Hi Laurel,
I cannot speak to Saas Fee (although have heard good things about it) or Pontresina (we stayed in nearby Samedan instead and only for two nights). But I love Bettmeralp. We stayed there on three separate hiking trips between 2001 and 2005. Have not been back since, but we are going this summer, taking the grandchildren and staying in an apartment.
Bettmeralp is a car-free village perched on a bench high above the Rhône River, with views South into the Italian Alps across the valley, as well as west to the Matterhorn ( not from the village itself but from the ridge behind it). And on the other side of that ridge is the Aletschgletscher, one of the most amazing sights in Switzerland.
https://img.myswitzerland.com/mys/n26169/images/buehne/wandern_am_gletschter.jpg
It is an uphill but not too strenuous hike up to a saddle in the ridge for views of the glacier. From there you can walk west along the ridge to the Moosfluh chairlift, ride down to the village of Riederalp and walk the paved path 20 minutes back to Bettmeralp. Riederalp also offers an alpine botanical garden and a nature center.
Or from the same spot, you can follow the trail eastward, traversing the slope and walking parallel to but above the glacier. You end at a hut by a small lake ( Marjelensee) after passing close too a deep-blue pool formed by melting ice chunks falling off the side of the glacier. At this point the wall of ice towers above you. Do not get too close! After a lunch break at the hut, you can return to Bettmeralp on a fairly level path by taking the 1-km long tunnel under the ridge. I believe the tunnel is lit but we take flashlights and a jacket as it is cold in there.
Once back on the south side of the ridge you follow a dirt track to the hamlet of Fiescheralp and then back to Bettmeralp. I am not sure of the distance involved in this walk but it might be 10-12 miles. The TI could help you sort it out.
If that is longer than you want, you can access wonderful viewpoints by lifts. One right from Bettmeralp ascends the Bettmerhorn. You can then ride down, walk down ( pretty rocky for the first part), or traverse along the ridge.
Another viewpoint is the Eggishorn, accessed by lift from Fiescheralp ( a short walk east as mentioned above). Also called Kuhboden ("Cowtown"). There is a lunch hut on top of the Eggishorn. This peak is at the elbow bend in the Aletschgletscher, where it bends north to its source, the Konkordiaplatz below the Jungfrau. So from the Eggishorn summit you can look North up the glacier all the way to the Jungfrau.
I could go on and on but will stop here. I will see if I have any of my old hiking maps fromour previous stays and could send them to you for an idea of the terrain and trails, or if you ever come to Seattle we could meet up.
