Cycling routes
Grimsel - Mythical Alpine passes
Obergoms
0/8°
The Grimsel Pass connects the canton of Valais with the canton of Bern. On the route from the Upper Valais village of Oberwald to the summit, you can experience this Alpine giant.
Difficulty
DifficultLength
12.21 kmDuration
2:30 h
Description
From Oberwald, the road leads up into a pine forest, while lower down the still young Rhone can be seen. You reach the small village of Gletsch, where the road divides between the Furka Pass on the right and the Grimsel Pass on the left. The following kilometers offer an open view and a spectacular view of the Rhone Glacier, where the river of the same name also has its source. At the summit is a small alpine lake reflecting the neighboring mountains, and a wonderful panorama of the Bernese Alps opens up.
Turn-by-turn directions
The Grimsel Pass is one of the Alpine giants with more than 2000 meters of elevation. The route from Oberwald to Gletsch is easy to manage as the incline is relatively gentle. A small cog railway runs below the road up to the junction that leads to the Furka Pass. From Gletsch, straight sections follow, arranged in a zigzag pattern. The air slowly becomes thinner as the altitude makes itself felt. The summit reveals a view of the peaks of Valais and Bern, and Gletsch seems to lie many kilometers far below! A park with marmots makes the restaurant on the pass a very sociable place.
Start
Oberwald (1368m)
Destination
Grimsel Pass (2164m)
Author's recommendation
The route offers excellent views of the last part of the ascent.
Technical information
Altitude
2165m
1368m
Ascent
+797m
Descent
-0m
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Getting there
Information
Public transport
Regular train connections with the SBB from all over Switzerland to Brig. Then regional train of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn or bus connection to Oberwald.
Approach
From Brig, follow cantonal road 19 (Furka road) for 40 km to Oberwald.
Parking
Parking available at the Oberwald train station. Follow the local parking guidance system in Oberwald.
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion
