An Uphill Adventure, From Mund to Belalp

Waking up at the hotel Edelweiss in Switzerland, with a crisp breeze in the air and a sprinkling of rain had our group of eight women hikers a bit tentative as we set out on our bus-train-cab transfer to Mund.   After surviving the 12 mile hike yesterday, with an elevation gain of 1250 ft and a decent of 3400, all our knees were still working and we were ready to see what today would bring, so smiles took over and we were on our way from Mund to Belalp. 

After finding the ubiquitous yellow sign that pointed us to our path, we began the 3400 ft acent to Nessel, a four hour climb straight up the mountain.  Thank goodness we are all in shape for this strenuous hike, and we have our hiking poles to help us.  The terrain is rocky and a waterfall is our constant companion winding up the mountain side.  We passed through several small towns perched on the hillside overlooking the large town of Brig below, with views of the Simplon Pass, connecting to Italy.  We reached Nessel and hoped to see the Matterhorn but the weather did not agree, although it did not rain on our hike. 

After lunch in Nessel we embarked on a two hour hike to Belalp. At one point the trail dropped and views of the magnificent Aletsch Glacier (largest in Western Europe) emerged.  Our hotel was sitting there in the distance, on a perch all alone.  After arriving at The Hotel Belalp, known for having the best apres hike sun terrace ever, we laughed and shared our photos, mostly of the wonderful chapels and hearty farm animals we encountered along the path.  The views were breathtaking.  Since there are no cars up here, we carried our gear for the evening and tomorrow and sent our bags ahead.  Although it was only a seven mile hike, the steep pitch was difficult and everyone was tired and off to sleep.  So I bid you goodnight.  Tomorrow we hike to Bettmeralp, so stay tuned for another blog from a broad.