Hiking on the Most Spectacular Irrigation Channel in Upper Valais

Wednesday Sept.4 -- This time the weather was perfect for our outing to the driest part of the country, Canton Valais, although the train connections were not. We were supposed to be in the town of Ausserberg at 10:30 to start on our hike along the most spectacular of all the irrigation channels of the area: The Niwärch Suon in the Baltschieder Valley. But with train delays etc. we started an hour later. We didn't rush though, the day was beautiful and there was a breeze going (without it the first ascent at midday would have been too hot) and still managed to catch the 16:30 bus back in Ausserberg, after a total 4-hour hike. 

Some of these spectacular irrigation channels are hundreds of years old. In fact, both the channels we walked -- Niwärch Suon heading into the Baltschieder Valley (with a drop of 300 vertical meters to the river below) and the Undra Suon heading back out (150m above the river) were both originally built in the mid-14th Century, sometimes at great loss of life. Because the area is so dry, the farmers had to be creative with bringing the water down from the mountains at high enough altitude to share the water from above, and this meant long hard work carving out channels in the rock (with only pick-axes and shovels), and attaching wooden troughs to vertical rock faces. 

In the meantime a new tunnel was built here to bring out the water, but some local groups clean up the old trail every spring to keep it open to hikers. I must say, though, that with the rocky overhangs, the narrow trail and steep drop down, I have never walked so slowly and carefully in my life....

The cutest house in Ausserberg, Canton Wallis 

Various impressions of Ausserberg

Heading 200m up the mountain toward the little bunch of houses called "Niwärch", same name as the irrigation channel because it runs right above there. This is looking down at Ausserberg. 

View down to Visp and the Rhone River. In the back the Mischabel Mountains are just making their appearance. These are the highest mountains fully on Swiss territory.

Autumn Crocus:  A sure sign that summer is over and Fall has begun

Just passed through the little hamlet called Niwärch. It's still another 60 meters altitude till we hit the irrigation channel

And here it is, the irrigation channel called Niwärch, watering this fields for the past 600 years

The Niwärch irrigation channel, very old, hewn out of rock in the mid 14th-Century. The first part is mostly through forest and very pleasant to walk along. 

One last look down at Ausserberg before heading into the Baltschieder Valley

300 altitude meters from Ausserberg train station to the irrigation channel near Niwärch, which we followed through meadows and forests to Choruderri, which is the start of the really amazing trail, along vertical cliffs 300m above the Baltschieder Valley. On the way back we followed a different channel called Undra, which we could enjoy better because the trail was not so narrow.

Walking along the "Historical Irrigation Channel Niwärch". The sign says 40 minutes to Ze Steinu, but that is impossible, because you have to walk so carefully. We took 1:15 with lots of stops, but 1 hour for sure would be necessary.

Besides the terrible English translation, these signs always make me laugh: There is no way you could "quit" (or "leave") the trail, even if you wanted to! (except to go straight down bouncing along the cliff wall)

The start of the 1.5-km stretch of irrigation channel built into the vertical cliff walls 300m above the valley bottom. Heading into the magnificent Baltschieder Valley. 

If the narrow board over the irrigation channel isn't bad enough, look at the narrow trail past that... and the cliff leans outwards.

We walked very slowly, always leaning slightly into the cliff wall, as the vertical drop was right on the other side. Between the trail and the rock face is the water channel

The irrigation channels built into the steep mountain walls over 600 years ago. The drop is at least 300m

Looking out of the Baltschieder Valley down the Matter Valley to the Mischabel Mountains. You can just make out the trail where we started

At this section the water still runs through a wooden channel, and the trail is just a board over the channel.

This hike is not for the faint-of-heart nor for those who suffer from Vertigo

In most places there was a cable to hold on to, but not everywhere. 

These irrigation channels... hewn out of rock over 600 years ago

Absolutely stunning and fantastic.

Simply breathtaking. The view into the Baltschieder Valley

There were a few sections like this, nothing to hold on to, the cliff face hanging over the trail so you had to bend down slightly, and the weird trail with the vertical rocks that meant to had to put your foot down carefully for each step.

And also here, nothing to hold on to. This was probably the trickiest of all the passages.

Finally arrived at Ze Steinu, the furthest back into the valley that we were going. It took us 75 minutes to get here, whereas the trail marker showed 40 minutes. Not sure who can walk that fast....

Looking South out of the Baltschieder Valley, the impressive Mischabel Mountains, with Mount Dom being the highest peak that is totally on Swiss Territory. 

From Ze Steinu we walked back OUT of the valley. Further down another irrigation channel (the Undra Suon) is diverted from the Baltschieder River, also running back to Ausserberg but lower down the mountain than the Niwärch Channel.

The start of the Undra Suon. Near where it leaves the river, the trail is easier to walk. 

Since the irrigation channels are almost horizontal, the drop down to the river below gets higher each time. 

VIDEO:  

Walking along the Undra Suon irrigation channel, 

150m above the Baltschieder River below

By the time we reached the mouth of the valley, and before heading West back to Ausserberg, the drop is pretty high again. At this point I had the largest sense of how narrow and high up the trail really was.

We were happy to see a couple of Valais Black-Nosed sheep. This one was sticking its head into a cleft in the rock.... I believe cool air comes out of there! For us the light breeze was refreshing. For the sheep I guess it was a hot day. 

The final 2 km back to the town of Ausserberg were along a paved road, but the irrigation channel next to the road with its happy sound of rushing water made you forget that you were on the road. 

Another look down onto the city of Visp. From here the Valley to the East leads up into the Goms region, and the Valley to the South ends at the Matterhorn

Our destination, the bus stop in Ausserberg (there was no need to walk the 20 additional minutes to the train station, as there was a bus arriving in 15 minutes).

Admiring the wooden houses while waiting for the bus.

Heading back down to Visp by bus for our train ride back home. 

This approximately 12-km round tour from Ausserberg into the Baltschieder Valley along the upper channel (Niwärch) and back along the lower irrigation channel (Undra) took us four hours. 

We have been in this area several times already. Previously we walked into the Baltschieder Valley using the new tunnel (which also brings water from the back of the valley) because we did not know we could walk along the old irrigation channel. At that time (blue line) we walked along the historical Gorperi Suon to Eggerberg on the other side of the Baltschieder Valley.