Sloping off for fun away from the piste
Finding things to do in the Swiss Alps other than skiing presented little problem, as Catherine Murphy discovered
I’m whooping with laughter as I glide through deep fresh snow but for once, I’m not on skis. I’m snowshoeing above the resort of Crans Montana in the Valais region of Switzerland. It’s easy to do, great exercise and good fun on downhill sections. I don’t need to be especially fit or learn any special techniques. I just strap a pair of snowshoes on over my snow boots and start walking.
Local guide Pascal Feraud Richaud takes our group gently uphill, pointing out impressive peaks in the distance. Apart from a lone cross-country skier, we’re the only souls on the trail.
Snowshoeing is a great way of experiencing the sensation of being in snow without having to ski and it’s just one of many non-ski activities that I try during my visit to Crans Montana.
Next on the list is curling at Ycoor Ice Park where a group of us spend a couple of hours learning the basic rules of the sport.
The first twenty minutes is all ‘can’t do it, won’t do it’ but weirdly, it starts to be really good fun as everyone’s competitive spirit emerges under light-hearted instruction from Patrick Gervais.
When the session is over, none of us want the laughs – which have mostly been at each other’s expense – to stop. The taster session has totally relaxed us.
The best thing about curling is that friends and family can play it together. There’s also an ice rink at
Ycoor if sliding on ice with a curling stone and brush hasn’t tired everyone out.
My next Crans Montana non-ski experience is all about the zen. Yoga teacher Myriam Hernandez takes me expertly through a beginner session at her Yoga Chic studio. Yoga is brilliant for skiing flexibility and strength – just in case I decide I do want to ski at some stage.
I leave Yoga Chic feeling relaxed and in the perfect mood for an afternoon’s window shopping on Rue du Prado.
Crans Montana’s main shopping street is home to Louis Vuitton, Prada and many more luxury brands. I could easily while away an entire afternoon hopping from one boutique to the next.
Crans Montana is an accredited family destination. Just 10 per cent of its ski slopes are black and there are lots of beginner and intermediate slopes for little ones to learn on. If you’re keen for your children to learn to ski or snowboard, the resort comes up trumps with access to beginner slopes in the centre of the resort for just €9 a day.
Ten minutes down the road by bus or car, there’s another place that children will love.
The Alaia Action Sports Centre near the village of Lens opened in 2019 and is a haven for youngsters who are into BMX, skate boarding, trampolining, kickboarding, rollerblading, gymnastics and more.
It’s a joy to watch youngsters learning skills that they will later use on the mountain.
The local junior freestyle team goes to Alaia to train, using trampolines to practise jumps and tricks. It’s no surprise to hear that freestyle is increasingly popular amongst younger visitors to the area.
Entry to Chalet Alaia is reasonable – around €12 per child – and it’s good to see a Swiss resort offering value for money with many of its activities. Before or after an actionpacked session at Alaia, take the family for a short tour of the medieval village of Lens with local guide Catherine Antille Emery, whose grandfather built the first hotel in Crans Montana.
With its ancient wooden houses, charming museum and bisse (water irrigation channel) this little village seems a world away from the designer shops of Rue Do Prado.
Crans Montana also has another initiative that’s great for non-skiers. There are 65km of walking trails in the resort centre and on the mountain.
Walkers pay 20 Swiss francs for a pedestrian lift pass which they can then use for lunch at a number of restaurants on the slopes. This makes lunch and a walk on the mountain quite affordable.
After lunch, grab a chair, sit back and soak up some of the best views in the Alps.
You can see 19 4,000- metre peaks from the slopes at Crans Montana including the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.
Crans Montana takes its name from two villages. The resort is not about mass tourism – it’s about slow living, events and family fun. Its hotels are small – the largest has just 54 bedrooms – perfect for families.
The resort– and the Valais region in general – has a great reputation for gastronomy and wine. In fact, as you make your way up to Crans Montana on the funicular from the town of Sierre, the route is marked by vineyards.
Wine production is small so little is exported, making it all the more enjoyable to taste during your holiday.
One wine that must be sampled in the Valais is Fendant, a smooth, easy-to-drink white.
Crans Montana is also home to a number of unique grape varieties including Cornalin and Humagne Blanche which dates back to the 1300s. Both are influenced and flavoured by the area’s chalky soil and rich nutrients.
What has to be the most laid-back
THERE’S LOTS OF SLOPES FOR LITTLE ONES TO LEARN ON LITTLE WINE IS EXPORTED, MAKING IT MORE ENJOYABLE
wine tasting ever takes place in producer Nicolas Bagnoud’s kitchen.
This is no Napa Valley experience where a tasting can set you back $85. Here, wine growers see tasting sessions as an integral part of what they do and often host them for free. Another great thing about drinking local wines is the price.
In Seven bar at the bottom of the lift station, a glass of Fendant costs four Swiss francs and even in the four star Art De Vivre hotel, a glass of good quality wine costs under six euro.
Non-skiing foodies will love Crans Montana’s restaurants where fresh local produce is a given. I eat delicious meats at both Le Continental and Mosaic restaurants, and gorge on raclette at Mazot du Berger (which can be booked for groups).
Raclette comes from the word racler, to scrape, and consists of cheese melted on a special grill then scraped tantalisingly onto your plate with boiled potatoes and meats. It’s an enjoyable, easygoing way to dine with friends.
For a special occasion, gourmet fans will enjoy Bistrot de l’Ours. A sister restaurant to Franck Reynaud’s Michelin star Restaurant Gastronomique L’Ours, it offers a creative tasting menu with paired wines for 90 Swiss francs.
Of course, we can’t forget about Valaisan après ski. Two of the best après spots in Crans Montana are Zero Dix and La Plage.
Nobody ever said you can’t enjoy the après just because you don’t ski!