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Hi
I will have a 1 day saver pass ticket at the start of July to take me from Wengen to Geneva airport. I have not visited Valais other than for Zermatt before and would like to explore the area for a day. I love (easyish) hiking, beautiful traditional Apline villages and amazing mountain scenary/lakes. I’m not worried about seeing the glacier.
Where would be the best places for me to go please? I’m considering maybe Sass Fe, Bettmeralp, Reideralp, Grimentz or/and somewhere in Lotschental. I would rather not pay extra for any transport not covered in the pass unless it’s a “must do” area to visit.
Any and all advice very welcome please! Thank you very much.
Kerry
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Hello Sapphire,
To find out more about the Valais and hiking there use these links:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/va lais
– http://www.myswissalps.com/hi kingYou can select the Valais and the difficulty of the hike for inspiration.
Some examples here:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/lauchernalp-fafleralp
– http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/riederalp-aletschwald-bettmeralp
– http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/fiescheralp-riederalpFor travelling times use our timetable link:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metableAlso check:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/hi king/preparationBest,
Steph
Hi Kerry –
This might work for you:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/bls-sudrampe-trail
If you walk it in the direction that I did, you can continue by train from Ausserberg or Eggerberg, (or on foot) to Brig, and pick up the main line route to Geneva. there
Slowpoke
Many thanks for thehelpful comments and links. I suspect I may have to spend more than a day here on another holiday!
Thank you also for this fantastic forum and to everyone who takes the time to reply to people’s questions. Definitely a “go to” for anyone who needs advice.
Kerry
Be warned that I spent a week on paths in the Rhone valley 2 weeks ago and many were blocked by fallen trees following a storm a few months ago.
I have also done the BLS path a few years ago and parts of it are quite narrow and tricky
Thanks for the heads up. I had no idea about the storm damage. Which part of the Valais would you say is best for me to visit given the sort of thing I’m after please? Is there one village/small mountain town that you would recommend (other than Zermatt)? Thank you.
Hello Sapphire,
You didn’t find anything inspiring to do in the above links?!
You could look at Saas Fee in the Saas Valley as a smaller alternative:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sa asfee
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sa asvalley/activitiesIf you search for “rentals” in the area you will find places in smaller villages of the canton of Valais:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/va lais/rentalsBest,
Steph
Hi 1960man – I note that Sapphire is planning to travel in July.
It has been my experience that hiking in April can be problematic, because the clean up from Winter damage has not been completed in many places, which is needed every year.
Some of it is visible in the series of images in the link that I posted for the southern BLS trail. (Image #30). At the time in early April that I hiked the trail from Hohtenn to Ausserberg, the crews were just beginning trail clean up, and guard rails had not yet been re-installed, nor had rockfalls been cleaned up, along the wide smooth path from the Bietschtal Bridge back out to the south, where you once again are on the valley wall of the Rhonetal. ((Image #29.)
By July, I’d certainly expect that the trails….at a minimum, die Wanderwege ( marked hiking trails) …..would be in good condition. They are maintained.
<<“I have also done the BLS path a few years ago and parts of it are quite narrow and tricky”>>
I have not hiked the north ramp BLS trail, and I have only hiked the south ramp trail on the popular section with the midway beer garden from Hohtenn as far as Ausserberg ( frequently) or Eggerberg. In those stretches, a good part of the trail is on an old roadbed for the service rail line used during construction in the 1800’s. Little or no slope. There are definitely narrow stretches, such as those along the bisse, but those have little or no slope. If you get behind slow hikers, there are ways to pass periodically, and most people are courteous about allowing you to pass. There is always a way to pass people approaching you.
Any sections with significant exposure – and there are a few – are fenced or easily walked safely. The trail is a “yellow” signed trail, meaning that special hiking gear is not required. Atleast, not if you are Swiss. 😉
Where there are steep ascents or descents, stairs have been installed, as noted in my link above.
Could you recall which part of which BLS trail you were referring to?
I’ve had a look at a different trailnear there that runs from from above and to the north and east of Ausserberg back into the Baltscheidertal. I did not like that one. There was a quite narrow stretch with substantial exposure above a fairly steep slope covered with loose stone and screen. There were some cable handrails. My companions did not have good foot gear or hiking staffs ( not needed for the Südrampe trail described above) so we elected not to take that trail.
Some Swiss hikers took it as we were looking at it, made it a few kilometers into and out of the valley, and rejoined us (and passed us) as we walked out southward to Eggerberg on our easy trail..
I think it shows that we are not aggressive hikers, or even “normally quick” hikers by Swiss standards.
Slowpoke
Attachments:Hi Saphire,
As an alternative to Slowpoke’s excellent suggestion, you could explore the Herens Valley south of Sion. There are lovely villages such as La Sage, La Forclaz, and Ferpècle. Or, in another side valley, you could go to Arolla and have lunch at the historic Kurhaus hotel. All these places can be reached by postal coach from the Sion rail station, that should be included in your pass, no doubt.
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