Ski touring: the scent of winter freedom.

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Intro

Valais nestles among 45 4,000-metre peaks, its topography making it an ideal high-Alpine adventure playground. Powering through the white expanse, enjoying the thrill of silently gliding over powder snow, experiencing nature and its magical moments up close in winter – ski touring gives you a great feeling of freedom. Valais is the perfect place for this.​

Ski touring tracks for beginners.

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Ski touring – for ultimate freedom. Far from the crowds, crystal-clear winter air, deserted mountain peaks, perfect powder-covered slopes. To experience these moments of happiness, however, you need a little knowledge, experience and perseverance. Valais is the ideal place to try ski touring for the first time. Beginners can take their first steps and practice on marked, safe ski touring routes. You won’t find as many tracks like this beyond Valais. The easiest way to get started with ski touring is by taking a course. Various options are available, some of them free of charge.

Newcomers to ski touring will find ideal conditions on the touring tracks of Valais.

Most of these marked ski touring trails are in ski areas. Some follow easy, hazard-free terrain at some distance from the ski slopes, but are easy to spot thanks to the route markings. This means that ski tour beginners don’t have to worry about safety or taking the right route. After all the exertion, many places have a mountain restaurant serving great food. If you still don’t feel that secure with deep snow skiing, you can ski back down the groomed slopes. Daylight is not essential. Some ski areas also allow access to their Rando tracks at night. What better way to end the day?

A night-time ascent followed by fondue in a mountain hut and a safe descent – that’s what life is all about.
Franck Reynaud, gourmet chef in Crans-Montana.
Franck Reynaud, gourmet chef in Crans-Montana.
  • 500 Valais mountain guides will take you safely to the summit.
  • 85 Safe, monitored freeride routes beckon you to try deep snow skiing.
  • 49 Safe, marked ski tour routes and 11 Rando Parks.
  • 45 Peaks over 4,000 metres above sea level.

Gondola on the way up, powder on the way down.

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Freeriding on safe routes

Once you experience the sensation of gliding over deep snow, you’re hooked. For ski tourers, the descent on a blanket of powder snow is the reward for the climb and the crowning glory of the day. However, walking up remote mountainsides is not for everyone. Freeriders want to get as many powder descents as they can under their belt in a day. If you take a gondola, you can carve one line after another into the powder without any additional effort.

The freeride tracks are the perfect introduction to the world of freeriding for all powder fans.
Jérémy Heitz, professional freerider and mountaineer
Jérémy Heitz, professional freerider.

The dizzying mountain heights, lofty ski areas and guaranteed snow make Valais one of the top places in the world for freeriding. Local guides will be happy to help guests enjoy a perfect day in the backcountry. Several destinations offer special freeride tracks. These descents have not been groomed, but are safe and monitored. So there’s nothing standing in the way of enjoying a day with plenty of powder snow and a big smile on your face.

Endless deep snow descents, breath-taking mountain scenery – freeriding in Valais enjoys cult status worldwide.

Ski touring: the ultimate challenge.

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Have you ever longed for pristine powder snow, the adventurous feeling of entering uncharted terrain or the pride of conquering a summit under your own muscle power? If you’ve ever been on a ski tour, you’ll understand. The fascination of ski touring is attracting more and more snow sports enthusiasts. With its imposing mountains, Valais is the ideal setting. The descent slopes here are a little longer than elsewhere, and the peaks a little higher.

Where are conditions best? Which is the best tour? Ski tours not only require the right equipment, but also a certain amount of knowledge. So it’s advisable to book the services of a local mountain guide. If you’re already very experienced and are confident enough to plan your own tours, you have just one problem: choosing the right ski touring destination from the dozens, even hundreds, of mountain peaks available. A little inspiration from the web will help. A number of tours are described on the free platform schweizmobil.ch.

Heremence, Cabane des Dix