17.01.2026

WITCHES' DESCENT

Ranking Witches' Descent 2025

THE BELALP WITCHES' DESCENT

During one week in January everything revolves around the theme of witches in the ski resort Blatten - Belalp. The Belalp Witches is a week-long event that reaches its undisputed climax on Saturday with the Belalp Witches' Downhill. In the run-up to the big Witches' Downhill, however, various other races are held during the week and with the Witches Nights and the Witches' Children's Festival, the spectators are also offered a comprehensive supporting program.

The Belalp Witch goes back to an old Valais legend. According to this legend, a witch once wreaked havoc here. In memory of these old times, the Belalp Witches' Downhill was created more than 43 years ago.

Be a part of the 44rd Witches' Downhill on January 17, 2026, and let yourself be enchanted by the mystical atmosphere on the Belalp! Whether as a racer or dressed up witch. We look forward to your participation.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE RACE

Registration for the Witches' Downhill
You can register via our homepage! Your registration will be automatically confirmed by email.
Participation in the Belalp Hexe in the ‘Racers’ category is only possible on skis; snowboards are not permitted.
Skis and snowboards are permitted in the ‘Witches’ category.

Entry Fee
CHF 70.00 per person

Participant Limitation
For organizational reasons, the number of participants in the "Witches" category is limited to 1'000.

Each team leader is required to inform their team about the rules.

Technical Data
Length: 12 km
Start: 3'100 m above sea level
Finish: 1'300 m above sea level
Elevation difference: 1'800 m

Registration 2026

The artists of the witch masks

A piece of Swiss stone pine, an artistic hand and the witch masks and other various prizes that the winners of the Belalp Witches' Downhill can take home are ready.
A beautiful souvenir of a successful race - a lot of work in advance for Atelier Manus, which has been producing around 60 different prizes for the popular popular downhill race for over 20 years.

Atelier Manus in Brig-Glis is a foundation that promotes the professional and social integration of people with limited opportunities. The foundation promotes the quality of life of people with limitations by offering a wide range of training and work opportunities as well as integration measures. The workshop consists of various production facilities, including a carpentry workshop and a wood sculpting workshop. This is exactly where the witch masks are produced every year.

Markus Spitz is one of the employees in the wood sculpture. Originally from Germany, the trained sculptor has lived in Switzerland since 1991 and in Valais since 1994. Together with a colleague, he is responsible for the witch masks. From a piece of Swiss stone pine wood he conjures up the typical winning prizes of the Belalp witch. Swiss stone pine is used because it is very soft and easy to work with. Markus Spitz produces around two witch masks in one working day. The prizes for the warlocks are more elaborate and therefore take more time: "I first start with the rough work, which is the fastest and easiest. At the end, the difficult passages are made, such as the face or the hands," explains the sculptor. At the end, the prizes are painted and partially decorated with a base. "None of the masks or warlock prizes look the same at the end."

The beautiful prizes from the hands of the employees of Atelier Manus can be admired during the Witches' Week in Blatten.