As mentioned in the previous post, we booked a room at the Hamilton Lodge in Belalp for a week of hiking in the Aletsch area. We arrived in rain and fog and checked into the hotel.

Day 1: Sion, St. Léonard, Brig

We woke up to more rain and fog and decided to do some sightseeing in the valley. Our first stop was Sion, the capital of the canton of Valais. It was raining and we immediately noticed that most of the stores, it being Monday,  opened in the afternoon. So we walked up to the two castles, each one on it's own hill. The older one, a ruin, is called Château de Tourbillon and the newer one is named Château de Valère. 

The organ in the basilica is one of the oldest playable organs in the world. The amazing frescos which adorn the walls of the church are currently being conserved.

Then we headed to the Lac Souterrain de St. Léonard, Europe's largest natural underground lake. We were excited to visit the lake and take the boat ride across the lake, but were somewhat disappointed by the guide. He was able to speak various languages more or less well, but was happier cracking jokes than actually telling us about the lake.

To fight the cold and rain we thought it would be a good idea to visit the thermal baths in Brig, called Brigerbad. Maybe we're too spoiled by the other wonderful baths we've been to, but I was not happy with this one. The water was cool (except for two pools, one which costs extra to visit) and the building is in need of some serious fixing up.  The worst part is that it's a total pain to get there by public transport. There is only one bus an hour which takes you to the baths and since we don't have a car, we could really care less that there are 450 free parking spots. I don't think we will be going there again!

Day 2: Hike from Belalp to Riederalp across the new suspension bridge

We woke up to more fog, but it wasn't raining so my husband said off we go across the suspension bridge! Until recently the trail from Belalp to Riederalp went across the Aletsch Glacier. Due to the fact that the glacier is quickly receding, it has become dangerous to do this. In 2008 a suspension bridge (in German) across the Massa canyon was opened. Now it is possible to hike from Belalp to Riederalp in 4.5 hours.

I wasn't in a good mood when we started as I could hardly see the road in front of me. Why should I go on a hike where I wouldn't be able to see the Aletsch Glacier? But minutes after passing the Hotel Belalp I caught my first glimpse of the glacier. WOW. It was as amazing as all the pictures I've seen of it which are always taken when the sun is shining.

From Hotel Belalp, we hiked down the newly restored "Steigle" which is a series of 9 hairpin turns where sheep, goats and cows are herded down and then up again in late August. Rocks are placed across the trail to ensure safe travels for the animals.

After the "Steigle", the trail turns off to go down to the "Aletschji Alp", where we passed very cute Scottish Highland cows and the tiny "Aletschjikapelle".

Right before the trail turns to the decent towards the bridge, there is a view point which offered views of the glacier in the past. Now, there isn't much to see, as the glacier has receded back to a point where it can't be seen. It is more interesting the see the results of the glacial abrasion. The rocks we were hiking across and down to the bridge were still under ice approximately 80 years ago!

And to the bridge. If you are scared of heights, don't cross the bridge, or at least don't look down. I'm usually not scared of heights, but I was happy when I reached the other side. In the middle of the bridge, I stopped and took a look down to the Massa river which flows out of the glacier. I didn't want to miss any part of this experience.

After hiking back up the other side of the bridge, we came to a small lake called "Grünsee" where we had lunch. This lake is slowly being turned into a moor lake and is very picturesque.

From the lake there are two trail which take you up to Riederalp. We decided on the one which was more likely to give us good views of the glacier. Both trails are in the Aletschwald, a forest which has been protected since 1933. Since 2001 it is a part of the UNESCO Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area. We were not disappointed with the views we were offered.

At Silbersand, we turned back towards Riederalp, connected with the other trail which from Grünsee would have taken us through the "Teife Wald" and continued to Riederfurka. In Riederfurka, the Pro Natura Center Aletsch is located in the beautiful Villa Cassel.

Not only does the center offer valuable information about the area, it is also possible to spend the night there. Guess where we will be staying next time?!

After coffee and cake in the tea room, we hiked down to Riederalp and from there took the gondola down to Mörel. From Mörel we took the train back to Brig. While walking though Riederalp, we both decided we were very glad we were staying in Belalp and not in the bustling and touristy Riederalp. It couldn't possibly be as quiet at Belalp is.

Day 3: Hike along the longest Suone in Oberwallis and relaxation in the hotel spa

We knew the weather would be rainy and foggy again, so we decided to take it easy. I would have stayed in all day and read, but my husband is an energy ball and needed to DO something. So I agreed to a hike along the longest suone in Oberwallis called Nessjeri-Soune. What is a suone? Called "bisses" in French, these are what the Pourtugese call "levadas"- mini-canals. In Madeira we hiked along them and again in Valais. These mini-canals were built to irrigate the drier parts of the country, many of them built in Roman times or earlier.

The hike, or actually I should say walk since the canals only have a barely noticeable incline, was peaceful and we only had a little bit of a view since there were clouds all around us.

The canals are still in use today and are regulated as needed.

We did catch a glimpse of the Aletsch Glacier and saw lots of wild blueberries along the path. We picked a few and ate them as we walked.

In the afternoon we relaxed in the hotel spa.

Day 4: Hike to the Oberaletschhütte

We woke up to total sunshine. It was almost hard to believe that we would have so much luck on the day we decided to go on a big day hike. We started out at 7 am and headed towards the Oberalteschhütte. Up until 2005 to get to the hut, it was necessary to walk across the Oberaletsch Glacier. Just like the hike we took on Day 2, it was becoming harder to do this due to the receding glacier. So a new trail was made, or rather blasted. Check out the pictures here. Large parts of the trail were made by rock blasting. The new trail is fairly comfortable, with lots of chains to hold on to in case you feel you need to. These chains are probably used mostly when the rocks are slippery (rain or ice). Despite being hundreds of meters above the glacier you feel safe- most of the time. The hike round trip from Belalp was 8.5 hours and we stopped for an hour at lunch at the hut.

Just starting out in the morning. Sun and a beautiful view of the Mischabel.

Continuing on, the Mishabel and Lake Gibidum.

And surprise- the Matterhorn to the right of Mischabel.

The wonderful view we had all the way to the Oberalteschhütte: Oberaletsch Glacier and Nesthorn

Oberaltesch Glacier and Aletschhorn (right)

The cutest sheep ever! These sheep are native to the Valais region and are special because they have twisted horns and scraggly wool. Take a close look at them. They have a back nose, black ears, black hoofs and black knees. The rest is white.

We crossed this bridge and hiked up the trail in the face of the rock. The bridge is new as of 2005 (the old one was removed) but the trail has been there since about 1920, up until recently used mostly by the sheep. Every year, the sheep are herded up to the higher pastures and back down again at the end of August.