Skiing and partying at the City Ski Challenge in Switzerland’s Crans-Montana

Words by Yousif Nur

Before my trip to Crans-Montana, I had only been skiing twice: in 2002 on an artificial slope just outside London, and in 2016 at Ski Dubai indoors with artificial snow. Neither could you say it is hardly the real thing, so a whole new experience awaited me in the small town, 1500m above sea level. I had come to witness the City Ski Challenge, a ski race with mostly UK participants from the London finance sector.

Getting there was a bit of a trek – from Zurich Airport, I took three different trains and a 20-minute ride up a funicular train in the mountain to reach Crans-Montana. While waiting for our tour guide to arrive, there were spectacular views of the mountain range that the area is well known for. On a clear day (which this wasn’t), you can see Mont Blanc to the right and Matterhorn to the left.

I took a short tour of the town, including watching a game of Curling and Ice Hockey and its streets lined with many designer shops and luxury goods outlets, with the usual suspects of Omega, Louis Vuitton, and Rolex, just to name a few.

The resort is more than 100 years old, and offers exceptional panoramic views of the mountains, stretching from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc. Image credit: Patrick Guller

Our walk around the town led us to the Lantern path of Bella Lui, based on a children’s story. Fairy lights and lanterns around a mile in length lighted up the path. The best time to visit is to see the area lit up when it’s dark.

After stretching our legs for a bit, we certainly earned our dinner, which we had at CaSy, owned by the daughter of the former President of Switzerland, Adolf Oggi. I had the beef tartare to start, followed by the Chicken Shiitake Broth with Soba Noodles – granted, not very Swiss, but the sweetness of the noodles and the savoury broth went down a treat. I certainly earned it after a long evening walk.

The following day, we were up bright and early for ski lessons on the slopes. Though I fell over quite a few times and it felt like a hopeless mission, I took a 20-minute break and eventually found my groove by the end of the session. As you’d expect, Crans-Montana is a hotbed for ski enthusiasts who come from all across Europe to hit the snow, from people of all ages, even as small as toddlers who did a better job than me staying on their feet. I’m convinced that the Swiss teach their babies to ski as soon as they’re born.

The two neighboring resorts of Crans and Montana are situated at an altitude of 1500 m on a sun-drenched plateau high above the Rhone Valley. Image credit: Patrick Guller

From there, we took the gondola down the mountain and a short car ride to have lunch at the acclaimed luxury spa chain Six Senses, the first in Switzerland, beside a ski slope. We drove into an underground entrance, which can only be described as a hideout, the type you’d see from a James Bond villain. Going up a few floors, we sat at the Wild Cabin Brasserie, which focuses on Swiss cuisine. With that in mind, we ordered lunch and went for a wiener schnitzel the size of Switzerland, finished off with a couple of scoops of sorbet. With our stomachs about to burst, we got a tour of the premises, which has 78 spacious rooms and freestanding bathrooms.

After which, we took a short stroll as it was time to party at the Après Ski at Zero Dix, where copious amounts of alcohol, DJ’s and loud music all equate to one thing: a lot of partying. After about an hour of mingling, I wanted a bit of me-time and walked around Crans-Montana for a bit.

Later in the evening, a quiz at Hotel Art de Vivre was presented by Howden, hosted by journalist Frank Gardner OBE, which was also part of the City Ski Challenge. Team Howden also just so happened to win the quiz as well. Make of that what you will.

The City Ski Challenge is where corporate types go to race on the slopes and party in the mountains. Image credit: Yousif Nur

The following day came the main event: The City Ski Challenge. Situated right next to the late Sir Roger Moore’s place of residence for 20 years, it was almost just as fun watching skiers slalom down a piste at high speeds, with some riding down in style with impressive times, and some falling at the final hurdle, where fortunately no one was hurt. Admit it – you watch it just as much for the car crash element as anyone else. With live commentary from the PA next to us, we got the blow-by-blow of everything that went on.

After a ride up the gondola, we reached high altitudes to have lunch at the Cabane des Violettes where we all shared a large pot of fondue. It would have been rude not to. Come here just for the views alone, overlooking Mont Blanc and Matterhorn.

With high altitude getting the better of me in the gondola for another 20 minutes as I had to sit down for a bit, we reached the glacier at the very top of the mountain, where it seemed we reached the heavens. Unfortunately for me, it felt anything but that, as I only had a t-shirt on underneath my jacket. To say I was freezing would be the understatement of 2024.

Crans-Montana is one for skiers and those who love winter sports with a laid-back vibe. Image credit: Yousif Nur

That evening was the awards dinner at Club Altitude, where on the way, we were stuck in the gondola for a good 15 minutes. Nevertheless, we were in good spirits on our final night in Crans-Montana, as we saw the skiers from earlier collect their awards for best times. It was then followed by a live set from Revival, who brought an added party atmosphere singing soul covers.

Crans-Montana is one for skiers and those who love winter sports with a laid-back vibe. I’ll be back for sure, just don’t expect me to race any time soon.