Friday August 27, 2021 -- The final day of our 5-day hiking trip in Canton Valais dawned cloudless as we prepared to leave our little hotel in Les Collons high up above the Rhône Valley. We had to leave fairly early as there are only three daily bus courses that take you off the mountain from Thyon to Sion. (Side note: This was the first day of school, and many tiny French-speaking humans rode the bus with us, heading off to primary school in Vex, about half-way down the mountain...)
Although the weather would have been perfect in this corner of Canton Valais, we had again planned something further along on the "way home", namely an irrigation channel hike high up on Belalp near Brig, where we had actually been the month before when we hiked on the Aletsch Panorama Trail in July (photos HERE). At that time we had lots of fog and had to wait out some time at the restaurant there, before starting on that hike. We had high hopes to see the alp without fog this time...
Which turned out not to be. It was basically a repeat of last time, a cable car ride from Blatten through the clouds, an hour spent at the restaurant waiting for the clouds to lift (as it turned out, they remained all day) and then off on our hike anyway. We started with a 3.5-kilometer walk along the Nessjeri irrigation channel (built in the 15th Century), at an altitude of 2100 meters one of the highest irrigation channels which still conveys water to irrigate the farms in the Rhône Valley below. Even with the fog, it was a lovely hike. As we got further and further from Belalp, the magnificent Aletsch Glacier appeared more and more behind us, until the best view-point before we started on our long descent: At a little hamlet called Nessel, we were able to look North to the Aletsch Glacier, and over the entire Rhône Valley to the South. So not a wasted day at all.
After the long and tiring descent (750m) toward Birgisch, we still had enough energy to walk along two more irrigation channels (Oberschta and Stigwasser, both even older than the Nessjeri channel, namely built some time in the 13th Century) into and out of the the fabulous Gredetschtal Valley to end our hike in Mund, the Saffron Capital North of the Alps.... (30-1000 flowers handpicked per day over 18,000 sq.meters, producing 1 to 4 kilograms of saffron per year). The Mund Saffron Museum is housed in a tiny wooden building which has been dated to 1437 and is one of the oldest structures in Canton Valais.
The day starts with a nice breakfast at the "Auberge de l'ours" hotel in Les Collons. There weren't many guests, and we are the first up this early.... (7 a.m.).
At 8 a.m. we are heading back down to Sion from Les Collons, a 45-minute bus ride where more and more children were getting on, going to their first day of school in Vex below.
The Chateau de Valère in Sion. Here the weather was fabulous. Webcams for Brig already indicated way more clouds in that direction, and we could have changed plans, but that becomes tiring. So we stuck to our original plan and headed to Belalp
From Blatten bei Naters you take a cable car to Belalp, where we nursed some coffees again on the restaurant terrace while waiting for the clouds to disappear, which they did not. (I was so annoyed at our lack of spontaneity to change plans, that I forgot to take a photo of our coffee break...). From there we walked up to the irrigation channel called Nessjeri, at 2100 one of the highest irrigation channels where water flows.
Looking across the valley we could see that the irrigation channel trail at least was not directly in the clouds, so we headed off anyway.... Considering that we left the hotel in Les Collons fairly early, we only started on this hike at 11:30 a.m.
Heading toward the irrigation channel (not here, although this is the river which provides the water for the channel higher up) we at least had some sunshine, but the surrounding mountains had disapeared in the clouds.
Here we are near the origin of the Nessjeri irrigation channel
For the next 3.5 kilometers we walked South along this irrigation channel
The colours of the landscape were very pretty up here, even without much sunshine
VIDEO:
Walking along the Nessjeri Irrigation Channel
(This is my own video, open up in YouTube)
A look behind us at Belalp where we started our hike (above the forested section). The Aletsch Glacier is just coming into view on the right.
This is how the water is diverted to the various fields. Back in the middle ages there were very strict rules about which farmer got to use the water and when. Only those who participated in building the channels had "free" use (according to strict schedules), others had to pay to use the water.
The more we headed South, the more we could see of the Aletsch Glacier to the Northeast (It was such a shame that the sky was not blue).
A zoomed view of the Aletsch Glacier (the largest glacier in the Alps) looking back toward where we came from.
Just before starting on the long descent, we arrived at the little hamlet called Nessel
Little hamlet of Nessel near Belalp
Another very cute and very old chapel, which contained a little surprise
Inside the Nessel Chapel is a very old original piece of artwork, a type of box whose doors can be shut. The date on the box reads 1656.... And interestingly enough, the artists in the middle ages don't ever seem to have seen any real human babies. (They simply look like tiny grown men).
To the Southwest we can see the Mischabel Massif on the left, the Matterhorn in the middle, and the Weisshorn on the right. (It was really tough realizing the skies were clear there... we could have done a hike in the Vispa Valley instead...)
A zoomed view of Mount Matterhorn which is way South at the back of the Vispa/Matter Valley on the Italian border
We found a really good place where we could look North into the Massa Valley, and South into the Rhône Valley.
