Snowshoeing

Heimischgarte-Trail

Heimischgarte im Winter

Saas-Balen

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On the Heimischgarte Trail, the Saas Valley shows its quiet side. The marvellous snowshoe hike above Saas-Balen leads through the snow-covered ‘Löübinobodme’ natural forest reserve with views of the breathtaking mountain and glacier landscape.

Difficulty

Difficult

Length

9.01 km

Duration

4:00 h

Description

The trail begins in Saas-Balen, the smallest of the four Saas mountain villages. The trail initially follows the forest road up the valley to the 40 metre high Fellbach waterfall. This offers an impressive natural spectacle and is fascinating in particularly cold winters as a spectacular ice column. The trail continues uphill over the small bridge until it turns right onto the hiking trail after around 500 metres. From here, the trail climbs uphill in several hairpin bends. The most strenuous section is completed at Ze Gartu. The path becomes flatter and leads through snow-covered larch forests to the Heimischgarte alp. At the old Walser settlement, a breathtaking view of Saas-Fee and the imposing mountain backdrop of the Saas Valley opens up. It's worth taking a break at the Heimischgarte chapel and letting your gaze wander over the wintry Saas Valley. At the southern end of the valley is the Mattmark dam, the largest earth dam in Europe.

From Heimischgarte, the descent to Saas-Grund is around 5 kilometres long. The route descends over snow-covered alpine meadows to the rustic hamlets of Obru Brend and Unnru Brend. After the houses of Unnru Brend, the trail enters the forest and leads through the ‘Löübinobodme’ nature reserve. With a bit of luck, you may spot native wildlife among the 400-year-old pine trees. The trail continues across the forest clearing of Alp Bodme to the whitewashed St. Josef's Chapel. Here you can once again enjoy the marvellous view of the Saas Valley glacier landscape. The trail then descends to Saas-Grund, where it ends.

Turn-by-turn directions

Start

Saas-Balen, Village centre (1486m)

Destination

Saas-Grund, valley station (1553m)

Author's recommendation

  • At Rittmal you have the option of descending directly to Saas-Balen.

Technical information

Altitude

2090m

1487m

Ascent

+602m

Descent

-520m

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Best time of the year

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

Tags

  • Linear route
  • Scenic
  • Insider tip
  • Cultural/historical interest
  • Forest roads
  • Forest
Getting there
Information

Public transport

Take the SBB to Visp and change there to the post bus in the direction of Saas-Fee (bus 511). In Saas-Balen, get off at the Dorf stop.

 

Approach

Saas-Fee/Saastal can easily be reached by car from all directions, whether from Switzerland or abroad.You can reach us via Bern via the Lötschberg car transport from the north. You come over the Furka Pass or the Furka car transport from the east.From the south, you can reach us via the Simplon Pass or Simplon car transport, and from the west, you drive via Lausanne along the Rhône valley to Visp and towards Saas-Fee.

From Visp, drive south in the direction of Saas-Fee. At the "Killerhof" roundabout after Stalden, take the second exit towards Saas-Fee. Follow the main road to Saas-Balen.

Parking

After the bridge on the right is the public car park of Saas-Balen.

Equipment

  • Hiking boots or winter shoes with snow-gripping soles
  • Snowshoes
  • poles
  • Weather-dependent, waterproof and warm clothing
  • Headgear
  • Sun protection
  • Liquids and food
  • Navigation tool
  • First aid kit

Safety information

Use of the snowshoe routes and the information on this website is at your own risk. Local conditions may lead to changes to the routes.

  • Snowshoe routes require increased attention and caution with regard to weather conditions, avalanche danger and the risk of slipping.
  • Only use marked routes and follow all signposts and instructions - for your own safety, for the protection of farm animals and to avoid disturbing the peace of wildlife.
  • Plan your tour carefully: take into account the required fitness of all participants, the weather forecast and the time of year.
  • Weather conditions in the mountains can change very quickly and without warning. Appropriate clothing and sufficient provisions (food and drink) are very important. If the weather is unstable, it is better to turn back early.
  • Pay attention to warning signs that indicate danger, especially avalanche danger.
  • Inform others about your tour and never go alone if possible.
  • Do not go onto glaciers without a mountain guide.

Additional information

Saastal Tourismus AG
Obere Dorfstrasse 2
CH-3906 Saas-Fee
Phone: +41 (0)27 958 18 58
E-Mail: info@saas-fee.ch
www.saas-fee.ch

Source

This activity is brought to you by Saas-Fee/Saastal. Valais/Wallis Promotion is not responsible for the content provided.

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