Norbert, responsible for business development at Triplegend, was invited by Swiss Tourism and the Canton of Valais to participate in a 4-day media trip. The trip focused on tourist highlights of the region, but also on the critical examination of the visible consequences of climate change.
A report on the Valais and the changes caused by climate change.
Day 1: Arrival and get together
The journey for all participants of the media trip was by train to the canton of Valais. Thanks to the Swiss Travel Pass, one can discover Switzerland with just one ticket and thus travel to the most beautiful areas by public transport, which includes bus, train, boats and selected mountain gondolas & panorama trains. The meeting point is Riederalp.
Riederalp, Fiescheralp and Bettmeralp are typical villages in the Valais with its historic Valais houses, chalets and a handful of hotels. The 3 Alps are all located at about 2,000m, are completely car-free and focused on environmentally friendly operation. An important package of measures to counteract climate change.
In the evening, a get-together was organized with David Kerstens from Aletsch Arena and Miriam Nussbaumer from Valais Promotion, who gave us insight into the history of Valais. The lovingly furnished Golfhotel Riederhof is our accommodation for two days.
Valais is known for its up to 300 days of sunshine a year, favored by the high surrounding mountain ranges. In addition, the region with its numerous mountain lakes, Suonen (irrigation channels), glaciers, forests and miles of hiking trails is a must-do for all climbers, mountain bikers, hikers, paragliders and nature lovers. Valais also has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine. You should definitely try local delicacies such as the exceptional wines, the crispy rye bread, the little known saffron from Munder and especially the hearty raclette cheese.
Day 2: Aletsch Glacier and Villa Cassel
The highlight of the day is the 22.6km long Aletsch Glacier. The Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps and part of the "UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch". The day starts with a leisurely walk to the valley station of the Moosfluh gondola. The ride takes about 15 minutes and brings us to 2,333m above sea level.
In the entire Aletsch Arena you can enjoy the breathtaking view of more than 40 of the total of over 80 four-thousand-meter mountains in the Alps (e.g. Matterhorn, Weisshorn, Dom, Jungfrau, Eiger, Mönch). With over 317 km of hiking and theme trails, year-round via ferratas and glacier tours, every hiking enthusiast will find unforgettable views and moments in this area. Winter sports fans will also find 36 ski lifts and 104 km of slopes. Throughout Valais there are over 8,000 km of marked hiking trails: up to high peaks, through fragrant larch forests, along historic routes or daringly over suspension bridges.
From the Moosfluh Viewpoint you can enjoy a spectacular view of the 81.7km2 large Aletsch glacier (area of 79 km2) - which at second glance and with explanation by our guide David - reveals the dark side of global warming. By colored differences in the rock is well recognizable, which mass of ice and snow the glacier has lost between 1860 and today. And unfortunately, this process is continuing at an ever faster pace from year to year. According to expert opinions, the glacier will have completely disappeared in its outlets by 2050!
On a hot summer day, up to 60 cubic meters of water leave the glacier gate every second. That's 60,000 liters in a single second! Thus, the glacier loses up to 20 centimeters of height per day in summer. Visual instruction for school classes par excellence. The glacier water is collected in reservoirs and used for power generation and water supply. But more and more often, due to weather extremes, this calculation does not work out, so that ultimately imports have to be resorted to.
This obviousness of the climate change makes not only us, but also the other hikers around us very concerned and we get into conversation.
On our further 1.5 hour hike to the mountain restaurant Riederfurka this feeling still reverberates and we enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of this delicate ecosystem even more. In the restaurant, at over 2,000m, we are surprised with star cuisine and an Italian chef who brings modernity and charm to the alp.
The sophisticated half-timbered villa Cassel, the second item on the program, was once the summer residence of the English banker Sir Ernest Cassel at the beginning of the 20th century, where - among many illustrious guests - Churchill also stayed. After the death of the financier, it was run as a hotel and has now housed an environmental and nature conservation center of the ProNatura Center Aletsch for 40 years. The institution is dedicated to the protection of nature in the Aletsch Arena with its endangered fauna and flora. The villa itself is operated CO2-neutral since 2019 by photovoltaic system and air/water heat pump. In very descriptive exhibitions and excursions, climate change and thus the impact on the glaciers in the region is addressed and impressively communicated, especially to school groups.
