My top tips for a mountain weekend in Blatten-Belalp

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A hiking and biking weekend in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Aletsch-Jungfrau. That’s exactly what we had on our agenda at the beginning of July. And we were once again on the road in the Blatten-Belalp region. So far, I have known the family-friendly holiday region in particular for its winter qualities. Now we have also got an overview of the summer trump cards and brought you a colorful bouquet of tips for active days in the imposing Upper Valais mountain landscape.

Sparrhorn – a three-thousand-metre peak for little sweat

One of the advantages of Blatten-Belalp is the wide range of hiking options that are available here in a compact space. From the easy family hike on Vero’s Witches’ Trail to a panoramic (and stroller-friendly) walk to the Aletschbord to the alpine mountain tour to the Oberaletsch hut, the entire range is offered here. For our first tour, we chose a real hiking highlight. And it is also relatively easy to climb a three-thousand-metre peak from the Belalp. Provided that the snow allows this – but more on that later.

The starting point of the hike to the 3,021-metre-high Sparrhorn is the mountain station of the Hohbiel chairlift. During the high season, from Thursday to Sunday (the chairlift is not in operation on the other days of the week), the first 550 metres of altitude from Bruchegg (Belalp) towards the Sparrhorn can be overcome in just a few minutes without sweat. So there are still almost 350 meters of altitude to be mastered with your own muscle power until you crack the three-thousand-metre mark.

To do this, follow a white-red-white marked mountain path along the flank of the Sparrhorn to its southern ridge. Here you have to overcome some steep, narrow hairpin bends in the rocky terrain until the summit cross is already noticeable in the distance. Don’t forget to stop from time to time and admire the fantastic panorama. Who will discover the Matterhorn in the following pictures?

The path is a bit exposed here and there, but all in all manageable even for sure-footed children. However, we still abandoned the “summit ascent” almost 50 meters below the summit, because at the beginning of July a rather large and unpredictable snowfield blocked our way to the summit. Since we were also the first on the mountain after a night with snowfall, there were no tracks at all. So the project seemed too “risky” for us and we followed the mountain path downhill towards the Tyndall monument. Whether with or without a summit moment – this is always a tour with great views. And at your destination, the sun terrace of the Hotel Belalp awaits you. In addition to the nut croissants – which have almost cult status here – there are also a few convincing savoury dishes on the menu of the day. My favorite: the Edelweiss ravioli

The Hohbiel – Sparrhorn – Aletschbord hike at a glance

Starting point	Mountain station of the Hohbiel chairlift (2,676 m above sea level)
Reachability	Accessible by public transport
Length	7.4 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 367 m 945 m ↘
Duration	2:30 h to 3:00 h
Destination	Belalp gondola lift mountain station (2,095 m above sea level)
Catering	Hotel Belalp

Beautiful hiking tour to the Foggenhorn

If it doesn’t work out with the one summit ascent, then let’s just tackle the second “lookout hoger” of the Belalp. Thought, done – and so the second hike in this series takes us to the Foggenhorn. To do this, we follow the gravel path from the Belalp mountain station in the direction of Alpe Bel. From there it goes over alpine meadows and over the Chelchbach to the flanks of the mountain range, which stretches out of the valley to Naters. Instead of the steel-blue sky from the day before, frayed bands of clouds now caress the mountain peaks and create an atmospheric ambience.

The following continuous ascent towards the ridge suits me. It follows a pleasantly ascending hiking trail in a zigzag continuous uphill. At the top of the summit, the effort is rewarded with an impressive view down into the wild Gredetsch valley. With luck (and depending on the season) you can also observe ibexes and chamois up here. Although we are the first on the summit this morning, we unfortunately look in vain.

The subsequent descent towards Alpe Nessel and from there back to the Belalp again awaits you with lush alpine pastures interspersed with blooming alpine roses and the cheerfully bubbling Nessjeri bisse. Our conclusion: an extremely varied round that doesn’t seem to be overcrowded even on weekends.

The Foggenhorn – circular hike at a glance

Starting point	Belalp gondola lift mountain station (2,095 m above sea level)
Reachability	Accessible by public transport
Length	12.1 kilometres
Elevation gain	↗ 871 m 871 m ↘
Duration	4:30 p.m.
Destination	Belalp gondola lift mountain station (2,095 m above sea level)
Catering	Hamilton Lodge (Alpe Bel)

Along the wildlife nature trail from Belalp to Blatten

My third hiking tip can be perfectly combined with the ascent to the summit of the Sparrhorn or – in the more knee-friendly, but more strenuous variant – in the opposite direction.

The themed trail, which is dedicated to the local flora and fauna, leads from the Belalp mountain station via Aletschbord to the Holzji wildlife observation post. Don’t forget to pack your binoculars so you can search the opposite Aletsch Forest for local game. Afterwards, the hiking trail leads us over hill and dale and past beautifully blooming alpine meadows to the hamlet of Egga and from there down to Blatten.

