In Glacier Country: 20 June 2011

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At 10.20 am, we go up in the cable-car to Belalp to commence the walk to Riederfurka via the Hanging Bridge. It is less cold than yesterday. At 10.50, we amble down the path from Hotel Belalp, only to be confronted after 300 yards with a precipitous descent along the Steigli into Aletschi. This is almost a staircase which drops you down nearly 100 metres or 300 feet. Even beyond that, the path is steep and at times a chain is provided to help keep balance. The first turn off heads northeast towards the Oberaletsch Hut and the Fusshorner Bivouac. The bivouac is a roof without walls on a 45 degree scree slope. We reach the Aletschi Chapel and proceed through a field full of young cows towards the Leng Acher, where the past actions of the glacier are in evidence. It has scoured out the rocks. You then double back and descend over the glacial moraine towards the Hanging Bridge over the outflow of meltwater. We have lunch on a viewpoint overlooking the Bridge at 1pm, to reach the Bridge itself after half an hour of struggle on the moraine. I have no trouble with vertigo on the bridge, but have to muster all my skills in switching off vertigo when I come across this 8-inch wide log that is slung across a rockface with chains to hold on to. Scary! At the Grünsee, the path dives into the Teifewald (forest) and commences an unrelenting ascent of 2000 feet towards Villa Cassel on Riederfurka, which is reached at 4.30pm. During this ascent, you continually meet the same folks. A glass of iced tea later, we head for the Riederalp cable-car; the western one is out of service, but the centre one is running to timetable. Riederalp is an extensive resort, riddled with cablecars and gondolas. At 5.40, we descend 4000 feet down to Mörel, on the banks of the Rhone. Just before 6.30, a train comes and whisks us the few miles to Brig. On arrival there, we have a plate of spaghetti at the station before the postbus returns us to Blatten.