The South Ramp, the Joli Gorge, and Niedergesteln in the Rhône Valley

Friday April 15, 2022 (Good Friday) -- The sun is shining but the air temperature is still too cold for my liking, so on this holiday we traveled to Canton Wallis, where it is usually warmer. (No point in going to Canton Tessin over Easter Holidays, because everyone else migrates there over the long weekend, putting up with five hours of traffic jam for a couple of sunny days. We, on the other hand, were almost alone on the other side of the country!)

I wanted to do some UPHILL climbing, so we started at the train station in Hohtenn, which is the first stop on the South Ramp of the BLS railway, after you emerge from the old Lötschberg Tunnel through the Alps (well, the first station on the actual south side of the mountains). There is a panorama round trail to two mountain hamlets which takes about three hours to do (and an almost 600m climb), but we didn't return to the train station. Instead, we rejoined the South Ramp Trail to the East, because we wanted to go through the Joli Gorge once again, a stunning gorge with a suspension bridge and an exciting short section of trail along one of those irrigation channels we love (the trail includes several metal stairways and a short section through a narrow tunnel).

From the irrigation channel we descended to the valley bottom at Niedergesteln (over 1000m descent in total) but didn't go to the castle ruins there, as we could see from above that they weren't impressive. Instead, we admired some of the oldest houses in Canton Valais, and then we walked an additional 2 km to the train station in Raron, because even though there is a bus in Niedergesteln, it has a sparse schedule on holidays and weekends.

This was a massive tour for us, 4.5 hours of walking and a large amount of uphill (and even more downhill!). But even though this south flank between Gampel-Steg and Visp gets very hot in summer, right now, with a slight cool breeze blowing, the air temperature was perfect. And no sore feet this time!

NOTE:  For more photos of the first hike we did here in 2019, starting at Raron and passing through the Joli Gorge, click HERE  (Also lots of photos...)

Traveling by train from Bern through the Kandersteg Valley. From here the original Lötschberg Tunnel gives access to the South side of the Alps into the Rhône Valley

A look back along the Kandersteg Valley from the train, shortly before entering the Lötschberg Tunnel. 

On the South side of the Alps, the first train station along the South Ramp of the BLS railway line is Hohtenn. From there we ascended to the two mountain hamlets of Laden and Tatz, then back to the South Ramp, then through the Joli Gorge to Niedergesteln. Because the bus doesn't run between 13:30 and 18:30 on Sundays, we continued two more kilometers to the train station in Raron. 

Heading uphill fom the South Ramp of the BLS Railway line. A train is just leaving the Hohtenn railway station and heading North toward the Lötschberg Tunnel

A sign indicates that we could actually do a loop tour to the two hamlets of Laden and Tatz, and return here to the Hohtenn train station. But when we get back down to the railway line, we are going to head East

Some of the first wild flowers

At this point, overlooking the beautiful Rhône Valley, it was already too warm and I had to change into my shorts!

After a 1-hour climb we reach the first hamlet called "Laden", at Alp Laden ("Alp Ladu" for the locals)

As we've been hiking now for an hour, it's time for a coffee break in Laden (or "Ladu" as it's pronounced in Valais German)

This house has sunk "a bit"

This was the view up the Rhône Valley from our picnic table where we had our coffee break

Heading uphill some more, looking down on the little hamlet of Laden

On our way along the very nice high trail to the next hamlet at Alp Tatz

Up ahead is a narrow trail along the mountainside. This used to be the location of an irrigation channel as well (Ladu Irrigation Channel), but it has long disappeared. 

Our favourite kind of trail, high up above the valley

A panorama view down the Rhône Valley

Approaching Alp Tatz

There were quite a few of these water troughs at Alp Tatz!

It took another hour to walk from Alp Ladu to Alp Tatz, so now it was time for our picnic lunch. The benches in front of the chapel offered the perfect spot for this!

Here's where we had our picnic lunch!

