Next month (14 & 15 March 2015), an igloo village will spring up on Adelboden's Engstligenalp, as it does every year, when teams of enthusiastic “builders” from around the world gather to create a masterpiece in the hope of securing one of the top prizes at the Igloo Festival. And even if they don't win, everyone's assured of a great 24 hours of entertainment at the top of the Swiss Alps.

You don't have to be a professional builder to take part: instruction and equipment are provided, all participants need to have in spades are a fierce work ethic, patience and good humour. Friendly advice is on tap from the experts at the Alpine School in Adelboden, while shovels and snow saws, essential tools of the trade, are supplied.

The competition starts at 9am on Saturday 14 March and work on the igloo must be complete by 5pm, ready to be judged, with prizes being awarded for creativity, architectural aesthetic, safety and functionality. Once the serious business is complete, the village comes alive to the sound of sunset drinks, then it's time for the builders to hunker down in their newly-made homes, before a hearty cooked breakfast in the morning. The setting on Engstligenalp couldn't be more dramatic – the biggest plateau in the western Swiss Alps provides a panoramic, almost lunar, backdrop to the Festival village.

There are two levels of entry. Teams can opt for self catering and pay CHF89 (approx £58) per person for a lift pass up to Engstligenalp, a welcome pack, instructions, equipment use and a night cap, plus of course the joy of competing, but they must take their own cooking utensils and food with them to make their own meals. Alternatively, teams can select the luxury (read soft) option and pay CHF149 (approx £97) per person for a lift pass up to Engstligenalp, a welcome pack, instructions, equipment use, a night cap and the joy of competing, plus have lunch, dinner and breakfast provided – inside in a warm mountain hut!

Adelboden's Igloo Festival is always popular among families, university ski teams, groups of friends and even companies, who use the event for team building and corporate bonding. If you are interested in taking part in this year's event, registration closes on 27 February – email info@adelboden.ch, call +41 33 673 8080 or visit www.facebook.com/IgluFestival for more information.

Getting to Adelboden from south-east England is easy with flights from London Southend to Berne (just a 45-minute drive from Adelboden) with Swiss airline Skywork (www.flyskywork.com), making even a weekend ski break a distinct possibility. Alternatively, a number of airlines fly from various UK airports to Zurich, from where it's a 2 hour, 45 minute journey to Adelboden.

For more information on Adelboden, please visit www.adelboden.ch

Notes for editors
In November 2014, Mountain Management Consulting and the University of Innsbruck asked 47,935 skiers and snowboarders “Where is the best place to ski?” Adelboden was revealed as the third most popular ski area in Switzerland – with Zermatt in first place – and sixth best in the Europe, beating several better known ski areas such as Saas-Fee and Val Gardena.

Adelboden, with a population of just over 3,500, lies in the west of the Bernese Oberland, at the end of the Engstlige valley.  It is a traditional, south-facing Swiss mountain resort, filled to the rafters with wooden chalets that look over to the Engstligen waterfalls (the second longest falls in Switzerland). Adelboden's main street lies at 1,350 m (4,430 ft), while the highest point in the area, the Grossstrubel, reaches 3,242 m (10,636 ft). 

In 1903, Adelboden was the destination of the first packaged winter sports holiday, which was organised by Sir Henry Lunn, one of the founders of Lunn Poly.  The Adelboden-Frutigen-Lenk ski region remains a tempting destination for winter sport enthusiasts.  On offer are winter hiking and cross-country skiing trails, as well as a snow park, a free ride arena, freestyle runs, tobogganing trails, dog sled rides, snow tubing, igloo-building classes and the chance to try out a skibock (a sawn down ski with a seat) that was created in Adelboden.  Ski runs vary in degrees of difficulty, from beginner slopes to the World Cup giant slalom run on the Chuenisbargli.

In total, 72 high-performance transport facilities provide access to a piste network of just over 210 kilometres, which have received the international ski area test quality seal.

Tourism in Adelboden is especially suitable for families. Adelboden has 28 hotels (ranging from 4* superior to B&Bs) with 1585 beds, 3800 vacation homes with 7,600 beds, 30 group accommodations with 1835 beds, 3 camp sites and 21 restaurants offering a wide range of cuisines, from traditional Swiss to fast food to Asian.

For more information, please contact:
Sue Heady
Director
Heady Communications
T: 01608 651 692
M: 078 5595 0705
E: sue@headycommunications.com