Walking in the Bernese Oberland & Valais
£11.00
75 long and short walks, 3 car tours and 7 train tours
by Reinhard Scholl
A guidebook to walking in the Bernese Oberland and Valais, featuring 75 of the best long and short day walks.
We cover the whole of this region in southwest Switzerland, showing trekking routes of varying difficulty, all of which are mapped in detail.
Many of the hikes are circular, from gentle strolls through the wine villages of the Valais to more strenuous hikes beside the north face of the Eiger, or alongside the largest glacier in the Alps.
This guide also includes three car tours, two touring maps (covering the whole of western Switzerland from the French border), seven train tours and free downloadable GPS tracks.
When to go: The best time for walking here is May to October (in the highest mountain areas July to September).
★★★★★ amazon review ‘A must-have for hikers! Clear maps, great routes, and helpful tips for exploring Switzerland’s stunning alpine landscapes.‘ Wylie
Printed book: £13.99 / PDF ebook: £11.00
This new guidebook to walking in the Bernese Oberland and Valais – in Sunflower’s new, wider format – covers the most popular destinations in western Switzerland, countryside blessed with a most dramatic and spectacular landscape.
Mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, gorges, and waterfalls are plentiful natural elements into which cultural influences blend.
Although a car is the best way to explore much of the Oberland and Valais, Switzerland boasts the world’s best public transport system. You can see a vast majority of its mountain landscapes by public transport.
There are many suggested train tours in the guide. But where trains don’t go, buses will – even to remote valleys and hamlets.
Switzerland is a hiker’s paradise – you would expect nothing less of a country which has an article in its constitution regulating the responsibilities of those who maintain the thousands of kilometres of hiking paths!
Mountain huts and comfortable hotels sit atop summits reached by spectacular train or cable car rides, but there is still plenty of space where you will hardly meet a soul.
The author, who lives in the area and has written several guides for walkers, caters for all abilities – from gentle strolls through the wine villages of the Valais to more strenuous hikes beside the north face of the Eiger or alongside the largest glacier in the Alps.
Information ‘boxes’ add interest to the book – whether describing grape varieties and harvesting methods or the engineering feats of the country’s dams and irrigation channels.
There are three main car tours, with dozens of side excursions. A map accompanies each car tour, but there are also two pull-out touring maps covering the whole of western Switzerland.
Of course, there are many suggestions for train, funicular and cable car rides, as well as 75 long and short walks (some of which are specially tailored to motorists). All the main walks are illustrated with 1:50,000 topo maps and free GPS tracks are available from this website.
Essential handbook for touring western Switzerland. This is a marvellous guide for anyone walking, using Swiss trains or driving around Western Switzerland. The descriptions are informative and accurate, providing just the right amount of guidance while allowing the reader to form their own opinions. A pull-out map in the back is conveniently annotated with reference numbers to the main walking tours and car tours detailed in the book. One whole chapter is devoted to those who will be using the Swiss Railroad to get around the country. Photos and topographical maps abound, complementing the written text and making this an enjoyable book to browse through even when not out hiking. –(SV, Amazon, reviewing the author’s guide to all of western Switzerland)
The book includes full details of the excellent Swiss transport system, so access to a wide choice of destinations is possible wherever you stay, but Interlaken or any town along the Rhône would be particularly good options.
3 car tours with many detour routes, 16 suggestions for tours by train, 75 long and short walks, some especially tailored for motorists
128 pages + 2 touring maps (covering the whole of western Switzerland from the French border), large-scale (1:50,000) topo maps
1st ed, 2019; ISBN 978-1-85691-517-5; UK retail price £13.99 / USA retail price $19.00
Table of contents:
Preface 5
Getting there and getting about 8
Public transport in Switzerland 8
Car touring 12
Car tour 1: Highlights of the Bernese Oberland 13
Car tour 2 Valais Wine route from Martigny to Leuk 22
Car tour 3: Side-valleys of the Valais 32
Touring by train 41
Geneva-Zermatt 41
GoldenPass line 41
Mont Blanc Express and Saint-Bernard Express (Martigny) 42
Railways, cable cars and gondolas in the Jungfrau region 43
Railways, cog railways and cable cars in Zermatt 46
Glacier Express; Lötschberg Tunnel; Lötschberg Basis Tunnel 46
Walking 47
Routes and waymarking 47
Grading 49
Maps and GPS 49
Seasons 50
Equipment 51
Safety 51
Literature and websites 52
THE WALKS
Bernese Oberland
Walk 1: First, Faulhorn and Schynige Platte 54
Walk 2: Schwarzhorn 58
Walk 3: Eigertrail 62
Walk 4: Pfingstegg and Bäregg, with optional extention to the Schreckhorn Hut 69
Walk 5: Schilthorn 72
Valais
Walk 6: Vineyard Trail from Martigny to Leuk 74
Walk 7: Great St-Bernard Pass 79
Walk 8: Lake Mauvoisin 82
Walk 9: Lac de Cleuson 86
Walk 10: Grande Dixence Dam 89
Walk 11: Bisse du Ro 92
Walk 12: Roc de la Vache 95
Walk 13: Höhbalmen ridge path 100
Walk 14: Gornergrat traverse 104
Walk 15: Gornergrat from Zermatt 106
Walk 16: Mällig and Gebidum 109
Walk 17: Lötschen Valley ridge path 112
Walk 18: Anen Hut from Gletscherstafel 118
Walk 19: Aletsch Glacier (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Eggishorn 121
Walk 20: High-level ridge trail from Bettmerhorn to Eggishorn 126
Index 127
Fold-out area map inside back cover
Panels
Switzerland in a nutshell: geographic facts 6
Wine and vineyards 29
Water tower of Europe 30
Hiking in Zermatt 98
This index contains only geograpical names; for all other entries, see
Contents, page 3. Both to save space and to avoid confusion caused by
French/German spellings, entries have been grouped by category (eg
lakes; rivers). Page numbers in bold type indicate photographs;
numbers in italic type indicate maps; these may be in addition to a text
reference on the same page.
Aletsch Glacier 7, 31, 40, 44, 114, 121, 122-3, 124, 125, 126
Beatenbucht 14, 15
Beatus Caves 13, 14, 15
Berne 6
Bettmeralp 32, 40, 121, 122-3, 124, 125, 126
Bisse/Suone (irrigation channel)
de Chervé 30, 87, 88
de Clavoz 30, 78
du Ro 30, 92-3, 94, 94
Blatten 40, 112, 114
Brienz 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 55
Brig 28, 29, 40
Chamoson 22, 23, 24, 26, 38, 77
Châtelard 33, 43
Col, pass
du Grand St-Bernard 7, 32-3, 33, 34, 43, 44, 79, 80, 81
Jungfraujoch 5, 15, 44, 65
Crans-Montana 7, 28, 32, 39, 92, 93
Dams
Cleuson 24, 31, 35, 86-7, 88
Grande Dixence 7, 30, 31, 35, 36, 83, 89, 90, 91
Mauvoisin 7, 31, 34, 35, 83, 83, 84, 84-5
Fafleralp 39, 40, 112, 113, 114-5, 117, 118, 119
Faldumalp 113, 114-5, 117
Ferden 39, 40, 112, 113, 114-5, 116-7
Fully 22, 24, 77
Grindelwald 5, 10-11, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 44, 45, 46, 54, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71
Interlaken 8-9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 42, 43, 44, 45
Lakes
Arpitetta 1, 95, 95-7
Cleuson 24, 31, 35, 86-7, 88
Dix 30, 31, 35, 36, 89, 90
Fenêtre 32-3, 79, 80-1
Grauseewli 72-3, 73
Grund 118-9
Guggi 118-9, 118-9
Märjelen 121, 122-3, 124-5
Mauvoisin 7, 31, 34, 35, 82, 83, 84, 84-5
Lauchernalp 112, 113, 114, 116-7
Le Chargeur 89, 91
Leuk 22, 23, 24-5, 29, 37, 39, 74, 75, 78
Leukerbad 32, 39
Lötschberg Basis Tunnel 41, 46, 116
Lötschberg Tunnel 39, 40, 46, 112, 113, 116
Martigny 22, 23, 24-5, 27, 33, 34, 41, 43, 74, 75, 79
Mountains, massifs, peaks
Allalinhorn 37, 38, 110
Bäregg 68, 69, 70, 71
Bettmerhorn 4, 121, 122, 126
Blava 89, 91
Dufourspitze 6, 102
Eggishorn 4, 40, 121, 122-3, 125, 126
Eiger 5, 15, 20, 44, 55, 57, 61, 62, 63, 64-5, 66, 67, 68, 70, 102
Faulhorn 54-5
First 45, 54-5
Gebidum 109, 111
Gornergrat 2, 46, 98, 104-5, 105,106-7, 108, cover
Grosse Scheidegg 10-11, 58, 59, 60, 61
Höhbalmen 98, 100-1, 102, 103
Jungfrau 7, 15, 20, 44, 55, 63, 64, 65, 73, 114, 124
Klein Allalin 15, 110
Klein Matterhorn 46
Kleine Scheidegg 15, 44, 62, 63,64-5, 66
Liskamm 108
Matterhorn 7, 37, 39, 46, 98, 99, 102-3, 103, 104-5, 107, 108, cover
Mällig 109, 111
Männlichen 15, 44, 46, 62-3, 64-5
Mettelhorn 99
Monte Rosa 39, 98, 102, 104, 105, 106-7
Oberrothorn 98, 99
Pfingstegg 68, 69, 70, 71
Platthorn 99
Roc de la Vache 24-5, 95, 96-7
Schilt 56-7, 58-9
Schilthorn 45, 72-3
Schwarzhorn 15, 58, 59, 60, 60-1
Unterrothorn 37, 46, 98, 99
Mürren 45, 72-3
Pyramides d’Euseigne 36
Rivers, valleys, gorges
Aare 13, 15, 16, 17
Anniviers 24-5, 32, 36, 37, 96
Arolla 32, 36
Bagnes 32, 34, 83, 84
Entremont 32, 33, 34, 43, 44, 79
Gletscherschlucht (Glacier Gorge) 67
Hérémence 32, 35, 89, 90
Hérens 32, 35, 36, 89
Lauterbrunnen 5, 13, 14-5, 20-1, 44, 45, 62-3, 72
Lonza 117, 118-9, 120
Lötschen 32, 34-5, 39, 40, 112, 113, 114-5, 115, 116-7
Matter 24-5, 32, 37, 38, 47, 74, 98, 104
Moiry 32, 36, 37
Nendaz 24-5, 32, 34, 35
Rhône 7, 22, 23, 24-5, 26,28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 74, 75, 78, 109, 113, 114, 121, 126
Saas 32, 37, 38, 40-1, 109, 110-1
Trient 24-5, 32, 33
Trift 99, 100-1, 103
Zinal 24-5, 32, 36, 37, 53, 94-5, 96, 97
Saas Fee 37, 38, 40-1, 109, 110, 111
Saillon 22, 23, 24-5, 26, 27, 38, 74- 5, 77, 78
St-Léonard 22, 24-5, 28, 78
St-Moritz 46
St-Pierre-de-Clages 26
Salgesch 7, 22, 24-5, 29, 78
Schynige Platte 15, 45, 56-7
Sembrancher 33, 34, 43
Sierre 7, 22, 24-5, 28, 29, 36, 37, 39, 41, 74, 78, 93
Sion 22, 24-5, 24-5, 26, 28, 30, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 74, 75, 77, 78, 86, 89, 92, 93
Siviez (Super-Nendaz) 24-5, 34, 35, 86, 87, 88
Spiez 13, 14, 15, 21
Unterseen 13, 14, 15
Uvrier 24-5, 28, 78
Varen 22, 24-5, 29, 30, 37, 78
Verbier 7, 28, 33, 34, 43, 86
Vétroz 22, 24-5, 27, 28, 77
Vevey 41
Villeneuve 41
Visp 37, 41
Waterfalls
Giessbach 13, 15, 19
Reichenbach 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 42
Staubbach 7, 15, 20-1, 44
Trümmelbach 15, 20, 45
Wilderswil 44, 45, 54
Wiler 40, 112, 113, 114, 116-7
Zermatt 6, 7, 28, 37, 41, 46, 47, 52, 98, 99, 100-1, 101, 102-3, 104, 105, 106-7, 108, 111
Zinal 24-5, 32, 36, 37m 53, 94-5, 96, 97
Zmutt 98, 99, 100-1, 103
Zweisimmen 42, 43
BERNESE OBERLAND AND VALAIS: WALKS AND CAR TOURS First edition, 2019; updated 26/8/24
Updates for walks and car tours (drives) in Switzerland given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book you can “upgrade” to the latest edition at half price.)
Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably by e-mail, to info@sunflowerbooks.co.uk.
Walk 9: The map on page 88 is missing its waypoints. See below:
Walk 18: Waypoint 5 has been omitted from the map: it should be where the mauve route departs from the green route. This also means that the numbering of all the subsequent map points is wrong: 5-8 should be 6-9. (User, 8/24)
GPS files for use with Landscapes of the Bernese Oberland and Valais:
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