Читать книгу Walking in the Valais. 120 Walks and Treks онлайн

18 страница из 88

Glaciers and glacier gorges lend the area its most distinctive features. The Fieschertal has a gorge carved by the retreating Fieschergletscher, while on the far side of Bettmeralp’s backing wall, the longest of all Alpine glaciers, the Grosser Aletschgletscher, provides an exciting backdrop to a number of walking opportunities.

The Bettmeralp plateau is shared with the little resort of Riederalp which has the lovely Aletschwald nearby. This old larch forest is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Jungfrau, Bietschhorn and Aletschgletscher. Perched high above the western edge of the latter’s glacier gorge, Belalp has far-reaching views and plenty of walking possibilities.

Lötschental

Midway between Visp and Sierre a side-road cuts north, snaking above Gampel before plunging into a tunnel, from which it emerges alongside the important trans-Alpine railway. Road and railway soon part company at Goppenstein, entrance to the Lötschbergtunnel, which carries the motor-rail through the mountains to Kandersteg and northern Switzerland. Beyond the station the valley remains a narrow defile until at Ferden the Lötschental curves to the northeast and opens into a sunny trench full of charm. A string of small villages (Kippel, Wiler, Ried and Blatten) stands above the right bank of the river, and high above them another collection of alp hamlets is linked by a footpath which carries the Lötschentaler Höhenweg, one of the finest of all the walks in the Valais. The Lötschental is the longest and by far the loveliest of those valleys which drain from the Bernese Alps into the Rhône, a romantic, unspoilt backwater, full of simple beauty.