completing roughly two-thirds of the route, the
rock forms a small platform: ideal for taking a breather and
enjoying the spectacular view down to the turquoise waters
of Lake Mattmark. This is followed by the most spectacular
part high up on the ridge of the route’s final point at 3,144
metres. The descent leads along a blue-white-marked trail
down to the Hohlaub glacier and back to the Britannia Hut.
Even in high summer, you have to expect to cross snowfields
on this trail. If you are early, you can also tackle the Glacier
Trail, which is also marked in blue and white, after the approximately
two-and-a-half-hour tour. This leads you over both the
Hohlaub and Allalin glaciers. The hike ends at the Mattmark
Dam and takes about three hours.
A TIMEOUT IN THE ICE AGE
Längfluh Glacier Experience Tour – nowhere else in the Alps
do you find yourself in the harsh world of ice as quickly as on
Längfluh. In just a few minutes, and together with the mountain
guide, you leave the gondola lift station behind you and
trudge along the rope across the expanse of the Fee glacier.
The séracs are stacked as high as a house here. They occur
because the glacier is constantly in motion. The ice pushes
up to 20 centimetres down the valley – and thus constantly
changes the landscape. During the three- to four-hour tour, the
mountain guides – who are familiar with the area – tell you
how the face of the mountains changes. Equipped with crampons,
climbing harness and poles, the tour leads over glacial
ice that is thousands of years old. This tour is also perfectly
suitable for people without alpine experience – and is sure to
leave no one out in the cold, so to speak.
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Glacier Experience Tour Längfluh
saas-fee.ch/gletscher-erlebnistour
Via Ferrata Britannia
saas-fee.ch/klettersteige
ALLALIN AND WEISSMIES:
YOUR ENTRY
INTO ALPINISM
WHATEVER THE WEATHER,
THERE’S SOMETHING HERE
FOR EVERYONE
Bouldering in the Saas Valley – to offer budding climbing fans
and those who are just discovering their passion a bad-weather
option, active climbers from the region have set up a bouldering
cellar in Saas-Grund. With a usable climbing area of
around 120 square metres, it is available to all climbing enthusiasts
every day.
A group of enthusiastic climbers has discovered countless
boulders and ledges in the Saas Valley that are perfect
for bouldering. Unlike classic climbing, a climbing harness
and rope are not required here. A mattress for a soft landing is
all that is needed.
Bouldering in the Saas Valley
saas-fee.ch/bouldern
The Allalinhorn is the Saas-Fee’s local mountain. The glaciated
giant is considered the easiest 4,000-metre peak
in the Alps when climbed via the normal route. With a
mountain guide and the right equipment, the 500 metres
in altitude from the top station of the Metro Alpin
are doable even for people without alpine experience.
Prerequisites are sure-footedness and fitness for four hours of
high alpine hiking. You should also bring a healthy portion of
respect for the mountain. The tour to the summit at 4,027 metres
above sea level takes about two hours. An overwhelming
panoramic view of the Alps awaits you at the summit cross.
If you have been bitten by the summit bug after climbing
the Allalinhorn, you should definitely try the Weissmies.
The tour to the 4,017-metre high local mountain of Saas-Grund
takes around five hours, which is somewhat longer than
the tour to the Allalinhorn. The starting point is the Hohsaas
mountain station. An alternative comes in the form of a twoday
tour from the Almagellerhütte.
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Information and booking
saas-fee.ch/meinersterviertausender
You want to fly high? The mountain
guides of the Saas Valley are always at
your disposal and provide adventure in
the high mountains. Let our guides lead
you safely into the alpine world of the
Saas Valley. saas-fee.ch/bergfuehrer
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