Hiking along Irrigation Channels near St.Leonard, Valais

Friday Oct. 11 -- Sometimes even with the best planning, a hike ends up being a disappointment.

Since our Wednesday off was a rainy day again, and Friday had a super forecast, we took the Friday off instead and did another two-day trip, once again in Canton Valais. For Saturday we already had a firm plan, we were going to hike near the Aletsch Glacier again (largest glacier in the Alps) because Urs' daughter wanted to do a hike with us, and she had never been. So what to do on Friday? On this wonderful day we could have gone up high again for some nice views, but right now all the landscapes up high are pretty brown, so I decided on something totally different: An easy 5-hour hike which would take us to three different irrigation channels in the area between Sierre and Sion, trails which are easy to walk along and so soothing with the babbling water....

The day started badly with a surprisingly overfilled train, then a connecting train which had to be abandoned because of problems securing the doors, which caused us to miss the bus in Sierre and meant an hour waiting around... only to find out once we finally started on the hike, that the water in the first channel (Grand Bisse de Lens) had already been "turned off"! Which meant a one-hour walk through the woods next to empty channels, without the sound of water to mask the noise of the freeway in the Rhone Valley below!

High hopes for the second irrigation channel (Bisse de Sillonin)... to reach it at the village of Flanthey we had to descend quite a bit first (another 30 minutes) and to our great dismay, found that not only was the water not flowing, but half of its 3-km length where it passed through the vineyards was covered! 

We were looking forward to the third channel, called Bisse de Clavau, which was on the other side of the steep ravine, but we never even got to find out if the water was running there, because after a rather hair-raising vertiginous passage, we were confronted with a simple laminated sign informing us the Channel was closed, which could mean anything, but we didn't want to descend to the bridge to find out. So we cut our losses, headed to the next bus stop, and made our way to our lodgings in Baltschieder, where we recently had such a nice experience...  And the sheep were still there, with lots of babies, and that made my day!

Our hike started up high above the Rhone Valley at the Grand Bisse de Lens. Most of the first hour was on a forest trail, with only the odd glimpse of the valley

Once we descended to the second irrigation channel, we had some much nicer views of the vineyards on the slopes between Sierre and Sion. This is looking back East toward Sierre

Arriving in Flanthey to look for the second irrigation channel: "Bisse de Sillonin"

To get to the second irrigation channel (on the left above the roof), we had to walk straight up through someone's vineyard

It was lovely to walk through the vineyards, even though the channel was covered.

Soaking in the fall sunshine

Heading westward. I realized later that we have walked this part of the trail once before

The beautiful vineyard landscape of Canton Valais

Arriving above St. Leonard, before the trail heads into the gorge. 

In the distance, the city of Sion with its prominent landmark: The two hills with its two castles (one is ruins)

This one made me chuckle: A bench mounted directly over the irrigation channel

Oh-oh, a warning that the trail is getting exciting

This is the view that greeted us around the corner!

And sure enough, the trail was "vertiginous"

I admit, I had a bit of a hard time with these steps... I went up very slowly

View back at the trail we crossed

Definitely a bit hair-raising

Across the gorge we could see the third irrigation channel that we wanted to walk along, back to St.Leonard. This is the Bisse de Clavau, which we have walked before but further West.

Way below are the vineyards near St.Leonard.

Across the gorge some nice geological formations, and above that the village of Luc, where we spent 5 days vacationing a year ago.

And then a simple laminated sign: "Bisse de Clavau Closed". We assumed it meant if we descended to the river, we'd run into some sort of rock slide and have to turn back. Such a shame.

Heading to the bus in Icogne, we came across this field with a sign: "Here we grow herbs for Ricola"!!

On the bus on the way from Icogne to Sion we can see the vineyards we'd walked through, and the steep part of the gorge.

As it turns out, it was a 12-km and 3.5-hour hike we did, so not too bad. Plus we started late, so perhaps the rest of the trail (another 2 hours) would have been too much anyway.

This day we walked the purple trail. The light blue is what we wanted to walk to complete the first part of the "Bisse de Clavau". A few years ago we walked through the vineyards lower down, from St. Leonard to Sierre, having crossed near Flanthey at that time already.

And back in Baltschieder, heading to our accommodation, our little friends the Valais Black-Nosed sheep.

A Long Downhill Hike on Pizzo Claro near Bellinzona

Saturday Oct.5, 2019 -- Since the only part of the country that had nice weather was in the South, the train from Zurich to Milano was already full by the time we got on in Zug and for the next two stops before the tunnel, people without reservations were being asked to leave the train! Problem is, we as many others, had connections to make with this train... but we were lucky to still find seats that weren't reserved, and so we made our bus connection as planned. Good thing too, because we had a long wait at the cable car station in Lumino, and it would have been worse had we only gotten there an hour later.

The little cable car from Lumino to Monti di Savorù, another one of those small cable cars that we wanted to try out, transfers only four people every 15 minutes, and this particular morning lots of people, including several mountain bikers, were waiting to go up this mountain. We had expected to be up the mountain by 10:15, but it was 10:45 when we finally got up there, a full 75 minutes after getting off the bus...

Furthermore, the trail we wanted to take wasn't marked on the local maps, and the locals didn't know of it, so they suggested we take the higher trail, which meant more downhill for us. In the end we descended 1500 altitude meters to the bottom of the valley near Claro, the longest descent we have ever done on a hike. We took lots of breaks at small populated clearings on the way down, collected chestnuts as they were pummeling down around us, and made it to the valley bottom at 5 p.m. right as the sun had just disappeared behind the mountains. 

From Bellinzona we took a bus into the Mesocco Valley, and descended here in the little town of Lumino, where we first went to the grocery store to get our lunch.

