Snowshoeing

Tyndall trail

Blatten Belalp

-4/8°

The Tyndall Trail is dedicated to the Irish scientist and alpinist John Tyndall, which is why you’ll encounter a memorial to him during this snowshoe hike. The route is generally easy to tackle, although the final section is a little more demanding.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Length

5.1 km

Duration

2:33 h

Description

Belalp is a mountain pasture and holiday destination located on a terrace on the southern flank of the Unterbächhorn and the Sparrhorn. The Tyndall Trail begins at the Belalp cable car mountain station and initially leads via a well-maintained path to Aletschbord. Since 1858, Aletschbord has been home to the historic Hotel Belalp, which hosted the Victorian alpine pioneer John Tyndall for 44 summers. The Irishman was a passionate alpinist and scientist who took a keen interest in glacier movement and climate change. Hotel Belalp was renovated in 2015 and still maintains the historic “Tyndall Room” with original 19th-century furnishings in his honour. During the snowshoe tour you can replenish your energy levels at the hotel’s restaurant while enjoying the enchanting view of the Great Aletsch Glacier and the surrounding four-thousand-metre peaks. You then head off to Hohbiel; this is the most demanding stretch of the trail, but the view of the 17 four-thousand-metre peaks makes it worth the effort. Along the way you’ll pass the memorial to John Tyndall, which his wife had built in 1911, eight years after his death.

Turn-by-turn directions

The eight-kilometre Tyndall Trail is classified as medium difficulty and covers 580 metres in altitude difference. The departure point of the roughly three-hour snowshoe hike is the Belalp cable car mountain station. The route follows the connecting path towards Aletschbord, then continues uphill on a slightly more demanding path up to Hohbiel and its reservoir lake. The return journey follows the same route.

Start

Belalp Mountain Station (2095m)

Destination

Tyndall Memorial (2674m)

Download GPX

Download KML

Author's recommendation

Replenish your energy levels at the historic Hotel Belalp and enjoy an amazing view of the Great Aletsch Glacier and the four-thousand-metre peaks.

Technical information

Altitude

2676m

2095m

Ascent

+581m

Descent

-2m

Technique

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Best time of the year

Public transport

Accessible by train and bus. From Brig station, take the PostBus to Blatten (Belalp).

Approach

Motorway A9 direction Brig. Continue direction Naters until Blatten.

Parking

Short-stay car park

For durations of less than one day, the best option is the short-stay car park (fee payable).

Indoor / outdoor car parks

Guests who stay for longer than 2 days in Blatten-Belalp can park in the outdoor or indoor car parks. Payment can be made at the ticket machines or at the information and ticket counters in Blatten.

The car parks cost CHF 12.00 a day in winter and CHF 9.00 in summer.

Guests who have paid the tourist tax or who are members of Pro Blatten enjoy a discount of 15%.

Rischinu car park

During the winter season, the car park in Rischinu may be used free of charge. A regular shuttle bus carries guests to the base station of the cable car and gondola in comfort.

Further information