Some Delights of the Valais Region in Switzerland

An excerpt from my story …

03 – 06 March 2026

I flew to Geneva with Swiss Air and from there I got the train to Leuk. Outside the station a shuttle bus was waiting to take passengers on to Leukerbad. On arrival at Leukerbad I met Ryan who accompanied to the Hotel Römerhof where I was staying. It was late afternoon and enough time to visit the Leukerbad Therme before dinner. Entrance to these baths is included on the Magic Pass which allows unlimited use of ski lifts in over 100 resorts. These thermal baths are reputedly the largest in the Alps.

Dusk was drawing in when we got there and bright lights bounced off the shimmering waters. I was surprised to see so many people in the various pools and to experience the crescendo of chat that reverberated around me. This was a new form of après ski and a great way to relax after a day skiing on one of the three ski areas in Leukerbad. All three of which I was intending to visit the next day – although Ryan was not yet aware of my intention. That evening we met in the Römerhof Restaurant and enjoyed one of their excellent pizzas followed by a scrumptious chocolate fondant dessert.

The next morning, we walked to the Leukerbad – Rinderhütte cable car which would take us up to the Torrent ski area. I had already hired some skis the day so had to carry those and my ski boots (with some help from Ryan). It was while we were studying the ski map that I put forward my plan to cover the three ski areas in one day. It was agreed we would explore Torrent via the cable cars that covered both sides of this mountain. We went to the top and from the sun terrace outside the large Rinderhütte self-service restaurant had a bird’s eye view of the ski area. The easy, wide runs were very tempting but too long here would throw my plans into disarray. After going down and up the Torrentalp – Rinderhütte cable car we returned to the town and headed for the Egli snow park – on foot.

It was midday by the time we reached the Erli snow park, a hot sun was beating down on us and my face was glowing with perspiration. Desperate to get rid of a layer of clothing I discretely removed my vest before getting ready to ski. Although the snow was getting soft it was still very skiable – and it was my only chance to ski today in my busy programme.. Erli is an excellent beginners’ area and after negotiating the magic carpet once I moved on to the first drag lift. I was puzzled by the design of this lift – did the appendage sticking out go behind my knees or across my backside? The latter would involve a challenging bend of the knees. A very patient lift operator gave me instructions in excellent English and I was soon on my way, hanging on to the handle and adhering to the instruction never to sit back on said appendage. I made it to the top and skied down to a more conventional drag lift that took me to the top of a third slope. As the gradient was steeper and the snow in better condition, I did this run several times. A call from Ryan reminded me we had to move on if I was to achieve my objective of visiting Gemmi as well.

Unencumbered by skis, poles and boots we made our way across the snow park and up the hill to the Gemmi cable car. First stop when we got to the top of the imposing mountain was the Gemmi Lodge Restaurant. I had expressed a wish to try a traditional Swiss potato dish, rösti, and it was granted – I had the house special, rösti with bacon, cheese and an egg on the top. Scrumptious. After eating we went outside where Ryan described the winter activities here – two toboggan runs and ski touring tracks. No pistes as such but a cross-country track encircling the frozen lake in the valley below. The quaint Daubensee 4-people cable car took us down there so I could appreciate the stunning landscape that surrounded me. Returning to the town we collected my boots and skis and walked back to my hotel, returning the skis on the way. We took a short detour so I could see the church that dominated the old town centre.

There was just enough light to grab my Canon camera and return to the old town to take some photographs. But there was a problem, I could not find my key. I had taken it off the cast iron fob that would have weighed me down and put it in my pocket. Before going out I had put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. I raced downstairs and asked for a spare key. They did not have one. Having searching through several bunches of keys the receptionist found one he thought might fit and walked back upstairs with me. By this time, I was convinced the key had fallen out of my pocket when I had tobogganed down a ski run on my back. The receptionist pulled the sign back and there was the key – it had been in the lock all day! There was still an hour before darkness fell so I set off with my camera to explore the town. Turning off the main street, I discovered a network of narrow cobbled streets and several large, wooden farm buildings remnants of an agricultural heritage.

