The Aletsch suspension bridge, 124 metres over the Massa gorge.

It is the route that best shows how far the glacier has retreated: before, to go from Belalp to Riederalp you crossed over the ice; today you need a bridge over the gorge it left behind when it withdrew.

What it is

A crossing from slope to slope at the southern end of the Great Aletsch Glacier. You start at Belalp, on the Naters side, go down towards the Aletschji, cross the Massa gorge on a suspension bridge and climb the other slope, through the Aletsch Forest, to the Riederfurka and Riederalp. It is 12.5 km, about 4 h 30 of walking, 582 m of ascent and 767 m of descent, between 1,560 and 2,133 m above sea level.

The bridge opened in 2008 and restored the crossing between Belalp and Riederalp that was lost when the glacier stopped covering the gorge. It is 124 m long, hangs 80 m above the torrent and has a metal grating floor: you see the water beneath your feet. From the bridge you can see the glacier tongue, but only a small part of the Aletsch; the great views come later, on the climb to Riederfurka.

How to get to Belalp and return from Riederalp

It is a one-way crossing: you start and finish in different places, so the practical thing is to go by public transport. From Brig station the PostBus goes to Blatten, above Naters, and from there the cable car to Belalp. At the end you go down from Riederalp to Mörel by cable car and return to Brig on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train.

For that there is the combined Belalp – Riederalp ticket, sold by PostBus drivers, Aletsch Bahnen and Bergbahnen Belalp. It includes the bus from Brig to Blatten, the Blatten – Belalp cable car, the descent from Riederalp to Mörel and the train back to Brig. Note: the Aletsch Explorer pass covers neither the PostBus nor the Belalp cable car.

If you drive, leave the car in Brig or Mörel and use the combined ticket; that way you do not have to go back to the starting point for it.

Difficulty

The official page rates it as difficult. It has no technical passages, but it is long and the ascent is badly distributed: first you descend more than 500 m to the bridge, and then you have to climb about 500 m non-stop via Silbersand and the Bischofsitz with tired legs. The bridge requires sure footing and no fear of heights: it moves with people's steps. If you are unsure, Valais/Wallis Promotion says it bluntly: if you are afraid of heights, better not.

When to go

Without snow, from mid-June to mid-October approximately. July and August are the months with the least risk of snow; in September there are fewer people. Check the path report before setting out: the route page flags closures due to snow, rockfall or works.

Water, shade and food

At Belalp, beside the start, is the Hotel Belalp. On the route there are no bars until the Riederfurka, where the Villa Cassel tea room opens in summer from 10:30 to 17:30, and then Riederalp. The descent to the Aletschji and the final climb have little shade: take at least a litre and a half of water per person and something to eat.

With children and with a dog

With teenagers who walk, yes. For small children it is too long and the bridge may frighten them. If you take a dog, in the Aletsch Forest it must be on a lead; also think about whether it will dare to cross a grating 80 m above the ground.

If the weather changes

In a storm, do not cross the bridge: it is an exposed metal structure in the middle of the gorge. Before the bridge, going back to Belalp is the shortest way out; after it, continue towards Riederfurka without dawdling.