This little church was right next to the cable car station

At the cable car station 30 minutes later, the other 6 people who had gotten off the bus with us were still waiting their turn. Shortly after us, a group of bikers showed up. We had to wait another 45 minutes for our turn, as the cable car transports only 4 people every 15 minutes.

Finally up at the starting point of our hike, one hour and 15 minutes after getting off the bus. It was 11 a.m. by now, quite late for us to start on a 4-hour hike.

A nice view down into the Mesocco Valley. Even though the wait was long, we are glad that there are cable cars that we can ride up the mountains

Our plan was to take the lower trail to Monti di Maruso, the one marked on our interactive map, but the locals didn't know about it and suggested we take the higher trail, which then meant more downhill. 

This trail was called "The Sculpture Trail", although the sculptures were not very artistic. Although these were sculptures cut with chain saws, so maybe that is more difficult.

Most of the trail was forest, but we passed through a few clearings with views down to Bellinzona.

 

It took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to hike up to Alpe Domas, where we had lunch before starting the very long descent

Alpe Domas consisted of a cluster of ruined houses, with only a single one still complete

Perfect spot for our lunch before starting the long downhill to the valley bottom.

Another glimpse into the Magadino Plain, the area between Bellinzona and Locarno

The beautiful Magadino Plain with the forested mountain flanks. Much of the forest lower down is chestnut, and the nuts were just in the process of coming down. (I collected some to roast at home).

Each chestnut tree is unique and unusual

The first 500m descent of 1500 total took us to this plateau with some very nice houses. We stopped here for a very long break.

"Monti di Maruso" is what it is called up here

This large herd of goats made its way down the mountain trail just a few minutes after we passed through. We heard their bells tinkling, but did not see a goatherd, so it looks like they just decided to descend on their own.

Monti di Maruso is actually a large spread-out area, so we walked all around it, admiring the properties. 

And these sheep had the run of the village. There were no fences for them.

Heading out and down for the next 250m descent

Another group of houses in a clearing. This was called "Tea"

We wondered about the signs that read "Claro Pizzo 2'500 Plus". Turns out there was another marathon of sorts taking place here the next day, called a vertical, because they were running uphill on the path we descended, plus another 1000m!!!

This clearing called Moncrino is one we've passed through before. We had another long break here, as this was now the 2/3rds mark of our descent. 

I liked this.

It's nice that the trees have not yet shed their leaves here

Another unusual chestnut tree

 

And here is the nicest section of the entire descent

Some climbers... the descent is almost vertical behind them. 

Not so far to go any more. Below is the Ticino River and the railway line

And finally at the bottom. This is St.Nazzaro Church in Scubiago. The shade of the mountains to the West has just reached the valley here.

A couple of years ago we passed through Moncrino when we ascended from Claro to the Monastery. This time we went up with the cable car from Lumino, and walked down 1500m, passing through Moncrino again.

New Wartburg Castle (Sälischlössli) near Olten

Thursday Oct.3, 2019 -- Unfortunately, our Wednesday day off this week was wet and rainy, but Thursday was a very nice day, so I met Urs after work in Olten, where he works, and we did a short hike to a nearby castle which he always sees on his way to work, and wanted to see it up close. It took us an hour to walk up, and then another hour to walk down to the nearby town of Aarburg which also has a splendid castle, which we have walked around before (unfortunately not possible to visit) and one that we always get a glimpse of when we ride the train from Zurich to Bern.

The current "castle" (actually a restaurant) was built in 1870 out of the ruins of the original New Wartburg castle (1260 original, rebuilt in the 15th Century after destruction by fire during the conquest of Aargau by the Bernese) but was closed for a few years, so we were lucky that the restaurant is now back in operation. There is a lovely view terrace where you get 360-degree views over this entire region of northwest Switzerland, and if the air is clear, all the way to the Bernese and Glarner Alps. A quick ascent of the very narrow spiral staircase to the rooftop terrace with its four towers make you feel like you're in a fairy tale.

Just South of the Sälischlössli are the ruins of Old Wartburg castle -- built early 1200's and destroyed at the same time as the "newer" castle but never rebuilt -- so we took a little detour to look at the ruins before continuing through the forest down to Aarburg.

Only a two-hour hike for us, but we also enjoyed the sunshine and French Fries on the terrace and made it home by 8 p.m., so we still managed our mid-week outing, so that's pretty cool!

Old Town Olten on the Aar River. I waited on a bench here for Urs to finish work and meet up with me.

It took us an hour to walk from the train station in Olten to the Wartburg-Säli castle, then another hour via the ruins of the Old Wartburg Castle down to the train station in Aarburg. We didn't go to the Aarburg Castle because we've been there before

The Sälischlössli restaurant was built in 1870 on the ruins of the New Wartburg Castle in the fashion of the time with no consideration of the historical influence of the location.

View South from the restaurant's terrace

Zoomed view of Aarburg Castle as seen from the restaurant

View Northwest over the city of Olten on the Aar River

View Northeast into Canton Aargau and the Nuclear Power Plant at Niedergösgen

The towers on the castle

The narrow spiral staircase to get up to the rooftop terrace

On a clear day you can see all the way to the Alps from here

Zoomed view of the Glarner Alps

Ruins of the Old Waltburg Fortress, built in the early 1200's but destroyed by fire in the 15th Century (during some war) and never rebuilt

Late afternoon at the ruins of the Old Wartburg Castle, before heading down to Aarburg.

Although we did not see the Aarburg Castle on this particular hike, this is what it looks like from the train when you pass it on the way between Zurich and Bern. The castle can unfortunately not be visited.

Back in 2015 we once walked from Aarburg to Olten along the Aar River. At that time we walked around the Aarburg Castle. But unfortunately you cannot visit it.

The mountains are looking beautiful on our way home from Olten to Lucerne