Lötschberger Südrampe hike: along the Suonen to Ausserberg

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Magnificent views over the Rhône Valley, a varied terrain with deeply cut side valleys and impressive engineering buildings; the high-altitude hike along the Lötschberg south ramp is undisputedly one of the classics among Swiss hiking trails.

I like to remember well how 20 years ago I hiked together with my father for the first time from Hohtenn along the south ramp. I don’t remember this experience so much because of the varied route, but rather because of an unexpected encounter with a snake sunning itself on the hiking trail. At that time I marched ahead with a brisk step and was terribly frightened when something unexpectedly meandered right in front of my feet. This time I was prepared – but apart from numerous nimble lizards, no one crossed our path this year.

Start of the Lötschberg South Ramp hike in Valais

The high-altitude trail along the Lötschberg south ramp stretches over a length of around 30 kilometres between Hohtenn and Brig. The route of the two-day tour is identical to the third and fourth stages of the Valais Sun Trail, which leads in a total of four stages from Crans-Montana to Brig.

Due to its sun-drenched location, the Lötschberg South Ramp is an ideal hike for the transitional seasons in spring and autumn. If you want to reduce the altitude difference to a minimum, you can start the tour at the Hohtenn station (directly accessible from Bern station with the RegioExpress Lötschberger – stop with “stop on demand” – during the construction period of the summit tunnel renovation, note that there is only one train every two hours at Hohtenn station). We don’t want to make it that easy for ourselves and start our hike down in the Rhone Valley in the village center of Gampel. With this we “burden” ourselves with an additional 200 meters of altitude – but the fitness part at the start lets us then master every further small ascent with our left.

Bisse idyll on the Valais Sun Trail

In addition, one of the most beautiful sections of the trail follows in the area of the south ramp directly after the village of Hohtenn, which is about 150 meters below the train station. If you get off at the train station and walk along the contour lines towards Brägji, you will miss the idyllic Stägeru and Lüegjeru bisses. The old water canals have been beautifully refurbished in recent years. From secluded wooded sections to narrow, adventurous rocky sections, the entire range of trails awaits us in this section. Since we are more than 100 metres below the course of the BLS mountain line in this section, the railway infrastructure buildings are not yet so present in this section. Only at the Lüegilchi valley cut there is a view of the viaduct of the same name, which leads high above us over the incision.

Even though we hike mostly through wooded slopes in this section of the route, there is always a view of the opposite side of the valley between the trees.

At the level of the Jolibach, the hiking trail offers a daring passage. We follow the Lüegjeru bisse into a dark rock tunnel. Then it goes over gratings and steps a few meters further up to a rocky outcrop and from there over a suspension bridge to the opposite side of the gorge. If you have trouble with suspension bridges, it is better to choose the upper route with a starting point at Hohtenn station (analogous to the regular course of the Lötschberg south ramp).

Imposing Bietschtalbrücke

Once the Joli Gorge has been crossed, the panorama opens up towards the Rhône Valley. Soon, the tracks of the Lötschberg mountain line come into view. Along the way, information boards offer exciting background information about the construction of the Lötschberg railway.

At Chrüterbeizli Rarnerchumma, we have to choose between two options. If we stay at the same height, we walk along the route of the old construction railway and cross the Bietschtal gorge at the level of the Bietschtal bridge. Spontaneously we decide on an additional loop and follow the path to the left. If you don’t shy away from another 100 meters in altitude, you can do the same, climb up towards Ritzibodo and cross the gorge further back. With this route option, you can marvel at the imposing bridge structure from all sides.

Suonen Bräu – Brewery tour in Ausserberg

It is not far from the Bietschtal Gorge to our stage destination Ausserberg. The path leads with magnificent panoramic views above St. German through the middle of the center of Ausserberg. Directly on the hiking trail is the production building of the Suonen Bräu. In the premises of an old alpine dairy, Alois Schmid produces the three types of beer “Gold”, “Perle” and “Herbs” together with his sisters Ida Pfaffen and Susanne Kummer. The existing infrastructure has been so cleverly repurposed that the former Käskessi are now used for brewing beer.

No wonder – Alois Schmid is a passionate tinkerer. The electrician, who had his own business in Ausserberg, took over the troubled brewery from an outside contractor. It took a few attempts before the beer was of today’s quality, as Alois Schmid tells us with a laugh. For a long time, ARA had been the best buyer of his beer.

However, the most important ingredient for a good beer was given from the very beginning: the excellent mountain spring water from the Baltschiedertal. With perseverance and the professional input of his sisters, Alois Schmid has created three beers that appeal to lovers of specialty beers. Everything from brewing to labeling is still made by hand. And all three beers are naturally cloudy fresh products (with no artificial ingredients). Alois Schmid is happy to pass on his knowledge of beer brewing during guided tours. By appointment, there is the opportunity to gain an insight into the brewery and learn exciting facts about beer brewing all year round. There will also be the opportunity to taste the three types of beer.

If desired, the tasting can be accompanied by white sausage or a Valais platter. Alois Schmid obtains his “tasty” meat specialities from a farmer in Ausserberg. Definitely a worthwhile stopover at the Lötschberg south ramp.

p.s. I like the herbal beer best – which is your favorite?

Practical tips for the hike along the Lötschberg south ramp in Valais

The following map shows the route of our hike from Gampel along the south ramp to Ausserberg. There are 725 meters of altitude uphill and 380 meters of altitude downhill. The pure hiking time is just under four hours. The path is very beautiful and varied. In some cases, however, surefootedness and a head for heights (suspension bridge over the Joli Gorge) are required. You can reach the starting point in the village centre of Gampel via Visp by bus. At the end point in Ausserberg you have a connection to the Lötschbergbahn with hourly connections to Bern and Brig.

From the Joli Gorge, our tour follows the course of the “Lötschberg South Ramp”, which is maintained and operated by BLS. This leads from Hohtenn via Ausserberg and Eggerberg to Brig and can be hiked as a whole or divided into sections (the listed places can all be reached directly by train from Bern or Brig).

The Suonen Bräu is located directly on the hiking trail, about a 10-minute walk from Ausserberg train station. A visit to the brewery can also be easily combined with the Niwärch bisse hike, which is also very beautiful, or a detour to the Brig thermal baths.

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Guided tours of the brewery, including a presentation on the essence of beer brewing, are available by appointment. The cost of the tour is 100 CHF (flat rate). Depending on the tasting and aperitif request, additional costs will be incurred. All further information can be found here: Tour of the Bisse Brewery Ausserberg

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Key data of the Lötschberg South Ramp Hike: Gampel – Hohtenn – Ausserberg

Starting point	Gampel, village
Reachability	Accessible by public transport
Length	12 kilometers
Elevation gain	↗ 725 m 378 m ↘
Duration	4 hrs
Destination	Ausserberg