5 great things to do in Aletsch Arena

Every Saturday, children and young people under 21 can hit the Aletsch Arena slopes for nothing, thanks to the ‘Schgi fer frii’ day-pass. A great offer by itself, for sure, but to make it even more appealing there’s also a 50 percent discount on public transport for those same children, young people and accompanying adults, plus a two-hour beginner’s course at the Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp ski schools and free equipment rentals from participating stores. In other words, pretty much everything needed for a full-on fun day of ski action.

There are plenty of great views to be seen around Aletsch Arena, but none more spectacular than the one from the top of the Eggishorn, where you’ll be able to take in the Great Aletsch Glacier from 2,869 metres above sea level. Clocking in at over 23km, it’s the largest glacier in the Alps, making for truly magnificent views. Not too shabby, we think you’ll agree. Once you’ve seen the glacier, start turning around and soaking up that panorama by adrmiring the higher peaks all around you: the Mönch, the Eiger, the Jungfrau, the Wannenhorn, the Finsteraarhorn, the Weisshorn and the mighty Matterhorn. Luckily, reaching the Eggishorn peak is easy thanks to a cable car, and the viewpoint is suitable for prams and wheelchairs.

Don’t take your breathing for granted! Get acquainted with ‘conscious breathing’ on a special course and open up a whole lot of relaxation and mindfulness benefits. The courses are led by a breathing therapist and take place amongst the blissful Aletsch Arena scenery, which you’ll be able to appreciate even more with your newfound skills. And consider combining the course with a winter hiking pass, which allows you to explore 72 km of winter walks and 14 km of snowshoe trails – the perfect settings to put your new mindfulness techniques into action.

Every skier wants to be first on the mountain, right? It means you get to carve-up that sweet powder before anyone else. Well, now you can be that skier with Aletsch Arena’s First-Track experience. As dawn approaches, you’ll take a cable car with a ski patroller to the top of the Eggishorn, where you’ll witness once-in-a-lifetime views as the sun breaks through. Then you’ll zoom off down the slopes to Fiescheralp, where an indulgent breakfast at the Kühboden Alpenlodge restaurant awaits you. The perfect morning, essentially.

It’s inevitable that you’ll be snapping a lot of pictures and videos during your trip, so put them to good use in the ‘My Aletsch Arena’ competition, which rewards photos and footage of the most amazing winter experiences, whether that’s watching a sunset over a mountain or an action shot on the slopes. There are prizes worth CHF 300 given out each week for the pic or video that receives the most votes, and all entries go into the main draw that takes place at the end of the season, where the prize is an ultimate winter holiday worth over CHF 10,000. Just remember to tag your posts with #myaletscharena and you’ll be on your way.