From Grimsel Pass to the Sidelhorn
Obergoms
0/6°
A magnificent hike along the continental watershed in the heart of the Alps up to the scenic summit of the Sidelhorn. A high alpine hike with breathtaking views of glaciers, lakes, snow-covered peaks, and the entire upper Rhone Valley.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
8.56 kmDuration
3:30 h
Description
The Rhone Valley stretches to the heart of the Alps, where historic Alpine passes long connected Northern and Southern Europe. Today, transit traffic goes through tunnels, but the historic villages remain witnesses to the past trade routes.
The ascent to the Grimsel Pass at 2164 m above sea level is already an adventure on the winding road from Oberwald via Gletsch. The road with its hairpin turns was a key route between Central Switzerland and Lombardy. Swiss cheese and livestock traveled southward, while mules transported wine, grain, rice, and olive oil northward.
From the pass, the path leads westwards along the ridge. The view is fantastic: to the north lie the reservoirs of the Grimsel power plants and the glaciers of the Bernese Oberland. If it rains on this side of the path, the water is transported via the Aare to the North Sea. On the left side of the ridge, the water flows with the Rhone into the Mediterranean. It passes the Rhone Valley surrounded by the Valais 4000-meter peaks, flows along the vineyards of the Valais to Lake Geneva, where it leaves Switzerland.
The ridge ends at the highest point of the route, the Sidelhorn (2764 m above sea level). Shortly after, the route leaves the ridge and descends towards the Rhone Valley, past Lake Jost, before returning northeast to the Grimsel Pass.
Tour highlights
- Adventurous path along the ridge on the European watershed.
- Experience in the heart of the Alps: historic passes, Grimsel energy park with its reservoirs and power plants.
- Breathtaking views of glaciers, mountain lakes, snow-covered peaks, and the villages of the Rhone Valley.
Turn-by-turn directions
The first section of the hike leads from the Grimsel Pass through the Bernese Oberland near the Valais border. Further up, you reach the border between the two cantons, which follows the European watershed up to the summit of the Sidelhorn.
Below, the path leads to the Triebtenseelücke with a great view of the lakes and glaciers. Then follows the descent to the shore of Lake Jost, before the return route leads back to the Grimsel Pass. The route crosses the mountain slope to the westernmost shore of Lake Totesee and then back to the pass height.
Start
Grimsel, Pass height (2164m)
Destination
Grimsel, Pass height (2164m)
Author's recommendation
Technical information
Altitude
2760m
2161m
Ascent
+645m
Descent
-645m
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Public transport
Approach
Parking
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion
