Walking in the Valais. Kev Reynolds

For Riederalp, take road or rail to Mörel, then by cablecar direct to Riederalp, or by cablecar via Ried. For Belalp, travel by road from Brig to Blatten, then cablecar to Belalp.

      The west wall of the Fieschertal is formed of a long ridge of mountains stretching in a steady arc from the Fiescherhorn, over the Wannenhorn and Eggishorn down towards the Rhône valley. Beyond that wall lies the Grosser Aletschgletscher – the longest and most impressive glacier in the Alps; a 22km long frozen river created by the combined icefields of the Jungfirn, Ewigschneefäld and Grüneggfirn that come together to join the Aletschfirn at Konkordiaplatz, southeast of the Jungfrau.

      About 8km southeast of Konkordiaplatz, on the east bank of the glacier between the Strahlhorn and Eggishorn, lies a glacial hollow (the Märjelental) dotted with tiny pools and the celebrated, but much-diminished, Märjelensee. Streams from this basin flow in opposite directions, one to the Fieschertal, the other to the Aletschgletscher, and views are tremendous wherever you look.

      Below the tongue of this great glacier, overlooking a narrow gorge, the Aletschwald is one of the oldest and highest pine and larch forests in Europe, now a nature reserve and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn UNESCO World Heritage Site. The steep western wall of the gorge is broken by a couple of grass terraces on which a few alp chalets are found, and on its highest level stand the buildings of Belalp. The gorge is spanned by a 124m-long suspension bridge, and on its eastern side trails climb through the Aletschwald to a broad, sunny plateau below the Aletschgletscher’s moraine wall more than 1000m above the Rhône. Here lie Riederalp and Bettmeralp, which, like Belalp, are car-free resorts that enjoy panoramic views to the south where some of the most imposing snowpeaks of the Valais region line the horizon. Since there is no road access, visitors must either travel up by cablecar or on foot – gruellingly steep climbs of 600m–1100m.

      As popular in winter as in summer, it’s not surprising to find plenty of mechanical lifts stretching across the slopes. However, some of these can be used to advantage by walkers, and with more than 100km of footpaths to choose from, a few days spent exploring the district can be recommended. Best of the walks are those that use trails overlooking the Grosser Aletschgletscher, but for a non-energetic, near perfect overview, take the cablecar from Fiescheralp (Kühboden) to the Eggishorn. The top station is on a lower, secondary summit at 2893m – a spectacular vantage point from which to study not only the glacier far below, but rank upon rank of high mountains that contain it. The Eggishorn also hosts a popular klettersteig/via ferrata with a 30m long three-rope bridge as a highlight.

      Main bases

      Fiesch (1049m) is the small resort at the mouth of the Fieschertal. As the main resort village of the Goms, it’s a mixture of modern, white-fronted buildings and characteristic dark-timbered Valaisian chalets. It has a railway station, and a cablecar link with Fiescheralp at 2205m, which gives access to the Bettmeralp plateau, Märjelensee and the Aletschgletscher. Fiesch has a handful of hotels, over 3000 beds in chalets and apartments, and a well-ordered campsite just outside the village. There are restaurants, shops (including a supermarket) and a useful tourist office.

      The moraine ridge above Bettmeralp makes a fine viewpoint (Walks 5 and 6)

      Bettmeralp (1957m) has an idyllic location and a number of footpaths that exploit the far-reaching views. It also has cable lifts strung across the hillsides that can be used to reach vantage points from which to access additional paths. The picturesque white-walled chapel of Maria zum Schnee is an eye-catching symbol of the resort, which has several hotels and a large number of beds in holiday apartments. The village has shops, restaurants, a post office and bank.

      Riederalp (1930m) lies at the western end of the Bettmeralp plateau, with footpath access to the Aletschwald. It has several two- and three-star hotels, apartments, restaurants and shops, an Alpine museum and a nature conservation centre in the Villa Cassel at Riederfurka. There’s also a berghotel with standard beds and dormitory accommodation nearby (www.artfurrer.ch).

      Belalp (2094m) is a collection of chalets strung across the hillside west of the Aletschgletscher’s gorge. There are two hotels, the Aletschhorn which is located directly above the cablecar station and has dormitory accommodation, and Hotel Belalp on a great vantage point about 30mins walk to the northeast.

      Mountain huts

      Burg Hut (1751m) Reached by a 2–2½hr walk from the Fieschertal roadhead, the Burg Hut is privately owned, but open to all. Standing among rock slabs overlooking the gorge of the Fieschergletscher, it has 32 dormitory places, and is usually open with meals available from the middle of May until mid-October (Tel [phone], www.burghuette.ch).

      Gletscherstube Märjela (2373m) This privately owned timber-built hut can be found in the Märjelental close to both the Märjelensee and the Aletschgletscher. It has 36 dormitory places, a full meals service, and is open from July to the end of October (Tel [phone]).

WALK 1

      Fieschertal (1108m) – Burg Hut (1751m) – Fieschertal

Distance	10km
Grade	2–3
Time	3½–4hrs (2–2½hrs up, 1½hrs back)
Height gain/loss	643m
Location	North of Fiesch

      The privately owned Burg Hut stands on a broad slab of granite overlooking the deep gorge of the Fieschergletscher, backed by a magnificent wall of mountains. It’s an atmospheric place, whether you choose to spend a night there, or simply visit for a drink and return by an alternative route. This walk is full of charm, for it passes through a tiny alp hamlet, wanders into a beautiful little valley with silver birch, larch and pine trees, then scrambles up a gully beside a line of crags used as a local klettergarten. After spending time at the hut, the descent back to Fieschertal goes down a long rib of rock and trees that forms the west wall of the glacier gorge, with surprise views every few minutes. The walk may be only 3½–4hrs long (actual walking time), but it’s likely to take all day.

      The bus from Fiesch terminates its journey at the Dorfplatz roadhead in the village of Fieschertal where the walk begins. Go half-left at a major signpost where the route is signed to Klettergarten, Stock and Burg Hut, among others. Follow a gravel track between meadows, then up a concrete ramp to reach an attractive hamlet of dark timber chalets and old barns resting on staddle stones. This hamlet is named Zer Brigge after the little hump-backed bridge seen off to the left.

      Walk through the hamlet and continue on a path with enticing views of peaks to the north. The way goes through trees and brings you onto a narrow service road where you turn left. Immediately after the road crosses a stream, take an unmarked path on the right which is a shortcut to bring you to the road once more. Continue up-valley until the road recrosses the stream, at which point follow a footpath signed to the Burg Hut and Marjelen (among others).

      The path climbs steadily among trees, crosses another narrow road and continues as a track. When this ends a footpath continues from it, crossing another stream and reaching a junction. The right branch goes to Unnerbärg, but we keep ahead (sign to Burg Hut). This is a very attractive region of rocks and trees, with a big line of crags ahead. Pass a small hut and follow the path to another junction at 1573m. This point is marked as Klettergarten, and is where the route to the Burg Hut departs from that which goes to the Gletscherstube Märjela.

      Bear right and wander up a broad gully between crags – climbers can often be seen in action here. At the head of the gully climb a short metal ladder, turn left at the top, and follow blue waymarks the last few metres to the dark, timber-built Burg Hut (1751m: 2–2½hrs: accommodation, refreshments). The Burg Hut is privately owned but run on similar lines to a standard SAC hut. It has 32 dormitory places and is usually manned from mid-May until mid-October (Tel [phone]).

      The Burg Hut, set magnificently among glacier slabs backed by the Fiescherhörner

      Take