Saas Fee, Switzerland
Lying in the next-door valley to Zermatt, SAAS-FEE is often overlooked, mostly because it doesn’t have any train access. However, were it not for the Matterhorn next door, the array of peaks around Saas-Fee would be enough of a draw in themselves: the village is perched on a shelf of pasture at the base of a horseshoe of thirteen 4000m-plus peaks. Oozing out from between them is the giant Feegletscher – or Fairy Glacier – trickling its meltwater down through the village, and active enough in its various sectors to limit what would otherwise be spectacular skiing. The danger of falling down a glacial crevasse if you stray beyond piste-markings is more pronounced in Saas-Fee than in most other resorts.
Saas Fee, every year, plays host to one of the most fantastic world cup of ice climbing events on the circuit. Thousands join the festivities, partaking in an electric climbing experience.
