Hiking in Switzerland – Gabrielle and Urs

Tuesday July 28, 2026 -- Vacation week and some nice weather ahead of us, but also another heat wave with temperatures of up to 37 degrees in the lower areas where we live.

We had long planned a three-day vacation in Leukerbad, a resort town at the far back of the Dala Valley in Canton Valais/Wallis. Having found a reasonably-priced studio apartment for two nights, and expecting nice weather there, we firmed up the plans. Urs had long wanted to hike from the Gemmi Pass to the Swiss Alpine Hostel Lämmerenhütte, which was the shortest of the three hikes we had planned, so this is what we did on our arrival day.

Getting to Leuk and ultimately by cable car to the Gemmi Pass takes over four hours, and due to delayed trains along the way (someone was hanging around too close to the railway line and they had to stop all trains) we arrived later than expected, and were not prepared for the masses of people wanting to ride the cable-car to the pass (we had to wait in the hot sun for about 30 minutes). So we only started at noon, but it worked out well, as the air was clear, temperatures cool and the people spread out quite a bit.

The hike took approximately 90 minutes in each direction, across a stunning high-alpine plateau with views of two glaciers, and after a pause near the hostel for our (late) picnic lunch, we were back at the cable-car station by 4:30 p.m., and shortly afterwards settled into our apartment which was conveniently located near the bottom cable-car station, and slept well to the sound of the Dala River nearby.

(Side note: The people at the Gemmibahn ticket booth were kind enough to hold on to my larger backpack till we came back down!)

PART I: Travel to Leukerbad and Gemmi Pass

Leaving home at 6 a.m., it was going to be a trip of over four hours to get to Leukerbad. But because there were people hanging around too close to the railway line, all the trains between Visp and Geneva were running late. So we missed the hourly bus connection here in Leuk. Lucky for us, they sent an extra bus, so we ended up only losing 30 minutes. These first photos are from the bus ride into the beautiful Dala Valley.

The bus heads up from the Leuk train station into the town of Leuk at the entrance of the Dala Valley .

View across the town of Leuk down the Rhône Valley. We started a very nice 14-km hike here once, heading eastward along the sunny hillside. (February 2021, photos HERE). The town of Leuk has been inhabited since pre-Roman times.

Down below at the valley bottom is the Pfyn-Finges forest, at 17 km² the largest contiguous Scotch Pine forest in the Alps. In Medieval times, the forest was full of thieves, and travelers preferred to walk along the dry rocky hillside here instead of through the forest. We were luckier on August 1, 2021 when we walked through the nature reserve there: We encountered no thieves!

Down below is a church we have not yet visited... and at the entrance to the Illgraben Gorge on the far side of the Pfyn forest is a Tibetan suspension bridge which we missed out on when we walked through the forest in August 2021. And that peak at the back, called the Illhorn, is one I still hope to get up to one day (accessed from the Val d'Anniviers).

As the bus heads up the Dala Valley now, we can see the old white hotel perched at the edge of the Gemmi Pass, where we are headed for today's hike. (Also the new restaurant and cable-car station are visible to the right of it). The village up ahead is called Inden.

Passing by the village of Inden, a very lovely village where we also started a hike out of the valley in July 2021.

At 10:42 we arrived at the main bus terminal in Leukerbad (we were supposed to get here at 10:14, but the train was delayed). From here we see the upper part of the town. There was a connecting bus to the Gemmibahn cable-way station, so we didn't have to walk uphill to get there.

Boy did we get a shock, though, at how many people were already waiting here in line to ride up to the Gemmi Pass! As we got there, a cabin/car (35 people) was just heading up, and we had to wait 30 minutes (three runs of the cabin) before we could board.

At 11:25 we were finally on our way up toward the pass. There were about 100 people waiting to get on the cable-way. At 10 minutes for each run, and 35 people fit into the cabin, the wait is at the most 30 minutes. But it was hot in the sun.

Before the road into the Dala Valley (and later a railway line, which no longer exists) was built, the only way to get to the popular baths at Leukerbad from the north was via the Gemmi Pass along this steep and winding path, an elevation difference of over 800 meters! This was in the mid 18th Century!

