I’m in Switzerland this week as part of the 2012 Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS), an annual meet up of 650 like-minded adventure travel professionals (a.k.a. the tribe) from around the globe who gather to reconnect, forge new partnerships and share strategies for success.

The official summit agenda begins tomorrow, but conference organizers and Switzerland Tourism have put together a sampling of pre-summit adventures custom designed to get us out exploring and discovering together with our fellow delegates. 

For the past week I’ve been busy soaking up Swiss sunshine, hospitality, food and drink while exploring the traditional villages and history of the stunning Valais region, starting in the most famous Swiss mountain resort, Zermatt, at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn. 

Here are a few special places and memorable experiences in case you’re itching to launch your own Swiss adventure.