From Diemtigtal to Färmeltal to Simmental in Canton Bern

Sunday September 11, 2022 -- Ever since the one and only time we have been in the beautiful Diemtig Valley (Diemtigtal, side valley of the Simmental, those photos are HERE), we have wanted to come back to hike over the pass at the back of the valley. As there was a forecast for three nice days early this week, plus we had wanted to do two other hikes near Lenk in the Simmen Valley, we were able to arrange a successful three-day tour.

The Diemtig Valley is part of the Diemtig Nature Park in Canton Bern, and is renowned for its talented carpenters and beautiful wooden chalet construction with so many fabulous details. Some of these houses are hundreds of years old, and all new buildings continue to be built in this style.

At the back of the valley is a chair lift from Grimmi Alp to the Stiereberg farm which runs only on weekends in summer, but it saves us about 400m climb, so that's why this excursion suited us perfectly for the Sunday. From the farm we had 90 minutes to the Grimmifurggi crossing into the Färmel Valley, and another 2.5 hours or so to Matten in the Simmental, where we had rented a room for the night. (The location was perfect, near the train station and only a few minutes ride to Lenk from where we started the next day's hike, but unfortuntely for me, the house was owned by a champion motorcycle racer who had a repair garage in the bottom of the house, so instead of fresh country air, all I could smell was motor oil!)

This is a look down the Diemtig Valley as we head up valley. There are 10,000 farms in this valley, and it is the largest farming community in Switzerland.

There are only 2200 residents in this valley, and all the houses are of this construction. Some are several hundred years old. (Even new homes are built in this style).

The carpenters in this valley are known for their intricate carvings on the houses. 

The Grimmialp-Stiereberg chair lift only runs Friday to Sunday in Fall, that is why we chose this excursion for this Sunday. Many people start the hike to the pass from here, but this saves us about 400m of ascent once again.

We watched some interesting paragliding as we ascended on the chair lift. They were flying very fast and low to the ground, sort of like speed racing

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We watched several "racing" paragliders zoom by beneath us! 

They flew barely skimming the ground.

A look behind us as we ascend to the Stiereberg farm, down to the large pasture area called "Grimmi Alp"

Riding up the chair lift, we now can see the Grimmifurggi saddle which we are going to cross, into the next valley over

Our very long, approx. 15-km walk total, turned out to be a 5-hour hike! With exception of the first section where we followed an unofficial trail on the map -- a trail that did not exist -- it was a relatively easy hike. We started in the Diemtig Valley, and ended in the Simmen Valley.

Heading up to the Stiereberg Farm, a look back at the summit station of the chair lift, and the Diemtig Valley in the background. We started here at 11 a.m. 

Hazelnut Crescents are advertised for sale at the farm, so Urs has to get his midmorning snack!

At this time of year we encounter loads of Fly Amanita fungi along the way!

A look across the valley. The official trail was actually a wider road below us, but we thought we would try an "unofficial" trail shown on our map, which wasn't such a successful idea, as the trail didn't really exist.

After fighting our way through lots of downed trees in the forest, we made it back to the trail we should originally have been on!

Now we join the regular mountain trail. There were many hikers here, because there is a nice loop trail returning to Grimmi Alp, popular with families. 

Always there are cows on our trail! These are the Simmental cows, different from the Swiss Brown cows which we are used to in central Switzerland. 

There aren't as many people headed up to the pass. Most other hikers walked down the valley to Grimmi Alp. 

A look down the lovely Diemtig Valley. You can just see the summit station of the chair lift at the Stiereberg farm. 

It was a very nice and enjoyable hike up to the Grimmfurggi saddle

We reached the Grimmifurggi saddle at 12:30. It took us about an hour and a half. The quickest way to our goal in Matten from here is 2:20, but we took a longer route (2:40)

The horseshoe valley on the other side of the pass is called Färmeltal, or simply Färmel by the locals. We exited the valley along an upper trail, reaching the village of Matten at the junction of this valley and the Simmen Valley. 