Up above on the right you can see the viewing platform, from where you get a superb view of all the Wallis Alps to the south. The actual pass is a little further to the west.

We were up at the top station by 11:30, about an hour later than we had anticipated. Fun to find another frame from the "Grand Tour of Switzerland" for my collection! In the back we see all the 4000+ meter peaks of the Valais Alps.

And right behind me to the right of the frame, a close-up view of the Matterhorn, which looks totally different from this direction than the view one is used to seeing.

From up here we also watched the cable-car returning to Leukerbad to pick up the next 35 people waiting!!!!

VIDEO:

Watching the Gemmibahn Cable-Car head back down to Leukerbad

Fantastic view down the Dala Valley toward the Rhône Valley. The highest peak in the Alps, which is located 100% on Swiss soil, is called the Dom (4546m), and is in the Mischabel Group on the left.

And way down below, a flock of Valais Black-Nosed Sheep is seeking respite from the heat in the shade of the shed. Had we walked down the 850-meters along the zig-zag trail this day, we would have passed right by them!

PART II: The hike to the Swiss Alpine Hostel Lämmerenhütte via the Southern Trail

Behind me is the lake called Daubensee, where we are headed on our third day to cross a pass on the left there. (There is a nice winter hike you can do starting from here and heading north all the way to the Sunnbüel cable-way which takes you down to Kandersteg. In winter, the trail goes right over the frozen lake. We did that hike in February 2017.)

From the station at the Gemmi Pass is another smaller cable-car which you can ride down to the level of Lake Daubensee. We are planning to do this on Thursday, as we have never ridden on this cable-car before.

A look behind us at the two cable-car stations, back-to-back!

11:50, and it's time to head off for our planned 3-hour hike (expecting to take about five hours to do it. The final run of the Gemmibahn is at 6 p.m., but we plan to be back by 5 p.m.).

Starting at the summit station of the Gemmibahn cableway at 11:50, we reached the Lämmerenhütte at 1:30 p.m. and took an hour break there. Then we left at 2:30 p.m, and arrived back at the cable-car station at 4:30 p.m., and after a 10-minute ride down and a short walk to the apartment, were already settling in there at shortly after 5 p.m.

Heading down the hillside now, we get another good look at the Matterhorn directly to the south.

And straight ahead of us we can already see the Swiss Alpine Hostel perched on a small plateau above the high alpine plain. The large glacier ahead is called the Wildstrubel Glacier, with the peak of the same name above it.

A look behind us as we are headed down and away from the cable-car station. Behind Urs you can just make out the former Gemmi Pass Hotel which is now in disrepair.

There are two trails to the Hostel, which is nice so we don't have to take the same path back. We decided to start along the southern trail.

A flock of curious sheep came to check us out, before continuing to "greener pastures". They have full run of the mountain up here!

Still a bit of snow here! I want to walk across it, although it's not necessary.

This entire upper plain (called Lämmerenboden) is full of the meandering waters that come down from the two glaciers to the west. It is absolutely beautiful here and nice and pleasantly "cool" at 2300 meters above sea level.

Crossing the river before the ascent to the hostel.

A look back to where we had come from (behind Urs). It is really flat here!

Starting uphill now along a back-and-forth trail, we get the first look at the Lämmeren Lake, which is along the "northern" trail, which we will take on the way back. It's a climb of just under 200 meters altitude from here to the hostel.

Heading up the trail with a view of a second glacier this time, aptly called the Lämmeren Glacier!

A close-up view of the Lämmeren Glacier. There were a couple of very large waterfalls at the base of the glacier!

And then we came to the most interesting part of the walk, a narrow cliff trail secured with chain hand-holds. But the drop was never so far that you would get dizzy. (There were even a few children walking here).

Looking down behind me now as we make our way up the narrow ledge.

At 1:25 p.m. we reached the upper plateau where the hostel is located, and we were surprised to find a small lake up here as well, one that has not yet dried out due to the prolonged hot weather we have been experiencing.