A look North into the Massa Valley, to the Gibidum Dam below, and the Aletsch Glacier at the back.
Panorama view of the Massa Gorge and the Rhône Valley, with the city of Brig below. In the back is the road toward the Simplon Pass
A last look at the city of Brig below before starting on our descent. We had barely any sunshine while up here because of a single cloud between the sun and us.
On our way down the mountain we mostly walked through the forest, with glimpses down to the city of Brig, including the fabulous Stockalper Palace
When we finally reached the Oberschta Irrigation Channel above Birgisch after an 80-minute and 730-meter descent, it was time to massage my feet and cool them off in the ice-cold mountain water!!!
Instead of descending to the bus stop in Birgisch, we decided to walk along the other two irrigation channels Oberschta and Stigwasser to Mund, via the Gredetschtal Valley. It was only an additional hour, and a level trail. These two irrigation channels were built in the 13th Century.
A glimpse across the valley to Mund, the end of our hike.
On this irrigation channel there were many tunnels built to accommodate the flowing water.
(More than likely, the original irrigation channel was built of wooden troughs attached to the outside of the cliffs, and then later redirected through tunnels)
VIDEO:
One of the many tunnels along the Oberschta Irrigation Channel
(This channel constructed in the 13th Century...)
A look up the beautiful Gredetsch Valley. 30 minutes on this side, and 30 minutes on the other on the way out (in the shadow of the mountain). On the other side is another "exciting" irrigation channel much higher up.
Looking to the back of the Gredetsch Valley.
You can walk further back into the valley, but here at the bridge crossing the river is where we headed back out the other side of the valley. We came along the Oberschta Suon, and went out along the Stigwasser to Mund.
Some more tunnels to walk through, some quite dark!
A narrow trail next to the irrigation channel. But the way out was in the shadow of the mountain.
Out of the valley again and heading to the village of Mund
Another look down into the Rhône Valley and the Simplon road in the far back
Heading down into the village of Mund to catch to bus to Brig
Old wooden Valais buildings. Many of these are old barns, some have been converted to small homes.
This building houses the Saffron Museum. It has been dated back to 1437 and is one of the oldest structures in Canton Valais.
The Saffron Museum.
Entrance to the Saffron Museum. We still are planning to come to Mund sometime in October or November to experience the saffron harvest first-hand.
A four-hour hike along three ancient irrigation channels (14 kilometers). As with the other four hikes we did, there was more downhill than uphill.
Obviously, this is another area where we have done a lot of walking. This time it was starting at Belalp and walking to Mund via Nessel and Gredetsch Valley. In previous years we have already walked along the two lower irrigation channels (Oberschta and Stigwasser).
This is the area of the lower Valais where we spent five days toward the end of August, and the regions where we did the five hikes.
Thursday August 26, 2021 -- This was Day 4 of our 5-day trip to Canton Valais. For a long time now we have wanted to visit the Grand Dixence Dam, which is the world's largest gravity dam, and the fifth highest dam in the world! But it is far back in a side valley South of the RhôneValley (Val d'Hérémence) and certainly not possible for us as a day trip, but from our little rented studio in Saxon, only a 90-minute trip!
(Side note: Lac des Dix, created by the Grande Dixence Dam, as well as Lac de Cleuson which we had visited two days earlier, are both part of the Grande Dixence complex which includes four pumping stations and three production plants, producing 20% of Switzerland's storage energy.)
We had first laid eyes on the dam in August 2018 when we also spent a week in Valais discovering side valleys, and we had done a hike on Mont-Rouge (Thyon), which is also part of 4-Vallées and on the ridge that separates Val d'Hérémence from Val Nendaz (where we had been two days earlier). [Those photos are HERE].
Our plan was to start at the Grand Dixence Dam (another fabulous bus ride on a winding road to right below the dam, from where we took a short cable-car ride to the top) and walk along the entire high trail high above Val d'Héremence and back to Thyon. It was going to be a hike of over five hours (in the end, more than 17 km) and we were not able to return to our little studio for the fourth night (to our great disappointment, it was already rented out for that night), so we found a hotel right at the very end of the trail in Les Collons, where we could end the hike without having to take public transit!
This was the first day where we had no clouds at all and the weather was perfect for this hike. But in the end, the distance did start to take its toll, and as it was getting late in the afternoon we also ran into cold and shady sections. But then all the fatigue disappeared when we rounded a corner to find THREE ibex on or near our hiking trail! We stood still and watched them, and even though they had seen us come, they didn't move from their grazing. That is an advantage to hiking later in the day: The wildlife comes out to graze. That was definitely the highlight of this trip!
As we head to the back of Val d'Hérémence by bus from Sion, we are pleased that we finally have a day without cloud cover!
After another one of those bus rides along hairpin turns to the base of the dam, you can either walk up to the top of the dam (40 minutes) or save yourself 230 uphill meters by taking the Grande Dixence cable car! It transports only 8 people at a time, and we were very lucky because right behind us was a tour bus full of older gentlemen, probably coming for a tour of the inside of the dam! (It was a 4-minute ride....)
