Sunday August 1, 2021 -- Very rarely do we travel 3.5 hours to walk through a forest, but there were a couple of reasons for this two-day trip to Valais, the first one being the need to get out of our own city on August 1st, as this is Switzerland's National Day (730-year anniversary of becoming a nation) and the private fireworks go on for hours and days here, driving me as well as the animals out of our minds... (For a country that regulates everything, I am surprised that they allow this dangerous activity with no boundaries).
The only place with a nice weather forecast for Monday was in the Valais, but even there it was raining on Sunday with at least a promise to stop by the evening. So what does one do when it's overcast? A walk through a nature park was probably the best solution. As it turns out, one of the largest continuous pine forests (scotch pine) in the Alps is located in the Rhône Valley between Sierre and Leuk, a forest we have often admired on our hikes along the sunny hillsides in the area, but which we never otherwise would have walked through. So now finally, we had a chance to walk through the 10 km2 forest that is the Pfynwald, or "Forêt de Finges" in French, as the language boundary in Canton Valais passes right through the center of the forest.
The trail through the lower Pfynwald between Sierre and Leuk is about 9 km long, and promised us a great variety of plants, animals, amphibians etc. of which we saw very little (We assume they were smart and stayed home...). Nevertheless, the pines were definitely special... according to studies done in 2015, the lower forest consists of about 60% scotch pine with average age of 86 years (the oldest being 150 years old) and 14% oak, which are much younger. Also, what we had once learned earlier about this forest is that it was feared due to the robbers and highwaymen who lived there, and folks preferred to travel via the safer mountain trails on the opposite side of the Rhône River.
(In fact, it was interesting for us to walk on the South side of the Rhône River as we could look across to the hillsides on both sides of the Dala Valley, where we had just recently been in July. Those photos are HERE)
We had rented a room for the night in Susten near Leuk, which was an additional 3 kilometers after leaving the forest, so in all we walked 12km on this evening. We were so happy to be able to spend a quiet night, with only about five minutes worth of fireworks nearby....
(In retrospect we should have read up a bit more on this park, as there is a Tibetan suspension bridge crossing the Illgraben on the East and upper side of the forest. This might have been a more interesting option for us).
Back in July of this year, when we walked out of the Dala Valley toward Salgesch, we got this very nice view of the Pfynwald below.
We got to Sierre at about 3:30 p.m. and took a bus to the entrance of the Pfynwald in the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park. In 1997 the forest was officially put under protection by the Canton. This is apparently one of the most diverse biotopes in Switzerland
Information about the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park from the Internet: www.myswitzerland.com
After a short uphill section we get a first look westward across the forest.
Most of the walk through the forest was on level trails like this one.
Along the way there were a few ponds which we could admire (no frogs, no birds....)
Along a clearing a look to the North side of the valley and the hillside above Salgesch, which we know well, having walked three times across the irrigation channels there (marked by the green lines of trees)
Here at the level of Salgesch and practically in the center of the forest is the French/German language boundary. This is evident from the sign which shows the "German Forest" to the left, and the "French Forest" to the right!
This was the largest lake in the forest, called the Rosensee. Most of the other lakes were hidden behind dense strips of reeds
Rosensee
At this point it started to rain a bit and it was very windy. But not for long.
From here we can see the upper Pfynwald forest along the base of the mountain
Some interesting fungi
These are the Scotch Pines. They usually grow to about 30 meters, but are much shorter here due to the dry and Mediterranean conditions. These trees are an average of 86 years of age.
A watercourse which looks like it might flood soon!
Across the valley the sky is clearing in the mountains. I had hopes of going up into the higher elevations the next day, but due to the large amounts of rain, the peaks were still hidden in clouds.
Crossing a canal near the eastern part of the forest.
On the other side of the valley is the town of Leuk
Close-up view of Leuk with the Mario-Botta-enhanced castle (on the left... Mario Botta is a Swiss architect)
Finally getting some sunshine at 7 p.m. as we cross the Illbach river. After many heavy rains, there are often large mudslides that race down this channel (see video below). Further up this river is the Tibetan suspension bridge, which we missed seeing.
VIDEO:
It seems that almost yearly a mudslide comes down the Illgraben.
This video which I found on YouTube was made by a fellow named Pierre Zufferey who was able to make a video of such a mudslide. (Credits are on the video when opened in YouTube)
This photo taken in July when we were on the North side of the Rhône River shows the forest. We walked on this lower side between the river and the motorway. At the back is Susten, where we had rented a room for the night.