Zoomed view of the other side of the Simmental, the middle mountain (not the one that looks like a tooth) is called Rinderberg, a popular hiking mountain accessed from Zweisimmen. We hiked there in 2019, those photos are HERE

Just below the saddle, in the Färmel Valley was a farm building with a picnic table, the perfect spot for our lunch break!

Up above us is the barn where we had our picnic lunch. We could have headed toward the back of the valley from here, but then would have had to walk out along a long dirt road. We prefer the mountain trails.

Passing another farm on our way along the Färmel Valley

A look into the back of the Färmel Valley. Below is the dirt road which is the faster way out of the valley, but less interesting. We prefer to be up high if possible.

Most of the trail out of the valley was through the forest. Every once in a while we looked back at the farms in the valley and the Grimmifurggi saddle which we crossed. 

More Simmental cows

Now we get a glimpse up the Simmen Valley to the Wildstrubel Massif, and straight ahead is a huge glacier called "Glacier de la Plaine Morte" (Dead Plain Glacier), which is still on the list of things I want to see up close!

Close-up view of the "Glacier de la Plaine Morte"

And now, before our descent, a good look at the back of the Simmental, and the town of Lenk, from where our next day's excursion starts. 

On our descent to Matten. It is here where we have rented a room in a private home for the night. 

Even though we had already walked over four hours to get to Matten, we spent another half hour walking through the village admiring the pretty chalets here. 

Some of the window flowers are really spectacular!

A look south to the fabulous Wildstrubel Massif. A few years ago we crossed the Rawil Pass on the right side, and another time we also crossed the smaller forested hill (Oberlaubhore) in the center (those photos are HERE) 

The room we had rented for the night was in the upper story, with the little West-facing balcony. By the time we returned here after looking at the village of Matten, the sun had already gone down unfortunately, so I didn't really get to enjoy my balcony.

The room was pretty nice, but the fan in the bathroom on the other side of the wall was very noisy, and I had to keep the windows closed because of the motor oil smell from the motorcycle garage in the bottom floor of the house. 

Our 14-km hike we did from the Diemtig Valley into the Simmen Valley (near Lenk)

Lake Tremorgio to Dalpe via Passo Venett in the Leventina Valley

Friday September 9, 2022 -- It's been a while since we traveled south of the Gotthard Tunnel to the Ticino, and this was our choice for this day because once again there was too much cloud cover in the North.

We have done a lot of walking in the area between Airolo and Biasca, but there was a region we had never yet visited: A large sunny plateau called Dalpe. We made that the goal of our hike, but started with a cable car ride to the pretty mountain lake called Tremorgio (very low on water this time, compared to the last time we were here), and then hiked up from there just over 300 meters to a pass (Passo Venett), from where we descended to to Dalpe. For us, this was another relatively easy hike, about 3.5 hours.

Although the mountains on the East side of the Leventina Valley had sunshine all day, we were not so lucky. Clouds hung out on the western mountains and blocked the sun for most of the day. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the hike, especially in the area near the pass. There were large bands of stark white rock up here (Dolomit), and such an abundance of super fine sand, it felt almost as if we were on a beach at the ocean. And for good reason, as information panels let us know that this sedimentary rock was once under the sea, and pushed upwards to 2100m with great force many millions of years ago! 

Heading up to Lake Tremorgio with the cable car from Rodi-Fiesso.

The Rodi-Tremorgio Cable Car. Took us 900m above the valley bottom!

A look into the upper Leventina Valley, where there was sunshine all day! The villages on the mountainside are part of the "Strada Alta" (the Leventina "High Road"), which we have completed. 

It takes less than an hour to get to the Pass (Passo Venett) before descending to Dalpe, ca. 3 hours.

This was actually an easy tour for us, only 300 meters ascent altogether. It took us only 40 minutes to get to the Alpe Campolungo, and another 10 minutes to the Pass. The descent after our picnic lunch at Stuéi was all through the forest. 

