Summer in the mountains
Sunday August 30, 2009 - Email this article to a friend

It’s increasing in popularity as resorts make an extra effort to drum up business. So what’s it like in the Alps at the moment? PlanetSKI reports from Saas-Fee.

Life goes by at a different pace in the summer. It’s less frantic, less loud and altogether more relaxing than the winter.

Saas-Fee has had a thriving summer business for years with its climbing and walking, and in recent years though it’s concentrated on expanding its summer programme and attracting a wider mix of people.

“There is a growing importance in the summer market and although we do most of our business in winter here in Saas-Fee, the summer is certainly becoming increasingly important,” says the resort’s marketing manager, Laura Laudi.

Saas-Fee is not alone and many resorts in the Alps are looking at the summer business. In part due to worries about a shrinking winter market. The low resorts may have less visitors in the future as people worry about climate change so the resorts are turning to the summer.

PlanetSKI’s content editor reported on this development for the BBC two years ago.

Early start for the racers of tomorrowBut Saas-Fee has no real worries in this department as it is a high resort and, with its glacier, has skiing and snowboarding in the summer.

There are race teams, instructors, locals and a whole host of skiers and snowboarders in town.

In the car park we saw ski vehicles from Slovenia, Serbia, Finland, Norway, Andorra, Austria, Scotland, France, Holland, German and many of the Swiss cantons.

The British ski teacher, Warren Smith, runs courses in Saas-Fee throughout the summer.

To hear what the summer skiing is like see the video below.

Saas-Fee has a wide mix of people from elderly Swiss people doing some gentle walking and relaxing at the wellness centres to some gnarly and very serious climbers who tackle the 4,000m peaks that surround the village.

Climbers' hotelMany climbers stay in the hotel La Gorge where the couple that run it, Leonce and Margareth Voide-Bumann, are something of local celebrities.

They have climbed all 48 of the 4,000m peaks in Switzerland together and then Magareth went one better and climbed all 82 peaks across in Europe that are over 4,000m. She was one of the first women to do so.

Quite an achievement.

More modest achivements have come from PlanetSKI reporter, Krystyna Chauncey, as she tackled The Adventure Forest and then went down The Alpine Gorge using zip wires, ropes and abseilling.

This summer though business has fallen by around 10% as the economic situation has led people to stay at home. The poor exchange rate has meant many Brish people have had a holiday in the UK this year.

Overall though summer in the mountains is gaining in popularity.

If you want to see what it's like to go over a gorge hundreds of metres deep on a zip wire in Saas-Fee then see here. It's not for those without a head for heights:)