I’d be interested to know what other readers think of summer skiing in Europe - have many of you tried it and where? I have just got back from a summer break in Switzerland (mainly as a hiking trip) and spent a morning skiing on the Fee glacier (Saas Fee). Walking down the main street carrying skis and boots in August, wearing shorts too, felt very strange - but I had a great time in excellent conditions. However, it’s not cheap and when we got up there most runs were ‘taken over’ by the Internatinal Ski teams and we had to dodge the human torpedos. This confined us to two part-runs until midday when conditions were too soft for the racers and they left. Also, I wouldn’t recommend the Saas Fee for novices - the access is tricky and the t-bars steep. So, it’s probably best as an addition to a general activity holiday, rather than going specifically to ski - but still worth it for a snow-fix / practice before the winter.
I would recommend Zermatt as a good alternative if you are holidaying in the Valais region: the resort now offers a joint summer pass with Saas Fee, so you could enjoy a day or two at both glaciers. For snowboarders, the Saas Fee terrain-park was in great condition.