Saas-Almagell Ski Area
Saas-Almagell is a fun little ski area above the same named town, in the Saas-Fee valley in Switzerland. This ski area is so small, its difficult to find as you enter the village. Most everyone heads on up the hill to more famous Saas-Fee ski resort, or nearby legendry Zermatt. Saas-Almagell’s main attraction is Mattmark, a natural dam.
Saas-Almagell, also called Furggstalden-Heidbodme ski area, offers just 4 lifts, starting with an old school double from the village. Look for the chairlift tucked behind former Swiss ski racer Pirmin Zurbrigen’s posh hotel off the main road.
Rising up on Saas-Almagell’s base methodical chairlift, you arrive mid mountain at Furggstalden (at 1893-meters). Here there’s a ski playground for kids, a beginners lift, and a couple of chalet restaurants. We found no signage but you want to exit to your right off the chair and ski down and to your left to the summit chair lift which delivers you to 2400-meters. From this summit you can ski an upper mountain ski trail, after admiring the Alps view. Saas-Almagell’s summit terrain is limited but fun. The terrain off-piste otherwise is wild, rocky, cliffs, not very free-ride friendly.
You can stop at Saas-Almagell’s top lodge for a coffee, or lunch. Called Heidbodme, this summit glass lodge has a phenomenal panorama, especially from the outdoor deck. Inside a nice couple serves drinks and Rösti – with many fixins – ham, cheese, eggs, veggies. Or for lunch or snack, you can ski down to Alpina Saas-Almagell’s mid-mountain classic Swiss chalet for traditional food – like goulash soup, Rösti, pastas, or fondue. This is where we dined, along with the lift attendants who were enjoying an even more leisure lunch than us. So Swiss! Not sure who is running the lifts during their long lunch that entailed a pitcher of wine and fondue, plus a few cigarettes of course.
A few laps on the summit chair, and then you ski a long fun well-groomed, sometimes narrow, run back to Saas Almagell’s base. In lean snow years, this trail is marginal, or you may have to download entirely.
Fun fact, Pirmin Zurbriggen grew up here and honed his ski racing on Saas-Almagell’s small mountain before going on to win many World Cups and Olympic medals for Switzerland. The Zurbriggen family name and businesses (ski shops and hotels) are well represented throughout the Saas valley and Zermatt as well.
The village of Saas Almagell is small, not as charming as some Swiss ski towns like Saas-Fee above, or Grimentz or Leukerbad, but lodging here is more affordable than bigger Swiss ski resorts too, especially good value compared to Zermatt.
For lodging in the small nearby village of Saas-Grund, we loved the chic modern accommodations of Montela Hotel & Resort, just a short walk to the gondola lift. These beautiful condo apartments are spacious, very neat, with a kitchens, private bedrooms and baths, balconies and pastoral valley views. See our review of Montela Hotel & Resort in Saas Grund, conveniently on the bus stop to Saas-Fee and Saas-Almagell, walking distance to the ski lifts of Saas-Grund.
All combined the Saas Valley has over 150 kilometers of skiing, and 350 kilometers of hiking trails. Saas Valley has 3 ski areas, Saas-Grund, plus Saas-Fee and Saas-Almagell which are both on the Swiss Magic Pass. You could plan a Swiss ski safari, also skiing nearby Glacier 3000, Villars Gryon, Grimentz Zinal, St-Luc/Chandolin, Leukerbad, Les Marecottes, Nax Mont Noble, Anzère, and many more.
Saas-Almagell ski stats:
Base elevation 1670-meters to 2400-meters summit, 7,874′, 2,300′ vertical
4 lifts, 5 trails, on the Magic Pass along with Saas-Fee up the valley.
Travel to Saas Almagell in the Saas Fee valley: Fly into Geneva or Zurich, take a Train to Visp, then a 40-minute Bus.
