The protection strategies put in place by Aletsch Bahnen guarantee a safe journey to your holiday destination. There are currently no plans to offer seat reservations on the feeder lifts.

Due to arrival patterns, we expect increased arrival activity on Saturdays. You could try asking your accommodation provider if you can postpone your arrival by a day or two.

If you prefer not to take the large-cabin cable car, you can use the gondolas from Riederalp West to Riederalp Mitte. This lets you travel alone, with your family or the people in your group. From Riederalp West, you can also book a taxi in advance and travel in comfort.

Together with the municipalities, there is an "evacuation concept" which is implemented in the event of an officially ordered lockdown. The scenarios envisaged depend on the extent of the lockdown.

Aletsch Bahnen have a public mandate and will continue to operate in the event of an official lockdown. The municipalities have safety measures in place to ensure that there is no panic and that people are able to leave the area in an orderly manner.

The provisions are changing on an almost weekly basis. You can find all relevant information for travellers here.

• Hotline of Federal Office of Public Health  +41 58 463 00 00 

• Hotline of Canton of Valais  +41 58 433 0 144

• Ambulance Emergency Call 144 

• Upper Valais Hospital +41 27 604 33 33

• Aletsch Arena AG +41 27 928 58 58 

Yes. The campaign "Switzerland is skiing, but safely" is a private initiative of the mountain railways, the winter sports destinations, the association and winter and snow sports players from all parts and language regions of Switzerland. In the current phase, this campaign aims to show what measures the ski regions are taking to be able to offer safe winter fun.  

The addition of the words "but safe", i.e. with safety measures, is intended to express precisely this. The Federal Council has committed itself to skiing. As a destination, however, we are fully aware of our responsibility. We do everything we can to protect our guests, our staff and the population. All tourism providers and also guests must strictly adhere to the protective measures. The epidemiological situation in Switzerland and specifically in Valais can change at any time. We must and will react to this as soon as the federal government and the canton take stricter measures.  

Our Aletsch Arena motto is "Experience liberating moments". Guests long for exercise in nature, be it skiing or alternatives such as winter hiking, snowshoeing, etc. Guests should recharge their batteries in the mountains, strengthen their immune system and experience nature moments. 

Ski lifts and chairlifts have no capacity restrictions. All enclosed cabins and gondolas have a maximum capacity of 66%.  

For more information see: Season and operating hours.

No. Protective measures are taken at all junctions (waiting areas, feeders, sports facilities, etc.).

There is only a capacity restriction on the feeder lines and closed gondolas.

Public events are prohibited until further notice.  ​​​​​​​

Since 27.12.2020 the restaurants are closed until further notice. Take-away offers can be found here.  

Since Monday, 18.01.2021, the shops for non-daily necessities are closed.  
Open are:  

• Grocery shops (also on Sundays) 
• Pharmacies, drugstores and shops for medical aids (e.g. glasses, hearing aids);  
• Sports shops are allowed to rent snow sports equipment. Only the rental area of the shop is accessible. The sales area is closed. Sports shops offer the sale of sports goods by means of call & collect.  
• Repair and maintenance shops, such as laundries, sewing shops, shoemakers, locksmiths, as well as car garages and bicycle shops, insofar as they offer repairs.

• Your first point of contact is your host. He usually knows what to do.
• Coordination of the Covid 19 Task Force of the Aletsch Arena: Aletsch Arena AG, info@aletscharena.ch, Tel: +41 27 928 58 58
• Information from the Canton of Valais
• Federal Office of Public Health - FOPH

In Fiesch:  

• Dr. Rosanna Gischig, +41 27 971 26 36 

• Dr. Tilmann Meier-Ruge, Fiesch; + 41 27 971 17 37 

Bettmeralp:  

• Drs. med. Georg Fischer & Gregor J. Müller; +41 27 927 28 08 

Test Centre at Upper Valais Hospital Center, Visp, +41 27 604 33 33 

If a test is positive, the testing doctor or the contact tracing centre will determine what happens next.

• Hotline  of Canton of Valais +41 58 433 0 144

In the first instance, we recommend that people who are required to self-quarantine stay in their accommodation. If this is not possible for organisational reasons, please contact the Aletsch Arena AG +41 27 928 58 58.

Yes, there are. In this exceptional situation we find ourselves in, all sectors are required to have a protection strategy in place, which can be inspected by the municipalities.

The protection strategies of the Aletsch Arena are outlined here.

We ask you to comply with the official mask requirement: face masks are mandatory in all spaces accessible to the public, in all cable cars and vehicles, and in high-footfall areas of public life. Areas accessible by the public include: cable car buildings, restaurants (until seated), kiosks, grocery stores and the like; cable car facilities and vehicles for aerial tramways, gondolas, chair lifts, ski lifts, taxis and the like; high-footfall zones, waiting zones for ticket counters and ski lifts. Municipalities can enact stricter measures depending on the situation.

• Hygiene masks / medical face masks
• Industrially manufactured textile masks
• Multifunctional scarves with integrated filter

Three types of government-approved protective masks can be purchased on site:

• Disposable hygiene masks CHF 1
• Reusable textile masks CHF 15 (available from December 2020)
• Schutzhudel multifunctional scarves with integrated filter CHF 21

All masks are compliant with the guidelines of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health.

In the event of increased passenger numbers, the feeder lifts will run more frequently.

Contact surfaces (grab poles, handrails, points of sale and ticket machines) and other surfaces are cleaned several times a day. In addition, all cabin attendants of the Aletsch Bahnen carry hand sanitiser with them.

A mask must be worn before entering the restaurant and until seated at a table. A maximum of four persons per table is allowed and you must give your contact details.

Restaurants are closed in Valais since 27.12.2020.

Clubs and discos must currently remain closed. 

No. Après-ski events in the usual form will not be possible this winter.

It is the duty of the municipalities in close cooperation with Valais cantonal police.

Info@aletscharena.ch 

In the event of an official directive that the sports facilities must cease operations due to COVID-19, a refund will be granted at the end of the 2020/21 winter season:

Number of days of closure              Refund rate

0–19 days 0%

20–45 days 15%

46–65 days 30%

66–85 days 45%

86–105 days 60%

> 105 days Voucher for season ski pass

Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to info@aletschbahnen.ch or at a ticket counter by 30 April 2021 at the latest.

Aletsch Bahnen recommends taking out accident and cancellation insurance with your insurance provider.

The snow sports schools are committed to strictly implementing the protection strategy.

Especially in light of the current situation, we recommend buying ski passes in our webshop.

• Contact your host

• Call us on +41 27 928 58 58 

No. All supply channels are secure despite the coronavirus, both in the valley and on the mountain.

The latest information is available here.

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