Adelboden

Adelboden sits at about thirteen hundred and fifty metres on a sunny terrace at the head of the Engstligen valley, a chalet village that grew as a resort from the late nineteenth century when British visitors arrived. Its fixture in the sporting calendar is the January World Cup weekend on the Chuenisbargli, a giant slalom on a slope steep enough and close enough to the village that tens of thousands pack in, and the atmosphere - bells, horns and crowds on a short course - has made it one of the races skiers say they most want to win. In summer the Engstligen falls and the high alp above are the draw, with a cable car up to the plain and long walking routes toward the Gemmi and the Hahnenmoos.

What you actually see

• The Chuenisbargli - the World Cup giant slalom slope above the village.
• A January race weekend - tens of thousands in a small valley.
• The Engstligen falls - the six-hundred-metre drop at the valley head.
• A sunny chalet terrace - the village position facing south.

When to go

December to March, or June to September. Two days.

Honest expectations

Race weekend books out the valley and roads jam. Between seasons the village is quiet and lifts close. The road up from Frutigen is winding. Summer visitors should note the falls are strongest in June.

Nearby

Engstligen falls and alp are above; Lenk is over the Hahnenmoos.