Dinner that evening was taken at Restaurant Tradition by 1411. Too full after my Rösti experience I settled for soup while Ryan tucked into a luscious steak. But I did manage to squeeze in the Swiss version of apple strudel with my usual accompaniment, a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The end of that meal also marked the end of my time with Ryan as I was moving on the next morning.

Day 4 of my visit to Valais and I was up early to catch the bus back to Leuk where I got the train to Martigny and then continued my journey to Les Marécottes on the Mont Blanc Express. A bit of a misnomer as it is a small, old-fashioned mountain train. Nevertheless, it is a joy to ride as it snakes its way through spectacular scenery. Renaud met me at the station where we got the bus to the bottom of the Les Marécottes - La Creusaz cable car. According to my schedule I was due to spend the rest of the day and tomorrow morning skiing the small ski area (9 pistes and a toboggan run) at the top of the cable car. But, having discovered my hotel was actually inside an alpine zoo I had decided I would rather maximise my time there. I was off to Italy for a week’s skiing soon anyway. After a brief discussion in the Fleutry Sport shopregarding the hire, or rather non-hire of skis we took the cable car to the top. The views from a natural rock balcony occupied by the La Creusaz restaurant encompass the Alps and the Mont Blanc massif. We settled down on the terrace of thisrestaurant to chat over a cup of coffee.

Commissioned to write about Les Marécottes I knew I would get more relevant information from an in-depth discussion with Renaud than I would racing around on a pair of skis. And that proved to be the case. I could sense his excitement as he talked about the endless off-piste, free-riding and ski touring opportunities after a fresh fall of snow on this mountain. As one of the few remaining resorts relying on natural snowfall it offers an authentic experience not found in larger resorts. There is a very strong sense of community here. Combined with the neighbouring village of Salvan it has been responsible for the construction of the modern cable car and also running a local shuttle bus. The latter is free to everyone who needs to use it. I used this shuttle to travel to my hotel at the other end of the village, Zoo des Marécottes boutique hotel where I was staying that night.

A night at the Zoo des Marécottes boutique hotel is definitely a unique experience. Whereas I would rather view wildlife in its natural habitat zoos and wildlife parks are essential for the conservation of some species. In this Alpine Zoo the animals live in enclosed areas of their natural habitat. I could not wait to get amongst them. Guests at the hotel have a private entrance to the zoos and can enter at any time. As soon as I had checked in, I went for a wander with my camera. I spent a lot of time watching wolves prowling, marvelling at the size of the antlers on the ibex and I was fascinated by the Valais blacknose sheep with such a woolly black face you could hardly see its eyes. I swung by the lynx’s enclosure on my way back to my room and was delighted to see this beautiful animal perched on the rocks high above me. I had intended to wallow a while in the hotel’s Jacuzzi but I was too late and it was time for dinner anyway. Instead, I settled for a gin and tonic in the cosy hotel restaurant before devouring a pretty good replication of the English favourite, fish and chips.

Imagine waking up in the morning to the sight of a black bear slumbering beneath the trees next to your balcony – well I did. And later on, I accompanied the keeper into the its enclosure as he fed this bear. What a great start to the day. All guests in the hotel have the opportunity to sign up for this treat – doing the rounds with the keeper when he feeds the animals. Not all the animals are fed every day. I spent the rest of the morning strolling around the zoo – watching excited children enjoying the animals and feeding them special food bought from the small shop in reception. It was tough having to drag myself away and walk to the station where I started the long journey home.

I was exhausted by the time I arrived at my house. I unlocked the front door, dumped my case in the hall and staggered up the stairs. And yes, I left my key in the front door overnight.

Want to know more about Valais? Click here for the Valais website or read my article in The Travel Magazine.