Saturday Sept.14 -- Our final hike of the 4-day hiking trip was purposefully selected as a short one, as we we were heading home after the hike (having locked up the large backpack at the Visp train station).
It started with a very adventurous bus ride through the large mountain village called Bürchen, the large bus winding its way higher and higher along the narrow streets between the houses, and then through the forest on what I am used to as walking trails!
The starting point of our hike, Moosalp, high above the valley bottom where the two valleys are split by the Mischabel mountains (the near side valley ending at Zermatt and the Matterhorn, and the far side valley ending at the Mattmark Lake where we had been the day before), has a restaurant which earned renown for the chef's particularly tasty creme slices (a type of Mille-Feuille pastry but with way more creme), which we had to have for breakfast before starting on our 3-hour hike.
From information placards we learned that the first part of our trail was originally an irrigation channel built in the 13th century, in use till early 1900 when the water was moved underground. Therefore, the first part of the trail was fairly level. But then we had some interesting tunnels (one so completely dark you had to use handrails as a guide), a tricky path across a rock slide, a long uphill section (I had a bit of trouble with that) and then the best part, another long stretch of narrow trail along cliff walls, with hand rails and rickety bridges... but can't be too dangerous because those crazy mountainbikers ride it!
Our plan was to have lunch at the Jungen Alp and then descend with their private cable car (another reason for this particular planned trip) but they had guest musicians up there this afternoon: Too loud and too many people, so we descended right away to St.Niklaus, had ice cream at the train station restaurant, and then headed home (with some train delays).
A good hike, but somewhat anticlimactic after the Mattmark Lake hike from the day before!
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| The bus stops up here at Moosalp before descending again on the curvy road via Törbel to the Matter Valley. This is the restaurant with the famous cream pastries. |
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| Cremeschnitten (cream slices) and coffee on the large terrace in the early morning sunshine |
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| We started early because we knew there would be sunshine on this side of the mountain. But first a relaxing second breakfast! |
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| And this view of the Ried Glacier didn't hurt either. That is the Mischabel Group with the small rounded peak at the back, Mount Dom, the highest mountain in the Swiss Alps, 100% on Swiss territory |
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| Heading South from Moosalp, the first half of our hike was pleasant, on level trails with lots of spectacular views into the valley below. After that an uphill section, and then the fun part along the cliffs, before descending with the Jungen Alp Cable Car to St.Niklaus below. |
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| Nice level trail for the first half of the hike |
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| Small detour to admire the view of Törbel and way below the village of Stalden, where they are currently building a new bridge to detour around the village. From down there one road goes into the Saas Valley, the other into the Matter Valley |
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| That bridge takes my breath away. How are those two skinny columns supposed to hold up the highway? |
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| Looking South along the Mattertal (Matter Valley). You cannot see the Matterhorn from here because the valley bends to the right at the back. But you can see the Monte Rosa Massif, where the highest peak in Switzerland is located, the Dufour Peak (shared with Italy) |
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| This magnificent peak is called the Weisshorn, and you can see it from almost anywhere in the Wallis region! |
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| A couple of very dark tunnels that we had to follow! On one of them we had to let the handrail guide us! |
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| The level part of the trail is finished here. After a downhill section to the zigzag trail ahead, we then climbed along the treeline to the left. |
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| The zigzag trail was surprisingly easy to do. On the right you continue over the Augstbord Pass to Turtmann Valley. Our trail junctions off to the left. |
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| Ascending 200m to the highest point of our hike |
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| The first and only branch of yellowing larch tree we came across. In October, these hills are all kinds of yellow |
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| Narrow paths just how we like them. If the trees had been yellow, this would have been simply spectacular! |
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| On the other side of the valley on another high plateau is the large vacation resort of Grächen |
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| This is the very interesting part that I love, across the steep cliffs. Our goal is the Jungen Alp at the arrow. |
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| The mountain bikers seemed to have no trouble with this trail |
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| Fun, stunning, a superb day |
VIDEO:
Cyclists on the trail!
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| That little bridge didn't look too solid |
VIDEO:
Urs walking across the bridge
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| No problem if you are not afraid of heights |
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| Another glimpse of the Ried Glacier before rounding the corner to Jungen Alp |
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| A great time for picnics and families and music, but too noisy for us. We had planned to have lunch here, but there were too many people. |
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| Looking northward to where we started our hike. |
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| Close up of the Ried Glacier. Mount Dom is now the small white rounded peak on the right |
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| Below the house is the cable car station. There was one leaving in five minutes, so we headed down right away. |
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| Way up high in the Matter Valley from Moosalp to Jungenalp. |
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| The little alpine village of Jungen |
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| Down below in St.Niklaus, after having ridden down in the Jungen Cable Car |
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| We had some time before the train came, so went for a quick walk around the village of St. Niklaus |
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| Some impressions of St.Niklaus |
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| And this beautiful photo was taken out of the train window somewhere on the way to Visp. This would be the Matter Vispa River. |
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| This is the region where we spent our four days. Two hikes in the Lötschental Valley, one in the Saas Valley, and one in the Matter Valley |
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| This is one of our favourite parts of Switzerland. |
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