Hike in the Tremola Valley, along the Fascinating Tremola Highway

Sunday October 13, 2019 -- Once again Urs had a previous commitment, so once again I headed out on my own to try once again the hike near the Gotthard Pass, which I had wanted to do a few weeks earlier, but aborted because of a fog cloud. And once again I almost didn't follow through, as the sky was overcast and the general atmosphere was pretty drab.

But this was the last day that most of the buses made the trip to the mountain passes, so I really had nothing to lose in getting on the bus. Turns out it was a good decision, as the air cleared up soon afterward and it was almost like summer to hike the easy, level 60 minutes along the cliff trail to the pass, and then another two hours next to the old Tremola Highway all the way back to Airolo.

N.B. The Old Tremola Highway was the first "paved" road to cross the Gotthard Pass, built between 1827 and 1832 and reconstructed in 1951. On the most spectacular section the road has 24 bends, is six to seven metres wide and bordered by retaining walls up to eight meters thick. Plus the road is all cobblestoned! It is an absolute marvel and was loads of fun to walk down.

As I got off the train in Airolo on the South side of the Gotthard Tunnel and looked up toward the Gotthard Pass (upper right) it was looking pretty drab, and I almost got on the next train back home.

But I had nothing to lose to take the bus up toward the pass, and I am glad I did, as when I got off the bus at the start of my hike, the sun was starting to shine and I had this splendid view of the Leventina Valley

And in the other direction, the Gotthard Pass, which I could reach in about an hour on a good, level trail.

I started at the Belvedère bus stop, walked an hour to the Gotthard Pass, and then downhill two hours back to Airolo

The trail was along a steep cliff but it was wide and easy to walk

 

All along the way I had a view down on the old Tremola Road

On this side of the Tremola Valley, the walking trail goes along the new highway up to the Gotthard Pass

Another view down the Tremola Valley toward Airolo. This is where I walked down, along this marvelous road

The beautiful Tremola Road

On this side the trail goes next to the new road. Luckily there was a way to pass to the left, I would not have attempted the passage through the water.

Near the pass. The lighting on the water was special

I discovered that this spot is on the "Grand Tour of Switzerland". Without my partner to take pictures, I could not get the road behind me in the frame as well.

The buildings (including a hotel) at the Gotthard Pass. The bus stops there as well. I didn't need to go there, I've been there a few times already, so this time I just walked around the hill to the right and headed back down the valley

This place is called "Chapel of the Dead" (Cappella dei Morti). Behind it is a small lake called Lago dei Morti.

A good place for lunch with a view of the road and in the middle of the blueberries (dessert close by!)

Across the valley, a close-up view of the trail I walked on into the valley

Far and wide only one other person on the trail

The road is paved with cobblestones

Always fun to drive up a winding road in an old convertible! This was almost cliché

Spectacular.

Just as spectacular seen from below

The trail passes under the new Gotthard Road

 

Airolo in sight, soon at my destination

The church in Airolo

From the train station back in Airolo, I can see where I started my hike.

My 3-hour hike to the Gotthard Pass and down to Airolo through the Tremola Valley

We have done a lot of hiking in this area! This trail was a connecting piece that was missing.

Aletsch Panorama Trail at the Largest Glacier in the Alps

Saturday, October 12 -- Overnight in the Valais region near Visp meant we were less than an hour from the starting point of the hike planned for the day, which was a good thing, because apparently the trains coming from the North were "standing room only". EVERYONE wanting to go see the Matterhorn!

Urs' daughter Andrea met up with us in Brig and we travelled together to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Aletsch Arena to experience the largest glacier of the Alps: The Greater Aletsch Glacier. Andrea had never been here before, but since I've done the popular hike along the glacier three times already, I left the two of them to their Father/Daughter outing and chose a different 5-hour hike, and the plan was to meet halfway. Even though I ran into train delays and lots of snow and ice on the trail, plus I did a detour of 40 minutes to a lookout point above the glacier, we still managed to meet after three hours exactly as planned!

From the dammed Lake Märjelensee we did the rest of the panorama trail together (additional 2 hours, 6 km), passing a most spectacular look-out point into the Fieschertal Valley, the Fiescher Glacier, and Mount Finsteraarhorn, the highest peak of the Bernese Alps. 

As far as the weather goes, we were fortunate to have some sunshine at the start of the day, and I was especially lucky to catch the last of the blue skies after the 90-minute climb to the ridge above the lake. From my vantage point I had a view that the average hiker on the popular trail never gets. For the rest of the Panorama Trail the sky was overcast which was a shame, because the snow-covered peaks seem to disappear in the milky skies, and the flaming red blueberry-bush-covered slopes definitely look better in sunlight!