In the evening, the participants walk back to the hotel, where they reflect on and discuss the impressions of the day in a convivial round. The participants are convinced that an exchange with the communities is extremely important, as is the reporting.
Day 3: Matterhorn
The Matterhorn, figurehead of an entire country.
Purely electrically we drive with Christoph Andereggen of the "Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn" into the high of the 29 four-thousand-meter giants. The journey takes us from Visp (625m above sea level) to Zermatt and with the Gornergrat rack railroad even higher to the Gornergrat (3,089m above sea level). The two railroads that make the ascent possible run 100% on hydroelectric power, with the motors also acting as generators on the descent, feeding electricity into the grid. The carriages are very comfortably equipped, with ample seating and, above all, large window panes for the fascinating mountain panorama.
From Gornergrat you can enjoy by far the most beautiful view of the rugged Matterhorn. Rarely cloudless, but all the more exciting when it reveals its full extent for a short time. Despite its 4,478m, the Matterhorn is not the highest mountain in the Swiss Alps. At 4,545m, the Dom has earned that name. Incidentally, the first ascent of the Matterhorn was made in 1865, and since then tourism has developed, bringing some 8,000 guests to the area in 1890. 8 years later, after only two years of construction, the GGB Gornergrat railroad started its operation.
The black-nosed sheep are (along with the golden eagle and the marmot) the animal flagship of the Gornergrat area. Nose and hooves are black, the rest of the coat is white, the horns are spiral shaped. 2 years ago Deborah Kressebuch was assigned as shepherdess; since then she takes care of the sheep during the summer months and also gives guided tours. We were allowed to get to know her and drive the sheep across the meadows together with her.
The fun-loving artist also revealed to us why the protection of animals is so important. This has a simple reason. The wolf is spreading more and more in Valais and led to 220 farm animals being killed in 2020. Interesting feature: by means of GPS and app, some of the black-nosed sheep can be located by any tourist. Deborah is not only a shepherdess in the summer, but also an artist, painter (www.kressebuch.com) and in the cold winter it goes off to Portugal for kite surfing.
For the last night the Stockalperhof at the market place of Brig is our place to sleep.
Day 4: The Simplon Pass
The last day of the trip dawns and after a rich breakfast we meet strengthened Ana-Lena Kronig from Brig Simplon Tourism. She accompanies us on the ride by post bus up to the Simplon Pass to the barren high mountain landscape, the subsequent hike through the high moor, the historic Stockalperweg and the visit to the traditional village of Simplon.
As the days before, we get a lot of information about the region, the history and the local changes of flora and fauna due to climate change. Especially the dried up high moors and the dried up bushes catch our eye immediately. A development that has already become increasingly apparent in recent years.
The Simplon Pass was the first road across the Alps - from Switzerland to Italy - and can be traced back to the founding fathers Napoleon Bonaparte and Nicolas Céard. It is one of the important north-south connections of the Alps and offers a rugged Alpine panorama. At the top of the pass at 2005m is an eight-meter-high golden eagle and commemorates the 2nd World War.
The Stockalper Trail is considered a connecting element between the city, the countryside and the mountains, leading from Brig over the Simplon Pass, to Gondo (border crossing to Italy) and on to Domodossola (Italy). The Stockalper trail is lined with rushing streams, lonely valleys, colorful larch forests and blooming alpine flora. Definitely worth a one to three day hike.
The village of Simplon is considered one of the oldest and at the same time most beautiful villages in Switzerland. The typical stone roofs are often reminiscent of Italy and the village center is surrounded by historic buildings, some of which are still old but preserved businesses and trades. Thus, a bakery, alpine dairy and restaurants can still be visited today, which invite you to linger.
Back we go again with the yellow post bus to Brieg. From here all participants say goodbye and start their return journey to Germany.
For more travel inspiration follow our Instagram channel @triplegend or learn more about the Mountains of Nepal in TripLegend Magazine.
DE 
EN 
DK 
NL 
FI 
FR 
IT 
ES 
SE 