This article was originally published on our sister title Active Traveller’s website by Roger Fulton at this URL.
Mountain bikers love finding new descents and trails that have not been flooded with riders; routes that still have an aura of mystery about them.
Switzerland’s Saas Valley in the southern canton of Valais, is one of those places, regarded as a real insider tip in the mountain biking scene – whispered, not shouted from the mountain-tops. It’s a destination with more than 80 kilometres of well-marked trails offering routes for all levels – from easy to challenging – plus a lot more off-road terrain besides.
Related: Experiencing Saas-Fee/Saastal | In the Company of Giants
Related: The Best Hiking Holidays in Saas-Fee/ Saastal
Enduro is becoming the name of the game, with riders able to make use of the Saas Valley’s exciting glacial landscapes. A natural flow rather than artificially built courses.
The Kreuzboden/Hohsaas area, in particular, has well-developed trails from the Bike Skills Park training course to the challenging Hohsaas Trail descent and sunset e-bike tours, while the other areas of the Saas Valley have numerous single-track options. The various routes reveal ever-changing views of the impressive 4,000m peaks of the Saas Valley. Several trails pass by glacier lakes or end there, providing perfect spots to cool off.
Throughout the Saas Valley’s charming villages, from the car-free village of Saas-Fee at 1,800m to the neighboring villages of Saas-Grund, Saas-Almagell and Saas-Balen you can discover the diverse nature and culture of this high mountain region on your bike and explore the heart of the Alps. And unlike many popular bike spots, overcrowding is not an issue in the Saas Valley.
For guided tours, the Bikeschule Saastal is a great option. Local guides can show you the most adventurous places in the Saas Valley and are on hand with tips and tricks. During the school holidays in summer and autumn, the youngest guests are also encouraged to join the Kids Bike League.
In addition to guided tours, the region also offers great supporting infrastructure with high-quality mountain bike and e-bike rentals, good servicing opportunities, e-bike charging stations and bike-friendly accommodation. With the Revier Mountain Lodge and the wellnessHostel4000 in Saas-Fee, and the Montela Hotel & Resort in Saas-Grund there are three certified bike-friendly accommodations available that are specially tailored to the needs of mountain bikers.