The Belalp – Egga – Blatten hike at a glance

Starting point	Belalp gondola lift mountain station (2,095 m above sea level)
Reachability	Accessible by public transport
Length	6.6 kilometres
Elevation gain	↗ 66 m 829 m ↘
Duration	2:00 p.m.
Destination	Belalp gondola valley station (1,328 m above sea level)
Catering	Hotel Belalp and mountain guide parlour in the hamlet of Egga

Through the “primeval forest” to the castles

I was also inspired by our spontaneous detour to the mystical Chastelwald forest near Blatten. Supposedly inconspicuous from the outside, the “green” on the outskirts of the village of Blatten hides an untouched biotope of moss-covered trees, soft, winding forest paths and surprising vantage points. The hike through the natural forest reserve is relatively short at just under 1.5 hours – but lets me immerse myself in a completely different world and pushes everyday life into the distance. A wonderful round to switch off, to consciously perceive the here and now and to be enchanted by the beauty of natural forests.

The short circular hike takes us past the witches’ cauldron shortly before we reach our starting point. In addition to five courses of varying difficulty in the rope park, a fireplace, a playground with paddling ponds and a mini-golf course offer fun and games.

The circular hike through the Chastelenwald at a glance

Starting point	Belalp gondola valley station (1,328 m above sea level)
Reachability	Accessible by public transport
Length	3.5 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 295 m 295 m ↘
Duration	1:20 p.m.
Destination	Belalp gondola valley station (1,328 m above sea level)

Test of courage on the Häxutrail

During our mountain weekend in Blatten-Belalp, we not only explored the hiking trails, but also took a close look at the bike trails. Just a few days before our stay, two new mountain bike trails were inaugurated. For ambitious riders, the Nesselloop leads 11 kilometres from the Belalp along the Nessjeri-Suone to Birgisch. For me – as a beginner – a size too big.

Together with bike guide Roman Bellwald from the Trailgoats, I venture into the second new addition: the Häxutrail. This leads from the Belalp in just over 6 kilometers in flow trail style (at least in the lowest third) down to Blatten. Schweiz Mobil declares the technology on this route to be “moderately difficult”, with the upper half up to the Tschuggen middle station having one or two tricky passages in store.

We therefore follow the road in the upper section. A comfortable drive-in just the way I like it. Above the Tschuggen middle station, Roman then directs me to the Häxutrail. I was already able to gain some biking experience, but the abrupt change from the road to the narrow “Häxutrail”, which is peppered with tight hairpin bends, challenges me more than expected. Under the expert guidance of Roman, however, I make it to the finish line almost without falling (although I admittedly overcome some steep and strongly rooted passages with a push). Note to me: Practice makes perfect. I probably shouldn’t let another year pass until the next bike descent… Either way, as you can see, Blatten-Belalp also has something up its sleeve for fans of two wheels.

The Häxutrail at a glance

Starting point	Belalp gondola lift mountain station (2,095 m above sea level)
Reachability	Accessible by public transport
Length	6.7 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 27 m 794 m ↘
Duration	approx. 20 minutes to an hour (depending on riding level)
Destination	Belalp gondola valley station (1,328 m above sea level)

World Nature Forum – interactive bad weather program

The summer of 2021 has taught us to appreciate the bad weather tips, hasn’t it? In my opinion, you should consider the detour to the World Nature Forum in Naters even when the weather is nice. And not only because the Jungfrau-Aletsch museum restaurant serves the best homemade ice cream far and wide, but also because the exhibition about the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch is really convincing. Here, you can not only virtually relive the never-realized – crazy-seeming – southern approach to the Jungfraujoch in a historic Jungfrau Railways railway carriage, but also learn a lot about the flora and fauna around the Aletsch Glacier. Whether young or old – here you can easily spend half a day immersing yourself in the diverse and interactively prepared theme world.

Practical tips for your mountain weekend in the Blatten-Belal regionp

• In Blatten, I can recommend the 3-star Hotel Massa, which is close to the gondola lift. The room standard is basic – but it has everything you need. And in the restaurants belonging to the hotel, it is worth trying the pizzas instead of the Valais specialties.
• On the Belalp, you can spend the night in a panoramic location at the Hotel Tigilou. In addition to rooms with a view of the valley behind the striking panoramic windows, the small hotel also offers a small wellness area. Alternatively, you can spend the night in cosy rooms at the historic Hotel Belalp.
• The Blatten-Belalp gondola lift is included in the GA travelcard. From an overnight stay in an accommodation facility, where visitor’s tax is paid, you will also receive the guest card. With this, you also benefit from free use of the cable cars as well as free admission to the World Nature Forum and other discounts on local leisure activities.
• If you want to improve your biking skills or explore the most beautiful bike routes in Blatten-Belalp under expert guidance, it’s best to take a look at the Trailgoats website. The guides Roman, Christoph and Pascal offer guided group tours on fixed dates as well as individual guiding.
• If the rapid descent over the “Häxutrail” doesn’t get your pulse up enough, you might find the thrill you’re hoping for on the Aletsch via ferrata around the Gibidum reservoir.
• Another recommended hiking classic, which we already described a few years ago, is the tour from the Belalp over the Massa Gorge suspension bridge to the Riederalp.