Mountain bike tours

Häxutrail (witches’ trail)

Häxutrail

Blatten Belalp

8/14°

Closed

The Häxutrail takes you from Belalp to Blatten via forests and varied trails. The route has been extensively reworked for mountain biking.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Length

6.23 km

Duration

25 m
Häxutrail
Häxutrail
Häxutrail

Description

The trail begins with a ride down a forest track to approximately 1950m above sea level (ASL) where the real trail begins. It drops over the ‘Bättulhirmi’ into the forest high above Blatten. The first section consists of lots of bends in clearings with small jumps in the straights – you can easily cycle around all the jumps. The trail passes old hamlets and green meadows before reaching the lower section of the trail. The purpose built mountain biking trail winds it’s way through the open forest – a true flow trail. The trail continues on a cleared track back to the road some 250m from the cable car station.

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

Follow the signs that lead to the cable car via Forststrasse, then continue towards Kelchbach before winding your way across the alpine pastures to Bäll. You then cycle along a forest path and turn right, continuing through some vast meadows until you pass an enormous fir tree and turn left. The path continues to a clearing above Täätschen. From the car park in the hamlet, follow the signs leading to the cable car middle station. Cross the road at Unter Erich and follow the path towards Steigadu to rejoin the forest trail. Please cycle carefully, as the first 200 metres of this route section are used by both hikers and mountain bikers. Where the path branches off, you’ll reach a one-kilometre flowtrail that passes through the forest. After crossing Rischinenstrasse, the path follows a clearing until it reaches the road, 250 metres above the cable car valley station.

Start

Mountain station of the cable car (2100m) or the gondolas (2050m) on Belalp (2097m)

Destination

Cable car/gondola station in Blatten bei Naters (1331m) (1331m)

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Author's recommendation

Starting from Belalp, a number of restaurants offer the chance to take a reinvigorating break before you tackle the descent.

Technical information

Altitude

2098m

1331m

Ascent

+7m

Descent

-773m

Technique

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Best time of the year

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Tags

  • Linear route
  • Singletrail/Free ride
  • Scenic
  • Geological highlights
  • Fauna
  • Insider tip
  • Refreshment stops available
  • Flora
  • Cableway ascent/descent
Getting there
Information

Public transport

Take one of the regular rail connections to Brig from anywhere in Switzerland, then a PostBus to Blatten bei Naters cable car station, and finally a cable car to Belalp.

Approach

A9 Lausanne - Vevey, or north-western Switzerland: A12 Bern - Vevey: A9 - Sierre: main road Sierre - Brig

A6 Berne - Thun - Spiez: main road Spiez - Kandersteg (Lötschberg tunnel car transport) - Goppenstein - Gampel - Brig

Andermatt - Realp (year-round Furka car transport; in summer via Furka Pass) - Oberwald - Brig

Airolo - Nufenenpass - Ulrichen - Brig

Or via Centovalli - Domodossola - Simplonpass - Brig

Aosta - Grand Saint Bernard tunnel (over the pass in summer) - Martigny: A9 motorway - Sierre: Sierre - Brig main road.

Or via Domodossola - Simplon Pass - Brig

From Brig you can reach Blatten bei Naters via Naters, then take the cable car to the car-free Belalp.

Parking

Paid parking is available as you arrive in the village of Chienzli-Chrommu, or in the multi-storey car park in Blatten.

Equipment

We recommend bike in excellent working order, helmet, gloves and bell, clothing suitable for the

weather (always carry a waterproof), food and drink.

Safety information

Use marked bike trails and routes only and observe all signposting. Please close gates after passing

through. Please be considerate to walkers and 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.

Additional information

If you have any questions, please contact:

www.belalp.ch 

bahnen@belalp.ch 

+41 (0)27 921 65 10

tourismus@belalp.ch 

+41 (0)27 921 60 40

 

View this tour on SwitzerlandMobility:

N°158 Häxutrail Bike

Literature

The tourist office in Blatten has got brochures and information material about mountain biking in the region.

Maps

SwissTopo Maps 1:25'000: 2516 Aletschgebiet Unesco Weltnaturerbe

Source

This activity is brought to you by Blatten-Belalp Tourismus. Valais/Wallis Promotion is not responsible for the content provided.

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