Urs and Andrea started at Bettmerhorn and walked parallel to the glacier. I started at Fiescheralp, and hiked 90 minutes up to the ridge, then on icy paths down to the dammed lake. After a 40-minute detour to the look-out point, we met back at the lake to return to Fiescheralp together

I started alone from Fiescheralp and hiked uphill for 90 minutes to the ridge called Tälligrat. Very few people on this trail. Most of them go through the tunnel (upper trail behind me). We returned on the lower trail. 

One of my favourite skylines: The highest peaks in the Swiss Alps (on the left, the tiny pointy peak is the Dufour peak, at 4,634m the highest peak in the Swiss Alps and the second highest in the Alps). On the right, the Mischabel Group.

It was very warm and I had to change into my shorts, but I was very surprised to run into icy trails on the shady side of the hills! (In the back is Mount Eggishorn. They closed the cable-car to this peak a week early due to unstable ground.... which was good for us, i.e. fewer Asian tour buses)

It took some very careful stepping to cross the snowy ice part of the trail!

After 90 minutes I emerged on the Tälligrat ridge to this spectacular view of the Greater Aletsch Glacier. On the right at the back, three glaciers come together and form the deepest part of the Glacier, approx. 900 m. Also in that corner is the famous Jungfrau Joch

And to the North, the Fiescher Glacier and Mount Finsteraarhorn, the highest peak in the Bernese Alps

Panorama View: On the left is the Aletsch Glacier, on the right is the Fiescher Glacier, down below Lake Märjelensee and barely visible, the small mountain restaurant and hostel called Gletscherstube. After I got down to the lake, I walked 20 minutes to the look-out point at the arrow.

I was lucky to still get the last of the blue skies, before the tricky descent on the icy and snowy trail (this side of the hill was also shady side. I had not anticipated the ice)

 

From my vantage point I could see the many people on the popular trail further below, and am pretty sure that those two people in the middle are Urs and Andrea!

After navigating icy and snowy, then muddy trails, I made it down to the dammed lake and Gletscherstube. Surprisingly not tired, I decided to do the easy 40-minute detour to the glacier, which was a level trail starting just behing the building. 

Urs and Andrea walked along the Western Trail. Most people return through the tunnel. I walked OVER the ridge, because I had never done that before. Then the detour to the lookout point, and we all returned together on the lower trail. 

The trail to the look-out point is on the right. Most other people come from the glacier side and go right down to the level of the glacier. 

I spotted Urs and Andrea below, they were just coming up from having gone right down to glacier level. I phoned them to say I could see them from the other trail, but they couldn't see me! 

Urs writing a text message to me.... that we would meet in about 30 minutes at the restaurant after they had a picnic lunch at the lake.

Most of the hikers here go down to glacier level. Since I had done this twice before, I decided on a different trail, high above the glacier

This is what it looks like at glacier level. There used to be a beautiful lake here, but it drained out below the glacier.

This is Concordia Place, the deepest part of the Greater Aletsch Glacier (900m). The mountain in the back is Mount Mönch, and to its left the famous Jungfrau Joch (observatory), with the highest railway station in Europe

What a fabulous vantage point, so glad I made the detour. In the back in the center you can just make out the Matterhorn.

Slightly closer up view of the Matterhorn in the center, the Mischabel Group to the left, and Mount Weisshorn to the right

Guided glacier hikes

 

Perfect timing, we all met at the Gletscherstube restaurant at the right time, and continued on together. On the Aletsch Panorama Trail, we had some spectacular views of the Fiescher Glacier and the Fiescher Valley below.

 

The steep, glacier-carved Fieschertal Valley (it is hard to see the depth of this on the photo)

On this side of the valley, the slopes were flaming red with wild blueberry bushes

We can walk for hours on these kinds of trails

Avalanche fences. In the background, the Mischabel Group, unfortunately blending into the milky-coloured skies

The colours were stunning, and the photos can't do it justice

Just toward the end of our hike (approx. 4 pm.) we had sunshine again 

View NE into the Goms Valley. On the hill below is the town of Bellwald. 

Back at Fiescheralp to catch the cable car back down into the valley. The mountains all of a sudden looking HUGE, especially the Matterhorn on the left. 

Descending to Fiesch in the tiny cable car. In December 2019, this will be replaced by a brand new gondola cable-way.

 

My route in purple. Urs and Andrea walked the yellow path to the lake, and we did the right side of the trail together.

And this is what Urs and Andrea saw, on their side of the mountain: