Saas Fee is expected to open for summer skiing from this Monday, 8th July.
The resort, popular with ski teams for race training, has one of the largest glacier ski areas in the world, with about 20km (13 miles) of runs.
It will initially open from 7am to noon daily, then from 26th Auitumn stay open to 1pm but open half an hour later. At the end of September it will switch to 8am to 2pm as temperatures cool, then in October get close to its winter hours with 8.30am – 3pm operations.
The resort was part of the area impacted by severe storms nearly two weeks ago where flood waters caused damage to neighbouring Zermatt and Cervinia but as yet there is no sign that that will impact the operation of glacier skiing.
When it ended its winter season at the end of April the resort was post a 4 metre snow depth on its glacier. It was cold with more snowfall through much of spring but temperatures have risen in line with summer norms in recent weeks.
Lift tickets will be from 79 CHF for a day pass for those aged 16 and over, 48 CHF for children aged 6 to 15 with discounts for-multi-day tickets.
Although it is not marketed as such, Saas Fee is in some ways the first ski area to open for new 24-25
season as it does not usually close again now until spring next year.
There are two area – Hintertux and Zermatt/Cervinia open year round though, whereas Saas Fee clearly ends one period of ski operations in late April sand starts the next in early July.
In France Les 2 Alpes will, conversely, be the last area to close in the Alps at the end of its 23-24 season on Sunday, although Timberline in Oregon, is still going with theirs in the US.