Vier-Quellen-Weg
Overview
-
-
Distance 17 km
-
Duration 6 h 10 min
-
Ascent 1350 m
Intro
From Obergesteln the trail leads via Oberwald, Gletsch and Muttbach up to the Furkapass with stunning views of the Valais‘ 4000-metre mountains. The route then leads down via Alp Galen to a scenic vantage point above the Rhonegletscher (glacier), source of the Rhone.
Description
The hike begins in Obergesteln on the Rhone, still called Rotten here. The village burned down in 1868, and the Valais government only allowed the faithful reconstruction in stone. The fact that the houses in the village centre are still not made of larch wood today is untypical for Valais. Following the river through the valley and past the long golf course, you reach Oberwald.
Oberwald is the first village you see in Goms when travelling over the Furka or Grimsel Pass or through the Furka Tunnel. It is known for its cross-country skiing trails and the nostalgic steam train that runs along the hiking trail to Muttbach. The route ascends through forest sections and along the wild Rotten on scenic, stony paths. With the fantastic mountain scenery and the blossoming alpine flora before your eyes, the trail leads towards Gletsch and above the tree line. On the left, the pass road and the steam train tracks are visible from time to time. In the distance, you can see the striking serpentines of the higher Grimsel Pass road.
Between steepening, forested hillsides, the Rotten becomes ever narrower before you reach the railway tunnel. Because of the extreme gradient, the steam engine travels in a loop tunnel through the mountain.
Shortly afterwards, you reach Gletsch, from where the glacier used to be visible in the past. At times, it extended as far as the windows of the Grand Hotel Glacier du Rhône. The hike continues on glacial soil to Oberalpstafel. The path follows along the Muttbach stream past bushes, wetlands and boulders. At the second tunnel, which takes the steam train to Andermatt, the trail branches off to the left towards the Furka Pass. Now you quickly gain 320 metres in altitude.
The Furka Pass is one of Switzerland's highest Alpine passes. A year-round connection from the canton of Uri to Valais has only existed in this snowy region since the opening of the railway link through the Furka base tunnel in 1982. Enjoy sweeping views over the Urseren valley, the Gotthard massif and the Valais Alps to the Matterhorn.
The route continues on a narrow, leisurely path along the southern slope towards the Rhone Glacier. It's still almost eight kilometres long and covers an area of about 16 square kilometres. The glacier may have entirely disappeared by 2100.
The glacier appears whitish grey, but in the 100-metre-long ice tunnel and the ice chamber, it glows in subtle shades of blue. The so-called ice grotto is re-drilled every year and gets shorter by thirty to forty metres throughout the season. A new grey-blue-white glacial lake is in the making.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Obergesteln
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Furkapass, Belvédère
|
| Ascent |
1350 m
|
| Descent |
420 m
|
| Distance |
17 km
|
| Duration |
6 h 10 min
|
| Duration back |
5 h 10 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Medium
|
| Physical requirements |
Difficult
|
Quick Facts
Route number
