4 March 2025
Crans-Montana is well known for its ski slopes, but did you know that you can also enjoy other activities on the slopes? Many of you already enjoy other sports such as cross-country skiing or ski touring, but did you know that there are even more ways to enjoy winter on the slopes?
Unlike traditional skis, where each foot is fixed to a long, narrow board, a monoski is a wide ski on which a skier stands with both feet in a fixed parallel position in the middle. This unique design allows skiers to manoeuvre and control this large ski in a way that isn’t possible with traditional skis. Monoskiing offers a whole new range of sensations, and you can do it throughout the Crans-Montana ski area on all the alpine skiing slopes. This downhill sport was popular in the 80s, and is well known to older skiers in the region as it was a local, Hubert Vuignier, who invented monoskiing.
A «fatbike» is just that. The bike itself isn't that big, but its thick tyres really make it stand out. You can ride fatbikes in summer and winter, on dirt tracks or on snow. It can be a really different way to hit the slopes. If you fancy giving it a go, the Swiss Ski School offers a 1.5 hour introduction, and you’ll have the great advantage of being able to descend the slopes before everyone else, on pistes that are still immaculate.
For little ones there’s Snow Island, a winter playground which children and their parents love, and it also offers electric snowmobile rides. This activity, which is 100% just for children, welcomes adventurers between 5 and 12 years, and they’re sure to have a great time. Unlike the other snow sports recommended above, electric snowmobiling takes place on the Ballesteros golf course and not in the ski area itself. Helmets are compulsory for this activity, so don't forget to bring your own ski helmet, as there is nowhere to rent on site.
And an exclusive brand new activity is coming to Crans-Montana this winter: the Snowscoot – a scooter to use on snow. The Snowscoot is a daring fusion of a scooter and a snowboard, and offers a new way of hurtling down snowy slopes. Louka Ribot is offering a fun introduction to the sport for anyone from age 10 upwards, as well as freestyle Snowscoot sessions for more adventurous thrill seekers who want to improve their technique.
Have you ever tried telemark skiing, a sport that is more widespread than monoskiing ? Telemark originated in Norway,and is a skiing technique that combines alpine and Nordic skiing. The boots used leave the skier’s heels free so they’re not firmly attached to the ski, forcing telemark skiers to bend their knees into a lunge every time they turn. Like monoskiing, you can enjoy this sport all over the Crans-Montana ski area. If you're interested in trying out this technique, you'll find all the equipment you’ll need in the resort’s sports shops.
So there's no excuse now for not taking advantage of the variety of activities on offer! Crans-Montana never ceases to amaze with the diverse choice of activities on offer on the ski slopes. Which one will you try first?
