There is a popular trail in the Saas Valley called the Gspon High Trail, so this is what we did this weekend. It's a 5-hour, 14 km hike high up above the Saas Valley, starting with a cable car ride up from Stalden (capacity 10 people or 3 people plus their bikes, and on this beautiful Sunday there were at least 30 people and 10 bikes waiting to get up the mountain! So we started 30 minutes later than planned).
The goal of the hike was a ski village in the valley bottom, Saas Grund, from where we took a bus up to the vehicle-free village of Saas Fee. It just started to cloud over and rain when we got there, so no sun-tanning on the balcony, but we were too tired for more than dinner and sleep! (and how lovely and quiet it was!)
Saas Fee sits on a high "plateau" surrounded by the highest mountains in the Swiss Alps, most over 4000m. Mount Dom, at 4545m, is the highest mountain entirely on Swiss soil, and it was right behind the hotel...
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| Starting in Stalden near Visp (and at the junction to the famous Matter Valley) we took the cable car up to Gspon, and walked 14 km (5 hours) to the back of the Saas Valley. |
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| Two weeks ago we hiked the high trail in the Turtmann Valley, on the other side of the Augsbord Pass |
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| The quaint little mountain village called Gspon is the start of our 14 km high trail hike. |
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| This view is looking North to the village of Gspon and into the Rhone Valley. |
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| This view is looking North to the village of Gspon and into the Rhone Valley. |
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| The slate-tile roofs are very typical for this area of the Canton Valais. |
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| Our favourite adorable sheep, Valais Black-Noses, although they are all hiding their noses. |
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| Strewn high above the valley floor are small groups of homes, most of which you can only reach on foot. |
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| Often we have to pass sections where there had been large landslides decades ago. Due to more slide danger, you are not supposed to stop along these stretches (like for picnics). |
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| View NorthWest into the Saas and Matter Valleys. |
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| View South into the Saas Valley. The highest peak is Mount Allalinhorn, a popular summer ski area. Saas Fee is just below that. |
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| Mount Allalinhorn, 4027m, and the peak I got to see as I lay in bed in my hotel room that night! |
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| Usually if we do hikes of more than 3 hours, I take a little nap along the way (after a picnic lunch, of course) |
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| Continuing along the Gspon High Trail. |
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| More rock-strewn passages. |
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| These mountains to the West of us are under 4000m, but their peaks are magnificent. |
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| First view of Saas Grund at the valley bottom, our destination before heading up to Saas Fee by bus. |
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| There is nothing quite like walking a high trail and looking down into the steep valley. |
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| Mount Allalinhorn in the center, and to the right is Mount Dom, the highest mountain totally located in Switzerland (about 4500m) |
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| Sometimes they run out of poles for the trail markers? |
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| I am Swiss! And how lucky I am to see so many beautiful places in Switzerland. |
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| From now on it's all downhill to Saas-Grund. |
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| From now on it's all downhill to Saas-Grund. |
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| From now on it's all downhill to Saas-Grund. |
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| Another pretty cluster of typical Valais mountain homes. |
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| Another pretty cluster of typical Valais mountain homes. |
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| Last stop to admire Mount Allalinhorn before the final 30 minutes to the valley bottom. |
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| Finally in Saas-Fee, a motor-vehicle-free village. Near our hotel was this cute restaurant where we had a very tasty meal. |
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| Finally in Saas-Fee, a motor-vehicle-free village. Near our hotel was this cute restaurant where we had a very tasty meal. |
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| Our Hotel for the night in Saas-Fee. They gave us a great South-facing room with a balcony and a view to Mount Allalinhorn. Only the weather could have been better. |
1 comment:
What a gorgeous area to discover! The views are absolutely stunning!
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