Crossing the large fields between the Pfynwald and Susten. These fields are watered by old-fashioned irrigation channels which are aplenty here. In the background is the Turtmann Valley, where we have also often been.
Across the valley is the Dala Valley (we hiked there in July) and the Leuk Satellite Station (another hike we did in February of this year). These hills are usually not so green at this time of year, but it has rained a lot here as well.
A close-up of Leuk in the evening sunlight
In this tiny community of Gampinen (part of Susten) is where we spent the night. It was very quiet here!
We rented the basement studio apartment for one night. It even had a kitchen where we warmed up a can of Ravioli!
Next to the house is this glorious view into the Illgraben, a section of mountain that keeps generating those mudslides!!!
Our 12-km walk from the West access of the "Forêt de
Finges" near Sierre toward Leuk, and then through Susten to our accommodation for the night. Total 12 km. We got to our destination at 8 p.m., having started only at 4 p.m., probably the latest we have ever started on a hike.
This is the first time we have walked on the South side of the Rhone River here, starting near the city of Sierre and walking the 9-km length of the Pfyn-Finges Forest, then another 3 km to our room in Susten. Earlier this year we did two hikes on the other side, also the mint-green trails.
Sunday May 31, 2020 -- Day 1 of a two-day trip to Canton Valais, where the weather is warm and dry and where we like to do exciting hikes along the ancient irrigation channels. Best of course is if the water is still running in the channels, but even without the water, it is always a memorable experience. Near Crans-Montana is a large dam called "Barrage de Rawyl" in a deep and steep valley through which flows the river Liène, to join the Rhône River in St. Leonard. In this valley are several ancient irrigation channels, built hundreds of years ago to bring water from the river high up at the back of the valley to the dry pastures in the Rhône Valley. These channels were built and maintained under dangerous conditions and at great loss of life, in order to support the farming communities. Many of these channels are in disuse, but some are kept up as hiking trails. We have already walked along four of these on either side of this particular valley, but there was one large one called "Grand Bisse de Lens" which we had not yet done (This channel took two years to build, from 1448 to 1450). Starting at Crans we walked into the valley toward the dam, then descended a couple of hundred meters along a steep cliff to join the river, and then walked back out the valley. Along the irrigation channel, the trail is only slighly sloped, as the river drops further and further away below you, and you are walking along narrow trails sometimes composed of planks only 40 cm wide, with a cliff on one side and a steep drop on the other. Very exciting and not for those afraid of heights! When we planned the hike, it showed as 5 hours on the map, but having to go slowly in the steep sections meant our hike ended up about 6-7 hours, one of the longest I've done! The back 1/3rd of the channel is in obvious disuse, the next 1/3rd was cleaned out but had no water flowing yet, and fortunately the final section that we walked, starting in Icogne to where we made a long descent to St. Leonard in the valley bottom, had water flowing, which was a great plus on the sunny side of the hill on this warm afternoon! Since this valley takes a long time to get to, we cannot do this in a day trip. Also the length of the trail meant finishing late, so we had reserved a room in a monastery guest house in the old part of the city of Brig, a wonderful experience with a huge room and peaceful garden facing right onto the huge towers of the Stockalper Palace! Another interesting item: Although St.Leonard and Brig are only 50 km apart, the language border is between the two: In the valley along the channel we greeted people in French, and once we got to Brig, they spoke German there.... well, a unique dialect anyway. (The Wallis dialect is difficult to understand).
From the Bus Window: Traveling by bus from Sion to Crans-sur-Sierre, we cross the large bridge across the Liène Valley through Icogne, a village that we also passed through on our walk out of the valley. Looking South out of the valley is the hillside where we did the last part of the irrigation channel hike before descending to St. Leonard
At the start of the hike, i.e. about 15 minutes on foot from the bus stop in Crans, this is the first spectacular view up the valley toward the dam. On two previous hikes I walked from here to the dam. This time we descended approx. at the bald spot in the middle.
Walking into the valley was pretty uneventful; mostly a wide forest road like this one with a couple of narrow passages along cliffs
The typical sign that we have seen often, warning of possible rock fall, and my favourite English translation: "On the fellows 200m of this trail a certain risk of stony falls exists" (Google Translate would have been useful). Also, they recommend you don't leave the trail. Haha!
I don't intend to leave the trail on the "fellows 200m", although I don't seen how stopping increases your chance of being hit by falling rock.
Super high vertical cliffs above us
A zoomed view of the Barrage de Rawyl. There is a beautiful turquoise lake behind that, the Lac de Tseuzier.
