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Belalp hosts bewitching ski event

Witches take to the slopes in Belalp every year. www.super-vier.ch

A week of skiing in witches' costumes is all that is left of an ancient legend in the canton Valais resort of Belalp.

For one week a year, locals and tourists pay homage to the legend of the witch by dressing up as hexes and zooming down the ski slopes, brooms instead of poles steadying their way.

According to the legend, the villages near the resort were once plagued by a witch who was accused of evil antics every time she transformed herself into a raven.

The “Witches Week” festival begins with a lively outdoor ceremony in the resort on the evening of January 18. The organisers hope to attract a large gathering with the warmth from a bonfire, food and beverages.

The competitions begin with the “Witches Sprint” on January 20 and continue with a gliding event and children’s race. In the latter, prizes are given to the fastest kids, and special awards handed out to the most beautiful little witches.

The week culminates on January 26 with the 20th running of the “Witches Downhill” event – a 12 kilometre long race that begins at 3,100 metres above sea level and ends 1,800 metres lower in the village of Blatten in the valley below.

The race is one of a handful of such annual events in the Swiss Alps, which demand endurance as much as skiing skills. For some entrants, winning is everything, but for many participants the trip down the slopes in bewitching costumes is as important as crossing the finish line.

Keeping up with the times, the organisers have added snowboard and carving ski competitions to “Witches Week”.

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