Saas-Fee
Mea Culpa
Up until we left Saas-Fee, I’d been pretty good about updating this blog at least once a week with photos and stories of where we’d been. And then, we went on an urban traveling spree from Saas-Fee across Italy, into Amsterdam, through Frankfurt, and then down to the Seychelles before landing in South Africa. Somewhere in there, between the spotty wifi connections and cobblestone streets, I got behind on writing on the blog, and now we’re here. Now, the catch-up begins. Mea Culpa.
The Pearl of the Alps
A common reaction from folks who have seen our list of destinations on this trip is somewhere along the lines of confusion and bewilderment: I’ve never heard of half of these places. I’d say Saas-Fee fits comfortably into that category.
Situated along Switzerland’s southern border, Saas-Fee sits on a mountain plateau in the Valais canton (county), in the valley immediately adjacent to Zermatt. The town is commonly referred to as The Pearl of the Alps, as it is literally surrounded by thirteen peaks that reach above 4,000 meters (~13,000 feet) - the highest concentration of anywhere in the Alps. Similar to its more famous Swiss neighbor (Zermatt), the town is a mountain-lovers paradise, with door-to-door access to hiking, glaciers, big mountain skiing, ice climbing, rock climbing, via ferrata, and mountain biking. Unlike Zermatt, the town does not receive droves of would-be Instagram Influencers in the summer months. It does not have a Cartier store. I’m not sure that you can buy an avocado toast, there. In short, Saas-Fee is Zermatt without the crowds. And, as much as we liked Zermatt, Saas-Fee felt like a breath of fresh air after spending a week in one of the most visited mountain towns in the world.
The Rundown
Saas-Fee was officially the last stop of our six weeks in the Swiss and Austrian Alps. And so, feeling a bit of scarcity, we packed it in during our five nights there. In four full days, we hiked 50+ miles with +15,000 feet of elevation gain. We walked from our apartment up and over the mountains into Italy (and back!). We crossed over three glaciers. We traded pictures for “free” coffee and pastries at a mountain hut. We finished a 5-hour hike with a 1km sprint to catch a bus home (barely made it). We mis-read the gondola timetables and got to spend an extra two hours descending from high in the mountains down to our Airbnb. I would do it all again.
In all honesty, Saas-Fee isn’t a place that I would recommend to everyone. There wasn’t some incredible place that you must eat at (read: food in Switzerland is expensive). And, there wasn’t some magical experience there (though, we did both poop our pants a little bit on one of the via ferrata climbs). But, if you love being in the mountains, and if you want to get to experience a true, Swiss mountain town, Saas-Fee is amazing. I can’t imagine what the place looks like in the winter.
Southbound from Switzerland
After our last night in Saas-Fee, we hopped on a bus (and then a train) where we’d travel south to Italy - officially ending our time in the high mountains during this trip. We were both ready for a change of pace, for food that felt reasonably priced, and, perhaps most importantly, gelato. Our six weeks in the Austrian and Swiss Alps was eye-opening for both of us. We loved how ingrained the mountains are into the culture and the urban development of Austria and Switzerland. We loved be able to walk out our door to head out for huge, all-day adventures. We loved waking up to the sun rising over glaciers and grassy meadows and living in towns where cars feel out of place. It’s something that will no-doubt bring us back to this part of the world, and it’s something that we’re trying to figure out how to take back to our part of the world. Until next time.
