Hiking in Switzerland – Gabrielle and Urs

June 17, 2017

Bisse du Torrent Neuf: Restoration of a Vertiginous Irrigation System

June 17, 2017 -- The Canton Valais has always been very dry and this caused the early mountain farmers to become very creative (sometimes dangerously so) with how to channel the water from the higher elevations along the steep cliff faces in the deep ravines to their meadows at higher elevations. Mostly these channels consisted of ditches with an elevated walkway to inspect the system for blockages and to control, via sluices, which meadows get water on which days. Often wooden flumes were attached to vertical cliffs, or canals were dug out of solid rock.

There are many such dizzying irrigation systems throughout the region, and we had read about a particularly exciting one that has recently been restored to illustrate to the public how amazing these early feats were.

The Bisse du Torrent Neuf (Bisse is the French word for these irrigation channels) extends 3.5 km into a very steep gorge just North of Sion in the Rhone Valley, and was originally built in 1430, and therefore had suffered much damage from rock slides over the centuries. The irrigation system is still in use, and the restoration includes four suspension bridges where the original trail has been damaged by rock slides. All along the trail, guard rails have been mounted to make the trail safe to walk.

The restoration is very well done, and although it was a good trail, for us the fact that this is accessible by car and marketed to tourists meant that there were too many people crowding our adventure, which wasn't as adventurous as we had hoped. (Especially annoying is crossing the suspension bridge when many people walk or run behind you).

Instead of returning the same way (which creates bottlenecks along the way) we descended into the ravine and returned along the paved road, so also to get a glimpse of the trail from below. From Chandolin we took to bus back to Sion and spent the evening walking around the pretty old town before spending the night in a B&B for an early start to our next adventure on Sunday....

Our day started by dropping off our overnight packages at the B&B in Sion where we were spending the night, and then a quick look around Sion for an hour before heading up the hill by bus to Savièse, the start of our hike.

City of Sion, in Canton Valais, Switzerland

Because we came by bus, our hike started at the Prafirmin Bus Stop.

Sluices along the way control which meadows get water on certain days

The first 2 km were mostly through woods along the raised path beside the channel

The actual renovated trail is between the Chapel and Brac (3.5 km one way)

Along the way are new guard rails, making the trail safe to walk. Water flows through the wooden flumes

This shows how the original flumes and channels were constructed

We always have to watch out for falling rocks.

First of four suspension bridges. It becomes annoying when others walk over at the same time, with heavy steps or at a running pace.

One of four new suspension bridges

Previously, there were no guard rails here

Along the way we get spectacular views into the ravine and Rhone Valley

Down below is the "Pont du Diable" ("Devil's Bridge") where we later crossed on our way out of the ravine.

Another of four suspension bridges

Along the way are sections of the original flumes, and displays of how the farmers walked the trail

One short section goes through a tunnel

Here we ran into a group of people coming the other way. It created quite a bottle-neck

Often the flumes had to be mounted onto the cliff face

Final of four suspension bridges

We descended into the ravine to view the trail from below.

We crossed the "Devil's Bridge" and found the trail was washed out. We didn't want to go back, so used some fancy footwork to get down to the road.

To walk out of the gorge we had 3 km of paved road (on the left) ahead of us. Not the best.

On our way out of the ravine (on 3 km of paved roads, unfortunately) we are greeted by these beautiful and steeply built vineyards.

At our destination of Chandolin, we got this view into the Rhone Valley

This is the post bus that picked up up an hour later in Chandolin for the trip back to Sion

On the bus back down to Sion. (This is Chateau Valère in Sion). We were the only passengers and had some great conversation with the bus driver, whose name interestingly was M. Torrent. Before heading to our B&B we walked around the old town Sion enjoying the evening lighting and atmosphere.

Old Town Sion

St. Theodul Cathedral in Sion

Grilled sandwiches with gelato for dessert!

Pretty doors

Pretty Windows

Evening sun in Sion

Evening sun on the ruins of Chateau Tourbillon in Sion

June 15, 2017

The Old Schwyz Road over Ibergeregg Pass

June 15, 2017 -- Next Canton to the South of here is Canton Schwyz, home of the striking and recognizable twin mountains called the Greater and Lesser Mythen. At the foot of these hills is the town of Schwyz (same name as its Canton) and the start of our excursion: a special bus trip East along a narrow winding road over the Ibergeregg Pass (1406m) and down into the Hoch Ybrig region (popular skiing area).

As the bus neared the end of its route we got caught in a torrential downpour, and it looked like our plans for a hike were pretty well over. But the downpour was short, and the sun came out, and although that made for humid and wet walking conditions, it seemed to fit well with the soft, marshy moor landscape. The bus driver had told us this was a bit of a wet microclimate area, and promised us good weather for the day, which we had. He also told us that the trail we were hiking was called the "Old Schwyz Road" which earlier was the original thoroughfare before the current road was built.

Our actual hike started at the end of the bus ride in Oberiberg, westward uphill into the vast high moor landscape, over the same mountain pass and back down to Schwyz. Altogether we walked 13 km in just over 4 hours, as the 900m descent to Schwyz was pretty steep and somewhat slippery. As we approached the city of Schwyz, we passed South of the Greater Mythen, a popular mountain both to ascend and to paraglide from. At this close range, the rust-coloured sections high on the rock are plainly visible. This section of rock is much older than that lower down, indicating the flipping of Earth's crust as these formations were created so long ago.

On the bus ride up to Ibergeregg Pass, this is the view over the pastoral landscape of Canton Schwyz

This narrow winding road and all the stuff that fills it, makes the going rather slow for the bus.

There is a 6-km stretch of the road that is "Open Pasture", and the cows have the right of way. Here we got caught in the torrential downpour.

Our hike starts in Oberiberg, after a heavy but short downpour.

This view is eastward into the Hoch Ybrig region, a popular skiing area. The town of Oberiberg where we started is at the back.

After an hour and 20 minutes of uphill walking we get to the Ibergeregg Pass. Our original plan was lunch at the restaurant, but dark clouds were forming behind us, and we wanted to keep ahead of them.