Walking into the Valley on an exciting trail
Tunnels are good too!
This is the point (Pra du Taillour) where we descend through the forest and along a steep section of rock wall (would have been easier to ascend than descend). The sign warns that the trail is not suitable for people who are afraid of heights
The first part of our hike: It took about 90 minutes to get to the back, followed by a steep descent on a cliff wall. (Several years ago we walked one trail higher up, the Ancien Bisse du Ro, all the way to the dam)
I enjoyed the trail, although it would definitely not be suitable for people who suffer of vertigo
On the left is our trail. A bridge also offers the opportunity to cross to the other side of the valley here
Every once in a while we have to cross sections of fallen rock
1h 15 minutes to Icogne is the time it would take if you could walk at a normal pace! From here, though, we have another 100m steep descent....
Most of the people we met were doing the hike in the opposite direction, which makes sense as this section would have been easier to go up.
Shortly after reaching the river, the interesting part of the Irrigation Channel hike starts!
Of course stopping to take all these photos also cost us some time!
VIDEO:
Gabrielle walking along the Grand Bisse de Lens
VIDEO:
Urs walking along the Grand Bisse de Lens
More of the beautiful cliffs above us
These two had quite the fast pace going!
On this middle section of the trail, the channels have been cleared and probably prepared to have water running through them soon
The trees on the side where the cliff drops straight down help give the illusion that it is not as steep as it really was. We have done such hikes where there is no vegetation, and it is much more difficult.
Near Icogne is a copy of the declaration signed in 1448, that the Prior Jean de Lens was given permission to build the irrigation channel provided he could complete it in two years, which he did. 1448 to 1450. A fantastic feat when you consider the tools they had at the time
Below us the bridge over the narrow Liène Valley, which we crossed earlier by bus on our way from Sion to Crans
On the outskirts of Icogne, the valley opens up for this fantastic view over the communities above Sion
Beautiful flowering meadows.
From Icogne, the channel continues around the mountain to Chermignon, a total of 8 km, but we only did the 3 km to the point at which we could descend to St.Leonard.
On this final section of the Irrigation Channel (another 3 km before we descended to St.Leonard), the water was flowing, to my great pleasure, as you can see!
This is the most popular section, there were more people along this trail and it became more difficult to cross paths. It is built out quite nicely, though.
A look back into the Liène Valley: Village of Icogne behind me, and behind that the narrow valley we came down
Further back the channel was hewn out of the rock face, here they use wooden troughs
Very interesting walk high above the Rhone Valley. Below you can see the city of Sion
At the furthest point South on the trail, the channel follows the mountainside to the left, and northeastward into the Rhone Valley. At this point, though, we headed westward down the hill through the vineyards to the train station in St.Leonard
Heading down through the vineyards above St.Leonard. Across the valley is the Bisse de Clavau, an irrigation channel we have also walked along previously.
A look up the Rhone Valley. We were up high on the hill on the left
A view over the city of St.Leonard, and the popular Val d'Hérémence on the South side of the Rhone Valley
The full almost 17 km that we walked in about 6 hours. Even after this long day of walking, we timed our arrival at the train station perfectly, getting there just one minute before the scheduled train to Brig
This map shows the various Irrigation Trails that we have walking in the past 7 years. The yellow one is the one we did this day.
After the ca.17-km trail and about 7 hours of walking (with some pauses) because we had to go slowly along the steep cliff and the narrow irrigation trails, we got to the train station in St.Leonard for the 17:17 train to Brig, with just one minute to spare!. Which means we got to our hotel at about 6 p.m., got ourselves freshened up in our beautiful large room at the St. Ursula Monastery's Guesthouse, picked up a pizza and ate it in the lovely and restful monastery gardens. After which we went up to the nearby church to enjoy the waning evening light over the city, before heading for an early bed-time.... could barely move my feet by that time...
Walking through Old Town Brig from the train station to St.Ursula's Monastery
The beautiful Stockalper Palace was right next to the guesthouse gardens
Panorama view from the Guesthouse door to the Stockalper Palace, and the Jesuit College Church
Eating our take-out pizza in the guesthouse gardens
View of the Stockalper Palace from the convent gardens
From the courtyard at the Jesuit College church on the hill, a view over the Stockalper Palace as the sun is going down
In the circle is the area of the Liène Valley and the Grand Bisse de Lens Irrigation Channel. From St.Leonard near Sion it was about 40 minutes by train to Brig, to our hotel for the night. Between these two is the language border: French from Sierre to the West, German to the East.