On our way up to the top of the dam with the Grande Dixence Téléférique
At dam level, we watch as the next group comes up by cable car!
A short walk behind the dam to see the lake. It's a very big lake and we cannot see around the corner
Information panels on the dam indicate that it is 200m wide at its base, and almost 300m high! And it required 6 million cubic meters of cement to build. (Built between 1951 and 1961)
And we're off to Les Collons where we had reserved a hotel room. Minimum 4.5 hours. But with a couple of detours and retracing our steps to a restaurant at the end, we walked over 5 hours this day!
Watching the Grande Dixence cable car arriving at the summit station
It only took 90 minutes to get from our accommodation in Saxon to the the Grande Dixence Dam. We walked at least five hours and 17 km to our hotel for the night in Les Collons.
Heading off down the valley now, this is one of many looks behind us at this fantastic structure.
Panorama view of the Grand Dixence Dam, Lac des Dix, and the Hotel/Restaurant at the base of the dam, from where we took the cable car up to dam level.
Up ahead is the long Val d'Hérémence, and we are walking all the way to that arrow down there, which is about 16 kilometers! (You can see part of the trail below, which first goes into a side valley to the left, before continuing ahead.
At the back of this side valley, called Combe de Plafeuri, is a Swiss Alpine Hostel
I had to try to get a self-timed photo of us with the magnificent dam in the background.
Close-up view of the Grande Dixence Dam
Every time we looked behind us, I took photos! You can see the trail we are following. A very good trail and easy to walk.
Ahead of us the view is also always basically the same. We were particularly glad that we had no clouds here, whereas on the range on the North side of the RhôneValley, the clouds are once again hanging on the peaks.
Even though the trail was long and always in the same direction, there were plenty of interesting sections to cross.
It's always nice when we run across alpine flowers at these high altitudes!
A short stop to have a picnic lunch and massage my feet, then off we go again!
Another look back towards the dam
Zoomed view of the dam. The photo quality is not good with my camera, but it was impressive to see the glacier appear. We did not see this angle from the dam itself.
Here we reached the Cabane d'Essertse where we really would have liked to support the owner by stopping for refreshments (no other patrons at this time), but it was already 4 p.m and we still had 90 minutes to go to get to our hotel, so we had to push on.
Another look back up the Val d'Hérémence, and the Cabane d'Essertse which we just passed on the right.
Another close-up view of the Grande Dixence dam and the Vallée des Dix behind it.
We came to an interesting section, a large steep hillside covered in avalanche fences, and made our way downhill winding in and out among them. We had a lot of late afternoon shade here!
I think daisies are such a happy-looking flower.
AND THEN WE ROUNDED THE CORNER and discovered this beautiful ibex on the trail (usually it's cows!). It saw us, but did not run away. Simply crossed and made its way into the brush below the trail. This was surely not more than 10 meters away.
A beautiful ibex on our hiking trail, not more than 10 meters away. By the ridges on its horns, this one is about 8 years old.
And right below the trail, even closer, was a big male almost hidden in the brush! What a fabulous experience to be so close to them! They knew we were there, but did not run away. This is the advantage of hiking in early evening, when the wild animals come out to graze.
See, he noticed us. Kept right on grazing. By the ridges on his horns, he would be at least 12 years old.
The ibex from the trail came to join the larger one in the brush
And then we spied another one just above us, looking down at us! This is a much younger one, about four or five years old!
VIDEO:
Three ibex were on or near our trail, grazing in the cool early evening!
What a fantastic experience to watch them. The best part of this day's hike.
(This is my own video, can be watched in YouTube)
As we then moved on and looked back, we saw the beautiful ibex further down the hill. What fantastic horns those are!
The last section of trail before reaching the paved road in Les Collons
And then Urs also spied a female deer on the steep mountainside. This is the large variety of deer called "Hirsch", which you apparently don't see often in Switzerland. The smaller deer which we sometimes come across are called Roe Deer.
A surprising final look at the Dixence Dam (Zoomed view) in the evening light. (This must be 16 kilometers away!)
More than five hours and 17 kilometers, we reached our hotel (more like an inn) called "Auberge de L'Ours" only to find they weren't serving dinner, and we had to go back up the road again to find an open restaurant! The hotel room was quite old and shoddy, needed lots of renovations. Was also very poorly insulated and Urs could hear the other guests... except I did not, as I slept quite soundly that night!
How the front of the dam looks on Google Satellite Maps
In this region of 4-Vallée we did the "Tour du Mont Rouge" in 2018, which is how we knew of both the Val Nendaz and Val d'Hérémence, both of which we visited during this 5-day trip.
This photo which is NOT mine, is used by license from Wiki Commons, photographer is Jeremy Toma. This shows what the dam looks like face on. It is a fantastic structure.