First look at the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) Hostel: "Lämmerenhütte". It is apparently the most-visited SAC Hostel in the country.

The view down to the Lämmeren Lake and Lämmerenboden plateau from the height of the hostel.

There were quite a few people here already, having a bit of something to eat (or a picnic) but we found a bench a small way away, where we had our (late) picnic lunch.

And this is the view from the vantage point of our picnic bench.

Our picnic bench near the Lämmeren Hostel, with views of both the Lämmeren and Wildstrubel Glaciers.

The alpine choughs always sense when there might be some free food around!

A cool breeze helps display the Canton Valais/Wallis Flag! A very nice place here to spend an hour. (Last cable-car down is at 6 p.m., but we expect to make it back by 5 p.m. at the latest).

2:30 p.m. and it's time to start on our way back. (We don't usually take breaks this long! But we figured it is hotter down in the town than here, so let's enjoy the time here longer.)

As we are heading back toward the trail, we are surprised to see that a family with some rather small children has just come up the trail on the narrow cliff ledge! They start early here!

Interesting landscape with another view of the Lämmeren Glacier.

Admiring the little alpine lake. It looks pretty decent and not ready to dry up!

PART III: Return to the Gemmi Pass via the Northern Trail

Another view over Lämmerenboden as we start on our way back down again. It's 14:36, and we expect to be back at the cable-car station by about 4:30 p.m.

More people including kids heading up to the hostel!

Back down at the bottom now, and we are taking the north trail back, which passes by the Lämmeren Lake.

This is as close to the lake as we chose to go. We assume that the water usually reaches right up to the trail here.

The northern trail back toward Gemmi Pass

Looking behind us at the Lämmerenboden plateau. The "river" meanders everywhere, and we were surprised at how much water there was!

The Wildstrubel Glacier comes into view again.

Looking behind us we can now again see the Lämmeren Hostel

The familiar peaks near the Gemmi Pass now come into view, as well as the old Wildstrubel Hotel and the new hotel/restaurant. The highest peak on the left is called Rinderhorn.

The afternoon sunshine reflects on all the water courses.

Once again we meet up with the sheep that have the full run of this upper plateau.

Around the corner now, the Daubensee Lake comes into view. On our third day here, the plan is to walk northwards along the western shore of this lake. We have to cross the river near that building below.

Having crossed the river as it heads toward Lake Daubensee, there were several people here taking a dip in the glacier waters!

As we approach the junction of the south and north trails, we find the notice for the North Trail painted on a rock!

Back now near the cable-car station we can enjoy another clear view of the mountains in the Matter Valley. Clouds are now building around the Matterhorn.

Another fantastic view down to the town of Leukerbad and the Wallis Alps south of the Rhône Valley. Also below on that outcropping is the small shed where we earlier saw the Valais Black-Nosed sheep.

Watching the 16:30 run of the Gemmi Cable-Car back down to Leukerbad. We are headed into the station now to line up for the next run, 10 minutes later.

What this hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. It's about 90 minutes in each direction from the Gemmipass cable-car station to the Lämmeren Hostel, and back. We did the South Trail first, and returned via Lake Lämmeren and the North Trail.

On the way down now in the cable-car, I wanted to get a really good photo of the upper part of the Dala Valley (where the Dala River has its source) where we are going to be walking the next day. (The dotted red line shows approximately the path we followed).

PART IV: Our Rented Studio Apartment for two nights

By just after 5 p.m. we found our way to the accommodation which we had rented for two nights (just a 10-minute walk from the Gemmibahn valley station), in this building very near the entrance of the Dala Gorge (where we ended the next day's hike).

First thing I did when we accessed the apartment was to check out the view from the balcony! The Dala River runs right next to the property.

Enjoying an evening meal on the balcony! (We always bring packs of seasoned Risotto or Noodles for easy transport and easy preparation!)

Details of the studio apartment. The beds had to be taken down from the "fake cupboards". I totally loved the kitchen, so tiny but it had absolutely everything you need to prepare easy meals! Only drawback was very little cupboard space for you personal belongings.