Mountain bike tours

Valais Alpine Bike 3. Unterbäch-Grächen

Mountainbikers über Bürchen

Unterbäch

The Moosalp Pass and the extraordinary descent in the Mattertal valley are certain to be among the highlights of your mountain bike trip to Valais and will remind you why you love the sport.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Length

32.48 km

Duration

5:00 h

Description

After a delicious breakfast, take the Brandalp chairlift up into the mountains and then head to the Moosalp Pass using sheer pedal power. Marvel at the views, take a well-earned lunch break and enjoy the famous “Cremeschnitte” at the Moosalp restaurant. It’s now time to get back in the saddle and to tackle the descent into the Mattertal valley and the route along the valley floor to Stalden. Then continue on the beautiful Matterhorn Valley Trail up through the Mattertal to St. Niklaus. From St. Niklaus, a bus will take you to Grächen, the destination of today's stage.

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

From Unterbäch, take the chairlift to Brandalp and start your ascent up Moosalp. Follow part of the Moosalp Plateau Bike trail, mainly on a 4x4 route through forest. From Moosalp you start the descent into the Mattertal valley, first to Breitmatte. From there, the trail leads through the forest over the Waldachra to the village of Törbel. The descent to Stalden continues along the main road and then over some fun but quite steep sections of trail. Once down in the Mattertal valley, follow the Matterhorn Valley Trail to St. Niklaus. To reach the village of Grächen, take the postal bus. Option: to save yourself the climb to the Moosalp Pass, take the postal bus from the village of Bürchen. Remember to book a place for yourself and for your mountain bike on the Resabike  platform: www.resabike.ch.

View the stage on video

Start

Unterbäch (1595m)

Destination

Grächen (1111m)

Author's recommendation

How about a visit to the Mountain Guide Museum in St. Niklaus, or a tour of Stalden, the “village of bridges”?

Technical information

Altitude

2048m

866m

Ascent

+1170m

Descent

-1655m

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
  • Multi-stage route
  • Scenic
  • Geological highlights
  • Fauna
  • Insider tip
  • Summit route
  • Refreshment stops available
  • Cultural/historical interest
  • Flora
  • Cableway ascent/descent
Valais Alpine Bike routes between Unterbaech-Graechen. Valais, Switzerland.
Getting there
Information

Public transport

Take the RegionAlps St-Gingolph-Brig regional train to Raron and then the Raron-Unterbäch cable car to Unterbäch. Remember to reserve a place for your mountain bike on the Resabike platform.

Approach

From Basel and Zurich: Take the A1 motorway to Bern; take the A6 to Spiez; follow the sign to Kandersteg; Kandersteg–Goppenstein car-carrying train; follow the sign to Raron.

From Geneva: Take the A1 motorway to Lausanne; follow the sign to Sion/Sierre; Raron.

From Milan: Take the A8/A26 motorway in the direction of Simplon; Iselle–Brig car-carrying train; follow the sign to Raron.

Parking

Follow the directions for parking in Raron. For this stage of the Valais Alpine Bike Tour, we recommend that you park your vehicle in Visp and take public transport (train + cable car) to Unterbäch. Remember to reserve a space for your mountain bike on the Resabike platform.

Equipment

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

Preparing for mountain bike outings

Safety information

Follow the Valais Alpine Bike route no. 41 in Mountainbiking in Switzerland. View this tour on SwitzerlandMobility: Valais Alpine Bike no. 41.

Use marked bike trails and routes only, making sure you observe all signposting.

Preparing for mountain bike outings

 
The mountains are a place of pleasure to be shared and respected, offering space in which to meet up and share unforgettable moments, whether by bike or on foot. For all outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy them properly, it is essential that mountains are shared in a way that respects both Nature and agriculture. Respectful behaviour enables everyone to enjoy their hobby in the best possible conditions. Find out about the recommendations and rules in place.

When planning, take into account participants’ fitness level and ability. All riding is at one’s own risk.

Best practice guidelines

Additional information

Book one of the Valais Alpine Bike holiday offers! Choose between three, four or seven 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 www.visitvalais.ch/shop-valais-alpine-bike

More informations : 

Valais Bike regional route: see full itinerary

View this tour on SwitzerlandMobility: Valais Alpine Bike no. 41

Literature

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

The tourist offices in Unterbäch und Grächen have got brochures and information material about mountain biking in the region.

Maps

SwissTopo Maps 1:25'000: 

  • 1288 Raron
  • 1308 St. Niklaus
  • 1289 Brig

Source

This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion

The Swisspeak Resort in Vercorin in a winter setting

Your accommodation in Valais