Around 2,200 tourists have found themselves trapped in the ski resort Saas-Fee in Switzerland after a landslide destroyed the major access road on Thursday, September 5. Rain washed vast masses of earth, mud, and boulders onto the main road in the direction of Saas-Fee in the section between Stalden and Saas-Balen, cutting off the Saastal (Saas Valley) from the rest of the world. Helicopter crews from Air Zermatt flew scores of tourists stranded in the area out of the Saas Valley. However, the short rescue flight from Saas-Fee to Stalden was not free of charge; Air Zermatt charged tourists CHF140 ($165) for the privilege of being evacuated.
It is not the first time massive landslides have struck the Saastal area this year. In late June and early July, landslides damaged several cars, roads, and hotels in Saas Grund and killed a man asleep in his hotel room. Saas Grund is the alpine village below the famous Saas-Fee ski resort. Thankfully, no one was injured in the latest landslide.
Saas-Fee is located in the canton of Valais/Wallis in the south-western Alps of Switzerland, close to the Italian border. It is situated at the end of a valley parallel to Zermatt. Saas-Fee is like Zermatt: car-free. Visitors can get around by electric bus or taxi. The ski resort is open year-round and is typically a training ground for many international ski teams, ski clubs, and ski camps during the summer months.
The local community Saastal informed its guests and residents that the road between Stalden and Saas-Balen will remain closed until at least the beginning of the week. Exploratory helicopter flights discovered that many large boulders are blocking the road in the area of Mattwaldbach, which need to be blown up so they can be cleared. The boulders are up to 100 cubic meters (3,531 cubic feet) in size and currently continue to endanger the cantonal road. Once the blasting is completed, the boulders can be cleared and the road can be repaired. It is estimated that the road will remain closed until the beginning of next week.
Saas-Almagell #saastal #saasgrund #saasfee #saasalmagell #wallis pic.twitter.com/udBbiPsdN8
— Saastal Magnifique Saas-Fee – Wallis (@SaastalFotos) September 5, 2024
