Start at 03:00 with a quick breakfast, no coffee for me, then final gear checks. By 04:00 my brother and I were driving toward Saas-Fee. About three and a half hours later we rolled into the village’s multi-storey car park, paid 15 CHF per day, 30 CHF total for the weekend, and headed straight for the lifts. Saas-Fee is car-free and sits on a high plateau ringed by thirteen 4000-meter peaks, which is why many call it the Pearl of the Alps. It is also one of the nicest villages I have ever seen.
Up to the high ice: Alpin Express to Felskinn, Metro Alpin to Mittelallalin
From the village we rode the Alpin Express gondola to Felskinn at about 2,989 meters, then transferred to the Metro Alpin, the world’s highest underground funicular, which brings you to Mittelallalin at 3,456 meters right on the glacier. With a Swiss Half Fare Card the ride typically costs around 40 CHF in summer, depending on the season. Summer ski teams were training when we arrived, so we put on crampons at the station and stepped off the groomed area toward the open glacier.
Lift history for fellow nerds
Felskinnbahn aerial lift opened in 1969
Alpin Express section I opened in 1991, section II in 1994
Metro Alpin opened in 1984 with a tunnel of about 1.7 km and roughly 476 m vertical
Saturday: Allalinhorn 4,027 m
From Mittelallalin the normal route climbs about 570 meters over roughly two to three hours on glaciated terrain. It is widely considered one of the friendlier 4000ers, but it is still a real glacier climb with crevasses and seracs, so early starts, spacing, and rope discipline matter. We moved smoothly and topped out feeling great. The quick ascent seemed to prevent my usual altitude symptoms that can start around 3,700 meters. By late morning we were back at the station.
How we reached Britannia Hütte that afternoon
We took the Metro Alpin back down from Mittelallalin to Felskinn and then followed the marked hiking traverse from Felskinn to Britannia Hütte. It is a classic balcony path with huge views over the Fee and Hohlaub glaciers. Partway along, my brother slipped on a rocky step and snapped a trekking pole, which did not improve his mood, so he walked the rest without a pole. We kept a steady rhythm and reached the hut without further issues.
Britannia Hütte
Britannia Hütte sits at about 3,030 meters above the glaciers, a balcony over lakes and ice. It first opened in 1912 with support from British mountaineers and was fully renovated in 1997. Dinner was generous, and breakfast bookings were for 03:00 or 04:00. We chose 03:00 because we planned Strahlhorn. The team was welcoming, there was water for washing, and potable water was available for purchase. As non-members we paid about 100 CHF per person for half-board. A fun coincidence at dinner: we ended up sharing a table with the son of my primary-school teacher.
Sunday: Strahlhorn 4,190 m
We left the hut at 03:30 by headlamp. The normal route trends toward Adlerpass and then follows the broad WNW ridge. It is graded PD, not very technical, but long and heavily crevassed. Early on we debated which side of a medial moraine to take. Some teams advised keeping right for fewer crevasses, but a guide ahead drifted left and we followed. That was a mistake. We lost nearly an hour working through a crevasse labyrinth before regaining the main track.
Higher up, around 4,000 meters, altitude hit me hard with nausea and a strong headache. With about 100 vertical meters to go I wanted to turn back, but my brother took my pack and set a steady pace. We reached the summit around 10:00, took a couple of quick photos, and started down immediately. By about 3,500 meters the symptoms began to ease.
Hydration note: we each carried three liters of water. It was just enough for the entire day back to the valley bus stop.
Back via the dam and the lucky bus
We descended all the way past the Mattmark reservoir and dam. The hydro scheme is impressive but has a tragic history. During construction in the 1960s a collapse from the Allalin Glacier buried the construction camp and many workers died. The setting is beautiful today and the route is well marked, but that history stays with you.
We walked almost continuously into the mid-afternoon and reached the PostAuto stop at 15:20. The bus left at 15:22, so the timing was perfect. Tickets were about 6.50 CHF per person to Saas-Fee. From there we grabbed the car around 16:15, hit traffic, and reached home around 20:00. A long day, but a satisfying finish to a big weekend.
