| The fabulous ski resorts of Zermatt, St. Moritz, | | | | incredible 6-mile sledge run from the Grimsel Pass to |
| Verbier, have put Switzerland at the top of every | | | | Oberwald, where you will find numerous |
| downhlll skier's dream vacation list. But as cross | | | | family-friendly downhill ski-runs. Selected floodlit trails |
| country skiing grows in popularity, Switzerland also | | | | allow you to ski until 11:00pm every night. As you can |
| has a world-class destination for skinny-ski | | | | imagine, in an area of this size, there is enough |
| enthusiasts. | | | | variety to meet and exceed every skier's |
| The spectacular Goms Valley is Switzerland's favorite | | | | expectations. |
| cross country ski destination. Never heard of it? It's | | | | The trail system start in the village of Oberwald, at |
| where the Swiss go and they've done a great job of | | | | the top of the Rhone Valley, just below the Grimsel |
| keeping it a secret. Can you blame them? It's set at | | | | Pass. You'll find a good selection of |
| the top of the Rhone Valley near the Aletsch Glacier | | | | accommodations-hotels, chalets, and B&Bs to |
| (the Alps' longest) and it's surrounded by mountains | | | | choose from. The villages of Oberwald, Obergesteln, |
| on three sides, which provides for guaranteed snow | | | | Ulrichen, and Munster have plenty of hotel and |
| four months of the year and far sunnier weather | | | | restaurant options to choose from, but don't |
| than other parts of the Alps. | | | | overlook the smaller villages Reckingen, Gluringen, and |
| Every morning, around 100km (60 miles) of tracks, | | | | Blitzingen. Even the tiny village of Niederwald has a |
| both classic and skating, are groomed to perfection. | | | | hotel and a claim to fame as the home of Cesar Ritz, |
| You can ski all day and into the night on the floodlit | | | | the famous hotelier who was born in this inauspicious |
| night trail. Impeccably marked snowshoe and winter | | | | village and lies buried in its cemetery. |
| hiking trails are also available. | | | | Currently, only one North American tour operator, |
| If you don't like running in circles, the Goms is for | | | | Alpenwild, offers vacation packages to the Goms |
| you! You can go the same direction for up to 25km | | | | Valley, so you can expect to see very few American |
| (15 miles). Ski down the valley along the Rhone | | | | or even other Europeans on these ski trails. Had the |
| through woods of majestic larch trees, passing | | | | city of Sion Switzerland won their bid to host the |
| through 12 charming villages dating to the 13th | | | | Winter Olympics in 2002 (hosted instead by Salt Lake |
| century with sun-burnished wooden chalets and | | | | City) all of the Nordic events would have been held in |
| Baroque churches, then take the train back up to the | | | | the Goms Valley, and the whole world would have |
| top and do it again. The train (the famous Matterhorn | | | | known of its spectacular setting and superb skiing |
| Gotthard Bahn) stops at each village so you can get | | | | conditions. But that was not to be the case. As a |
| on and off as you like. | | | | result, the Goms Valley remains a cross country |
| The trails are set between 4,000 and 4,500 feet | | | | skier's dream destination-one which for the time |
| elevation and are complimented by more than 30 | | | | being, the Swiss are happy to keep to themselves. |
| miles of winter hiking trails, snowshoe trails, and an | | | | |