On the very steep descent toward the railway line, we caught the first glimpse of the village of Niedergesteln at the valley bottom. From here we could see that the fortress ruins weren't particularly interesting, and so later, when we got to the village, we didn't do the additional detour up the small hill there. 

The word "Gesteln" comes fom the Latin word "castellum" or "castle". The fortress was built in the 12th century but destroyed in 1384 by some angry folks from the Upper Valais. Many of the houses in the village are built from the stones from the former castle.

Back down at the South Ramp of the BLS railway line. From here we followed the railway line eastward. 

Heading eastward toward the Joli Gorge

Panorama view of the valley where the Joli stream descends from. The upper entrance of the gorge is just below us.

This recently-built "rubble collector" is to stop rocks, boulders, branches etc. from being carried by the river into the gorge when there is an extreme amount of water in the river. 

This is the Grossa Suon (Irrigation Channel) The water is diverted from the Joli stream to head along the hillside eastward, to irrigate the farms on this side of the gorge

There were several signs warning that this suspension bridge is only for vertigo-free people! We've been here before, and it was just as fantastic the second time. The stairs below the bridge along the cliff wall are part of the trail.

Crossing the Joli Gorge on the suspension bridge

Following the metal walkway along the cliff wall. We're not that high above the river here

A look back at the suspension bridge, before heading into the tunnel. 

Here the water is diverted from the Joli stream to form another irrigation channel which brings the water to the hillside to the West of the gorge. The trail goes through this tunnel along the planks over the water. At the entrance of the tunnel is a light switch that you have to turn on (the light is on a timer). 

VIDEO
I put together a four-minute video of us walking through the very interesting part of the Joli Gorge. Four minutes might seem a long time for a video, but it is very interesting to watch, and won't seem that long! It can be watched here or in YouTube, by clicking on "Watch on YouTube"

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On the other side of the tunnel were benches mounted into the slope. They were hard to get to, and even harder to return from!

Before heading down to Niedergesteln, we followed the Stägeru Suon westward for a while

Sometimes the trail is just a narrow piece of wall!

Final descent to the village of Niedergesteln

A zoomed view of the church (orginally 12th Century with upgrades and renovations... current version is from the 16th Century) and the"main street" in Niedergesteln. The house in the red circle is called the "Wefa-House" and is one of the oldest houses in Canton Valais, partly built in the 13th/14th Centuries. It is now a museum. 

Approaching the village of Niedergesteln

These are the funniest creatures!

Behind the village is the exit/entrance of the Joli Gorge

A quick detour into the gorge to wash hands and face!

Obviously a detour into the church was necessary, but there wasn't much interesting to see inside. Remnants show an original church here in the 12th Century, but this structure is from the 16th Century. Apparently the bell-tower is the only one if its kind in Canton Valais. 

Some impressions of Niedergesteln. Some of these houses date from the 13th Century and are some of the oldest in Canton Valais. 

A look up to the fortress ruins in Niedergesteln (The fortress was built in the 12th Century, and destroyed by an angry mob in 1384. The church and several of the houses are built from the rocks from the original castle). 

We were very much hoping to catch a glimpse of some Valais Black-Nosed sheep!

Isn't that baby the cutest? They have black spots on the back of their knees!

From Niedergesteln we walked an additional 2 km to the next village of Raron, with the Castle Church always ahead of us. A famous poet Rainer Maria Rilke is buried here. 

This is actually the "new" Raron church (1512-1518) built on the cliff after the floods of mid/late 1400's destroyed the original church. Incorporated into the church building is an old defense tower from the 12th Century.

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. Starting at the Hohtenn train stataion, and ascending to the two hamlets at Alp Laden and Alp Tatz, then down to Niedergesteln and Raron via the Joli Gorge

We have done a lot of hikes along the South Ramp. It is a perfect place to hike in early spring, as the snow is gone quickly, and it's not yet too hot. 

Location of the "South Ramp" within Switzerland

And I always like to take a photo of the bridges in Bern as we leave the train station there.