Mountain bike tours

Glacier Bike Tour 9. Ulrichen - Visp

Obergoms

15/25°

From Ulrichen, drive through the Goms valley, gradually leaving behind a forest and mountain village landscape tob e surrounded by the canton's vineyards.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Length

55.76 km

Duration

3:21 h

Description

After the austere, thousand-year-old scenery of the Furka Pass, the ninth stage of the Glacier Bike Tour (GBT) crosses the picturesque Goms Valley, a hidden gem in Upper Valais. This splendid landscape is dotted with small hamlets featuring sun-blackened houses, flanked by barns and log storehouses. Make your first stop at Mühlebach, home to Switzerland's oldest wooden village centre, and continue on to Ernen and its magnificent village square. The route then passes through the Binntal Regional Nature Park, which carefully preserves its traditional, varied Alpine flora landscape, and continues to the Twingischlucht (Twingi Gorge), before passing through several small villages before reaching the Rhône. Follow the river to Brig, then on to Visp, whose winding old town offers many opportunities to taste the grape varieties that flourish in the region, such as Païen (Heida), the local specialty, or Cornalin.

Our favorites

Our favorite itineraries are part of a selection of the best routes in the region and are proposed by Valais/Wallis Promotion to best meet the expectations of our guests.

Turn-by-turn directions

A few kilometres after leaving Ulrichen, you’ll reach Mühlebach and its wooden village centre, the oldest in Switzerland. Don't miss the spectacular suspension bridge just a few metres away, spanning the Rhône at a height of 92 m and a length of 280 m. After leaving Mühlebach, you’ll come to Ernen, then cross the Binntal Regional Nature Park. The trail then passes through Ausserbinn, forking right onto a forest track shortly after the Hubu hut. The trail continues towards the Twingischlucht (Twingi Gorge) as far as Hockmatta, a stretch where the route proves a little technical. Back on the road, descend through several small villages until you reach the Rhône, then take the Furka route, where traffic is particularly heavy. Fortunately, the route soon deviates from this and passes between the railroad and the river as far as Brig, then follows the north bank to Visp, the final destination of this leg.

Start

Ulrichen (1346 m) (1347m)

Destination

Visp (658m) (645m)

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Author's recommendation

In Mühlebach, take a gourmet break at Café Hängebrigga, run by the family of Olympic snowboarding champion Patrizia Kummer.

Technical information

Altitude

1346m

658m

Ascent

+430m

Descent

-1110m

Technique

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Best time of the year

Public transport

Take the train to Fiesch, then board bus 142 towards Oberwald to the Ulrichen, Kirche stop.

Approach

From Brig, follow Route 19 towards Obergoms to Ulrichen.

Parking

Follow the car-park signs in Ulrichen.

Equipment

We recommend: a bike in excellent working order, a helmet, gloves and a bell, clothing suitable for the weather (always carry a waterproof), food and drink.

Which e-bike should one use on the Glacier Bike Tour? Professional cyclist and twice E-MTB world champion Nathalie Schneitter demonstrates the ideal two-wheeler in this video. A sturdy, comfortable full-suspension e-bike with wide, grippy tyres, powerful brakes and, if possible, a lowerable seat post. One needs to be ready for anything in the mountains, even in midsummer. So what should one plan to include in one’s bike bags for an adventure that – incorporating three mountain passes and landscapes that are as Alpine as they are Mediterranean – is about as exceptional as it gets? Having already completed the Glacier Bike Tour, cycling pro Nathalie Schneitter reveals her list of what to pack.

Preparing for mountain bike outings

Safety information

Use marked bike trails and routes only, making sure you observe all signposting. The Glacier Bike Tour route is under development and is not signposted. While on the route, you can find your way using the Outdoor Active app.

Kindly close gates after passing through. Please be considerate to walkers, as well as to plants and animals. As a rule, walkers have priority. When planning, take into account participants’ fitness level and ability. All riding is at one’s own risk.

Preparing for mountain bike outings

Additional information

Book one of the Glacier Bike Tour holiday offers! Choose between eleven, seven or three nights and enjoy some great riding days. You will be staying in bike hotels and will be provided with a daily luggage transport service; all that’s left for you to do is hit the trails! Go to the offer.

See full itinerary:

Glacier Bike Tour

More information about the destination:

Obergoms

Visp

Literature

Get the the Valais/Wallis mountain bike map to discover the best routes in the region.

The tourist offices in Münster, Oberwald, Reckingen, Visp and Zermatt have got brochures and information material about mountain biking in the region.