Panorama view of the kettle in which lies Lake Tremorgio

Heading up to Alpe Campolungo

For a short moment we had some sunshine on the lake! Last time we were here, we climbed up the hillside on the opposite side of the lake (lowest section at the front). 

The water level is very low in the lake

It took us 40 minutes to get to this upper pasture called Alpe Campolungo. Our plan for one day in the future is to cross the pass at the far back into the Lavizzara Valley, which is at the back of the Maggia Valley. This requires a 2- or 3-day trip, as we cannot get back home from there in one day!

A final look down at the lake and the Leventina Valley before heading up to the pass

We were very surprised that the ground up here consists of a layer of fine white sand!

These white bands of rock, as well as the white band at the back of the Alpe Campolungo and further down toward Dalpe, consist of a rock called "Dolomite Marble", a sedimentary rock which formed at the sea bottom 250 million years ago, and was pushed up by enormous forces to this level of 2100 meters above sea level

A final look back at Alpe Campolungo in the sunshine, with the fascinating white band of Dolomite Marble. 

The rock formations up here at the Passo Vanett were totally unexpected and fascinating. From here we have a little over two hours to descend to Dalpe. We have long wanted to do the hike to Fusio via Passo Campolungo.... 

We spent some time up here in the white rock and sand, because it was fascinating and we had never encountered this before. 

Looking for semi-precious stones which can be found up here. We didn't find anything colourful, but there were so many glittery rocks, I brought a pocketful home! Below us in the center is the high plateau called Dalpe, where we are headed. 

A look back up at the Venett Pass as we head down the mountain on the Leventina Valley side. 

A long zigzag path of white sand and glittery rocks descends the mountainside. 

The marvelous rock formation at the Venett Pass, now above us. 

Down below is the Dalpe plateau. That's where our hike will end. Behind the first row of mountains (which form the East side of the Leventina Valley) is the Adula Massif, which is the source of the Posterior Rhine River. 

A close-up look at the Adula Massif, and the mountain called Adula Rheinwaldhorn. 

A very fitting and colour-matching decoration for Urs' hiking boots!

Our trail passed this little shelter on the hillside, and the table was perfect for us to take our lunch-break here! (1:15 p.m.)

Our view from our picnic table to the other side of the valley, which mostly had sunshine all day. In the dip between the highest peak and the small cloud is a lake called Chièra, which we hiked up to in August 2019. Those photos are worth looking at HERE.

Always amazing to see where we have descended from!

Most of our descent was through the forest, and we had a great time discovering all these different fungi!

Last section before getting to Dalpe. All the properties here are spotless and well-decorated. 

Close-up view of the "Oratorio di San Rocco" in the newer part of Dalpe. As it turns out, we ended up walking out to the bus stop there, which was a good thing, as due to road construction, the bus wasn't doing its regular run into the old part of the village!

This is the parish church in the older part of the town. 

A lovely house built in 1804

From the old part of Dalpe, a look across at the more modern neighbourhood. Usually the bus comes to here, but we had time to walk to the bus stop at the little church on the left, which turns out to have been a good thing, as the bus came only that far before turning back!

The Oratorio San Rocco, built in 1489, was unfortunately locked, so I could not see the inside.

This fellow was hiding behind the information panel!

A look back at the old part of Dalpe and the Val Piumogna behind it, After being here, we have decided we want to hike into that valley as well!

The various hikes we have done in this region. The purple one is the hike to Lake Chièra on the very opposite side of the valley (2109). This is just 15 km south of the Gotthard Tunnel exit in Airolo

Taking the bus back to Airolo train station, we followed the "scenic" route on the opposite side of the valley! Directly to the north is the Gotthard Massif, which separates the north from the south. 

The lovely old church in Quinto, something I have to visit some time. 

Approximate location of the area where we were hiking. 

Here is a photo taken in August 2019 as we took the bus up to Predèlp on the opposite side of the valley. From there we got a view of the Venett Pass with the bands of white Dolomit rock, and the upper plateau of Dalpe.