Maybe because it is located on the route of the famous Chamonix – Zermatt crossing or because the most important ski mountaineering competition in Switzerland takes place here, the famous Patrouille des Glaciers, the fact is that all ski mountaineering enthusiasts have heard of Arolla, but you have to go there to appreciate all the potential of this small village and its great mountains.
Arolla, in the heart of the Canton of Valais
In reality Arolla is not even a town, but rather a fraction of the municipality of Evoléne, not far from the border crest with the Aosta Valley; a handful of hotels, some chalets, the sporting goods shop, the grocery store and the Post Office which also serves as a bus station and Tourist Office. We are in the Swiss canton of Valais, which boasts 45 mountains that exceed 4,000 meters, and Arolla is surrounded by high peaks that constantly attract attention. Tourism arrived in these parts at the end of the 19th century, when the Grand Hotel Kurhaus and the adjoining Casa delle Guide were built. The Grand Hotel is still active today, in a wonderful position, immersed in the woods, and from here the numerous summer excursions to the mountains started. Only in the 1960s did winter tourism develop in Arolla which in this case did not distort the characteristics of the small village; even today, 5 ski lifts – which have long been waiting to be renewed – serve 47 km of slopes which extend between 2,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level.
The university of ski mountaineering
Although here in the snow season you can ski on the slopes, climb ice waterfalls, take long walks with snowshoes or follow kilometers of cross-country ski trails, there is no doubt that Arolla is an ideal place for ski mountaineering, in all its forms, from freeriding to large altitude traverses, to learn, improve technique and above all enjoy the boundless spaces of immaculate snow.
The Rando Parc tracks for beginners
By proceeding in an orderly manner, imagining a “study plan” for this university of ski mountaineering, those who have no specific experience can begin to become familiar with climbing with skins using the Rando Parc routes, a new proposal that is spreading in Arolla as in numerous locations in Valais to respond to the growing number of people who want to get involved in ski mountaineering. In practice, these are safe, controlled and marked routes, which develop alongside the downhill slopes where you can go back up with skins.
These itineraries are very popular and popular because they allow you to go back up safely and train even when the weather conditions are not favourable, furthermore even beginners or people who are not able to evaluate the risks of “off-piste” can go up here as if on an excursion of ski mountaineering and then descend safely along the groomed slopes.
In search of fresh snow
Once you have become familiar with the equipment and trained with the climbs, you can take the next step; starting from Arolla, or going up to altitude with the lifts, you can move away from the beaten slopes to look for fresh snow, discovering a vast area of high mountains, at 3,000 metres, where you can look for the most beautiful natural snow , between valleys, gullies, hills and large skiable prairies.
However, going off the beaten track involves a very important step; in this case you need to be able to evaluate the risks and know the environment in which you are moving, for this reason, to ski outside the area, you need to be truly expert or, better yet, be accompanied by a local Alpine Guide who, in addition to guarantee maximum safety, he can advise and procure the necessary equipment to help us discover the slopes best suited to our abilities and enjoy the exciting descents to the fullest. On the mountains surrounding Arolla there are countless possibilities of finding ideal slopes for descents in fresh snow, possibilities that increase by reaching altitude with the lifts and integrating with short ascents with skins to always discover new white expanses to brush on skis.
From classic to competitive ski mountaineering
The further transition towards classic ski mountaineering, the one with a capital S, away from the ski lifts, is accomplished with the popular climbs to the peaks in the area, such as the Palantse de la Crettaz, the Pointe de Vouasson or the famous Pigne d’Arolla ; these last two peaks can be reached in two days, with an overnight stay in the refuges at high altitude. Great traverses, linking together several peaks and sleeping in a refuge for several days, are the goal of many ski mountaineers who know Arolla well, located in the heart of the “Haute Route” par excellence, the Chamonix – Zermatt. If you then want to move on to competitive ski mountaineering, Arolla is in the right place to try your hand at the legendary Patrouille des Glaciers, the most famous of the team ski mountaineering races in all of Switzerland.
READ ALSO: Ski mountaineering in Crans Montana, the Rando Parc for everyone
All information on Arolla and surrounding areas on www.valdherens.ch
Advertising