Snowshoeing

Rothwald Trail

Sonne tanken auf den verschneiten Gipfeln

Rothwald

1/5°

The Rothwald Trail is a snowshoe hike through the dreamlike winter landscape of the Brig-Simplon region on which snow-capped larch trees accompany you for much of the way.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Length

6.26 km

Duration

2:59 h

Description

For a small ski area, Rothwald am Brigerberg punches well above its weight. The region is an insider tip among winter-wonderland fans. You’ll see why soon after you start the Rothwald Trail: once you reach the valley station of the Rothwald ski lift, you head into the upper Rothwald, the highest larch forest in Europe, and the Jochtwald forest. With a little luck, you’ll be able to observe some of the native animals there without disturbing them. Once you’ve made the climb to the Mäderlicka panoramic restaurant, it’s worth taking a break to admire Valais’s powdery-white mountain landscape. You’ll be just as amazed by the Durstbachschlucht gorge, which is your next stop on the way down. Later on in the trail you’ll come to the Wasenalp mountain hut, which was completely renovated in 2008 and impresses with its modern infrastructure and abundance of cosiness and charm. You can treat yourself to a break here, too, and enjoy the wonderful view of the Valais and Bernese Alps, as well as the Rhône Valley.

Turn-by-turn directions

This 6.4km snowshoe route leads from the valley station of the Rothwald ski lift via a marked trail into the upper Rothwald forest, then up through the Jochtwald forest to the Mäderlicka panoramic restaurant. From there, you hike down into the imposing Durstbachschlucht gorge up to the Durstbachbrücke bridge. The trail then continues to the Wasenalp mountain hut down over “Hackber” to “Obru Egge”. You then follow a relatively flat path to Hotel Ganterwald and the bus stop. Alternatively, you can take the sidewalk of the national road back to the departure point.

Start

Post Rothwald (1752m)

Destination

Rothwald Ganterwald (1721m)

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Author's recommendation

Hotel Ganterwald, Schutzhaus Napoleon, the Wasenalp mountain hut and Mäderlicka restaurant: all these places offer the chance to grab a bite and enjoy the view, which sometimes stretches as far as Italy. By the way: ambitious sports fans can also tackle the Rothwald Trail in the opposite direction; the climb through the gorge is a real test of physical fitness.

Technical information

Altitude

2223m

1721m

Ascent

+470m

Descent

-502m

Technique

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Best time of the year

Public transport

Accessible by train and bus. Form Brig train station, take the bus to Rothwald, Ganterwald

Approach

Motorway A9 direction Brig. Halfway between Brig and the Simplon is the Rothwald.

Parking

There are enough free parking spaces available at the Rothwald valley station.

Source

This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion