Exciting Hike to the Back of the Dala Valley, and out via the Dala Gorge

(This post published on August 19, 2026)

Wednesday July 29, 2026 -- For the second day of our three-day hiking trip to Leukerbad, I had planned a challenging and very long (almost five hours) hike into the back of the Dala Valley (where the river has its source) starting from the Rinderhütte at the top of a different cable-way than the one we took the day before, and crossing the mountainside high above the valley heading eastward to the very back, then returning down the north side and ending in the Dala Gorge, about which I had recently seen an interesting video (The source of the hot waters for the town's thermal baths are here).

We were discouraged from doing this hike by a close friend who had done this once in Spring, and felt it was very dangerous and not fun at all. Searching the Internet, I found only one report of this hike, and the main point was that you have to be sure-footed and free of vertigo. At first I was unsure if we should attempt this, but in retrospect very happy that we did not change plans. Except for the first section across a hillside of shale—where we treaded very carefully as the drop was fairly steep—the rest of the trail was interesting, including a few short sections along rock instead of footpaths, but those were secured with chain handholds.

Our main goal was the Flüealp farm, where 70 cows spend the summer, and where they claim to have the best cheese anywhere! We had some refreshments, bought cheese, then continued to the little cliff church, then down the valley where we observed a herd of deer, sheep cooling off on avalanche snow, experienced the hot water from the thermal pool in the Dala Gorge, and ended up directly at our apartment by 4 p.m., where we then enjoyed the evening on our balcony.

(Photos of Day 1 are HERE)

PART I: Walk through Leukerbad to the Rinderhütte Cable-Car

Enjoying the early morning view from our studio apartment balcony at 7:20 in the morning! Unfortunately, the first run of the Torrent to Rinderhütte cable-car is at 8:40, otherwise we'd already be on our way! 

To get to the cable-car station, we first had a walk of about 30 minutes through the town of Leukerbad. 

Our path toward the cable-car station passes by the town's church, which we had a quick look inside. 

Inside the church at Leukerbad

Lovely homes in Leukerbad. 

Lovely homes in Leukerbad. 

A view up to the Gemmi Pass where we were the day before (photos HERE), and where we are going the next day. 

Interesting information about the spectacular trail down from Gemmi Pass to Leukerbad. In the 18th Century, before the road was built from the Rhône Valley, there were only two ways for travelers to reach the baths in Leukerbad, and this was the trail from the north. The trail was first mentioned in 1329, and was added to maps in 1495.  

This is the building with the famous Leukerbad Thermal Baths. 

Cute house. 

By 8:32 we had reached the Leukerbad-Rinderhütte cable-car, which carries 80 people compared to the Gemmibahn which only carries 35 people. The first run is at 8:40, and there were not a lot of people, luckily!

A look down at the town of Leukerbad as the cable-car heads up to the Rinderhütte station. It's a 5-minute ride that takes you up 1000 meters higher than the town. 

There is a second cable-car as well, which has a mid-stop at Torrentalp. Both cable cars end at the summit station called Rinderhütte. 

PART II: Hike to Flüealp and Flüealp Cliff Chapel

Starting at the Rinderhütte summit station, we walked high above the valley on a very interesting trail to the Flüekapelle, then down the valley again and into the Dala Gorge, ending almost directly at our studio apartment. But to get to the cable car station early in the morning was another 1½ km and 25 minutes, so in all this was a 14-km and five-hour hike, and not at all tiring!

We started on our hike from the Rinderhütte summit station at 8:50. This is a reservoir lake used to make snow in winter. 

We are being watched!!!

We did the first uphill section in 20 minutes, and found a neat little place with benches to take a break (sunscreen). But this is obviously meant for wintertime use when the snow reaches the level of the floor!

A look behind us where we had just done the first 20 minutes of our hike. We can see down into the Rhône Valley from here. Unfortunately, there are some clouds and the air is not nearly as clear as the day before. 

Heading into the Dala Valley now, all on tenterhooks not knowing what to expect. Apparently, we missed the sign that warns you that you have to be sure-footed and free of vertigo!

What a treat to catch sight of a marmot. 

Now we get the first look into the Dala Valley, where the Dala River has its source (and then flows all the way into the Rhône River). We are not hiking all the way to the to the pass at the back, but to just a bit further than the clearing in the center of the photo, where it will be possible to cross the river. 

This was the hardest part of the hike, as this whole hillside was shale, and many small pieces were covering the trail, so we had to walk carefully. (One slip, and it was a long way down the hillside!) This takes much longer than generally walking on footpaths. 

At first I was disappointed that we didn't have a cloud-free day like the day before, but there was still plenty of sunshine and views. 

Our morning shadows and a look down to Leukerbad way below! Also below is the short section of the Dala Gorge which was the final part of our hike out of the valley. 

At the arrow is the mountain farm called Flüealp, which is the first main goal of this hike. Most people who visit the farm and the cliff-chapel do the hike up the valley on that road we can see below. Up here, there were only three other people besides us doing this trail. 

Leaving the more difficult trail behind us now, we have come to a very pleasant high mountain footpath. 

The views are ever changing. Because it was early, we still had a lot of shadow on this side of the valley, but that way it never became too hot. 

Looking behind us, we spotted two other people on the trail. Can you see them? At some point they did pass us. 

There were a few slightly "tricky" sections where the mounted chain handholds helped us navigate the rocks. 

No problem at all crossing like this with the chains mounted to the rock. 

We love hiking in this kind of terrain!

We spotted this cute little bird, which we see once in a while in the mountains. It is called an "Alpine Accentor" (Alpenbraunelle).

The birds were flying around that cliff wall!

Looking to the west now, i.e. a close-up view of the Gemmi Pass where we were the day before (photos HERE), we can see the summit of the cable-car station as well as the Lämmeren Hostel which we had hiked up to. And the large glacier is called the Wildstrubel Glacier. 

Down below we can see where we will be walking toward the end of this hike. First along the trail in the clearing above the ravine, then via a small hamlet called Clabinualp at the first arrow, and then down into the Gorge just before exiting into Leukerbad. 

Now the last stretch is pretty easy, a zigzag trail along grassy footpaths to the Flüealp Farm below. We can also see the two people who passed us, on the path below (we ended up passing them further on, as we took a short-cut). 

Having fun clambering over the rocks!

There were chain handholds anywhere where there might have been a chance of slipping. 

This makes the hike so much more interesting. You just have to take your time and step carefully. 

All the pretty flowers we saw on this part of our hike!

On the bottom end of the trail we found the sign that warned hikers that the trail was only for people who have no vertigo!

We reached the Flüealp farm at 11:45 and stopped here for refreshments. We took about a 30-minute break here. (Most people hike here on the lower trail on this side of the valley, then out on the other side. A description of that hike and the Alpine Farm is HERE). 

There were a few people sitting at the tables outside, but we chose the "inside" tables as it was less hot there! We had our traditional Panachés. Urs then bought some cheese as we had read that they have the best cheese.... 

Continuing on, the little chapel was only another 10 minutes further back in the valley. There were quite a few people here. 

A little suspension bridge crosses the Dala River. 

As it was now 12:30, we though this would be a good place to have our picnic lunch, but it was too warm in the sun, so we continued on to find a place along the trail with a bit more shade. 

We had a quick look inside the small chapel built into the cliff. There was a binder with a description of the renovation work done here, with a comment that the chapel is very important to the residents of the valley. Earlier, this was an open "grotto" under the cliff overhang, but they closed it up to create this chapel in the mit 19th Century. 

In particular, the stained glass windows were very pretty. 

PART III: Hike out of the Dala Valley on the North side. 

Starting on our hike back to Leukerbad, the sign claimes 80 minutes, but it was much longer than that! Even just the section to Clabinualp was 55 minutes at a moderate pace! I guess the locals walk much faster. We did do a bit of a detour, so without a break, our trail choice would have been almost two hours! (Even the most direct way to the very outskirts of the town was 90 minutes, to downtown 110 minutes.). 

The first part of the trail back was kind of rough like this! There was a lot of cloud cover by now, but that meant it was less hot. 

Above us on the north side of the valley we could admire this vertical cliff face from a variety of view points! And a waterfall!

Here two trails joined. We had been walking on the upper trail. 

A different view of the crags and waterfall above us as we head down the valley. 

Every once in a while we have to cross a small stream. 

Here we have to cross some old avalanche snow. 

We were surprised to see several sheep lounging up higher on the remaining avalanche snow. At first we thought they had perished, but they moved slightly. Possibly it was also too hot for them, and this was a way to cool off!

Another look behind us as we head out of the valley. Further up we were closer to the river, but here it has carved out a gorge. 

There was a fellow with binoculars sitting on a bench. We figured he must have spotted something, so we also took a really good look, and saw there was a herd of deer on the far side of the gorge. We would have not noticed them had the fellow not been sitting there. (It was on the mountainside further above there that we walked up into the valley earlier in the day). 

There they are scattered in the clearing. 

Close-up shots of the deer grazing on that clearing on the other side of the gorge. 

A conveniently-placed watering trough! (Further back you can see the fellow on the bench...). 

By 2 p.m. we reached the little hamlet called Clabinualp, which we had seen from the other side of the valley. There were several cute houses here. 

Looking back in the direction of the mountainside we had started our hike on. 

A view down to the Leukerbad as we are getting close to the exit of the valley. 

To the south now we get a good view of where we had walked earlier in the day.  

It's always fun when we get to cross suspension bridges. 

A look back after crossing the suspension bridge. There were other people here trying to cross with their dogs, who had a hard time with the open grid bottom! 

Here was a bench where we sat for a while enjoying the view, before we descended into the gorge from here. 

PART IV: The Dala Gorge and Thermal Catchment Basin

The front part of the Dala Gorge is very narrow, but has been outfitted with stairs and bridges for a very interesting walk through the gorge. 

The Dala River has carved out an interesting path in the cliffs here. 

Interesting metal bridges and staircases through the ravine. 

The waterfall in the ravine as seen from the metal staircase and bridge. 

Fun walk through the Dala Gorge 

It was rather a short stretch through the ravine, but interesting to walk. 

VIDEO:

Walking along the Dala Gorge Passerelle

(With some very nice waterfalls!)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Just below here is the hot water spring which feeds the baths in Leukerbad. They have set up a little pail on a cable which you can use to pull up the bucket filled with hot water from the pool.

Down below is the Dala River, and next to it the pool (catchment basin) formed by the hot water spring. With the pail you can draw water from the pool and test it. It really was hot!

The QR Code gives information about the thermal water spring: https://www.thermalquellenzunft.ch/audio/audio-dateien-englisch/audio-3/index.php.  It took 120 hours of volunteer work to create the catchment basin for the thermal waters. 

I reached the overpass just a couple of minutes from our apartment at 15:40. Urs decided to walk into town to buy some cold drinks, but I went straight to the apartment to shower and enjoy the rest of the afternoon on our lovely balcony. 

A look down at the Dala River (from the overpass) as it heads down the valley.

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps, including the 1½-kilometer walk through the town first thing in the morning to reach the Torrentbahn station. The ca. 5-hour hike (starting at Rinderhütte) then ended almost directly at our apartment after we left the bottom end of the Dala Gorge. 

Location of the Dala Valley within Switzerland.