By Greg Witt

The fabulous ski resorts of Zermatt, St. Moritz, Verbier, have put Switzerland at the top of every downhlll skier’s dream vacation list. But as cross country skiing grows in popularity, Switzerland also has a world-class destination for skinny-ski enthusiasts.

The spectacular Goms Valley is Switzerland’s favorite cross country ski destination. Never heard of it? It’s where the Swiss go and they’ve done a great job of keeping it a secret. Can you blame them? It’s set at the top of the Rhone Valley near the Aletsch Glacier (the Alps’ longest) and it’s surrounded by mountains on three sides, which provides for guaranteed snow four months of the year and far sunnier weather than other parts of the Alps.

Every morning, around 100km (60 miles) of tracks, both classic and skating, are groomed to perfection. You can ski all day and into the night on the floodlit night trail. Impeccably marked snowshoe and winter hiking trails are also available.

If you don’t like running in circles, the Goms is for you! You can go the same direction for up to 25km (15 miles). Ski down the valley along the Rhone through woods of majestic larch trees, passing through 12 charming villages dating to the 13th century with sun-burnished wooden chalets and Baroque churches, then take the train back up to the top and do it again. The train (the famous Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn) stops at each village so you can get on and off as you like.

The trails are set between 4,000 and 4,500 feet elevation and are complimented by more than 30 miles of winter hiking trails, snowshoe trails, and an incredible 6-mile sledge run from the Grimsel Pass to Oberwald, where you will find numerous family-friendly downhill ski-runs. Selected floodlit trails allow you to ski until 11:00pm every night. As you can imagine, in an area of this size, there is enough variety to meet and exceed every skier’s expectations.

The trail system start in the village of Oberwald, at the top of the Rhone Valley, just below the Grimsel Pass. You’ll find a good selection of accommodations-hotels, chalets, and B&Bs to choose from. The villages of Oberwald, Obergesteln, Ulrichen, and Munster have plenty of hotel and restaurant options to choose from, but don’t overlook the smaller villages Reckingen, Gluringen, and Blitzingen. Even the tiny village of Niederwald has a hotel and a claim to fame as the home of Cesar Ritz, the famous hotelier who was born in this inauspicious village and lies buried in its cemetery.

Currently, only one North American tour operator, Alpenwild, offers vacation packages to the Goms Valley, so you can expect to see very few American or even other Europeans on these ski trails. Had the city of Sion Switzerland won their bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2002 (hosted instead by Salt Lake City) all of the Nordic events would have been held in the Goms Valley, and the whole world would have known of its spectacular setting and superb skiing conditions. But that was not to be the case. As a result, the Goms Valley remains a cross country skier’s dream destination-one which for the time being, the Swiss are happy to keep to themselves.

Greg Witt is the author of Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel and the U.S. Editor of Off the Tourist Trail (DK Eyewitness Travel). Each summer he guides walking and hiking tours in the Swiss Alps through his company, Alpenwild.

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