4h, 10km, 400 positive meters und 400 negative meters. Level: Medium
Route: Meeting point: train station of Turtmann, by gondola at 11.25 to Unterems and via Buthanbrücke to Leuk
Organized by: Nadine (speaks DE, EN, FR, ES)
About the hike
Discover the many facets of the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park on foot: from the idyllic mountain village of Unterems, we descend to the Bhutan Bridge via a scenic descent and on to the energy town of Leuk.
The starting point of the hike is the mountain village of Unterems at 1003m, which is reached from Turtmann by a small, adventurous cable car. The route initially leads downhill across pastureland in a westerly direction. The trail leads through the forest down to the Emsbach stream and briefly along a bisse to the Meretschibach stream. After crossing the stream, there is a steep ascent where the path leads above the hamlet of Feithieren towards Illgraben.
The stream has eroded 1500 meters into the mountain due to severe erosion and thus filled in the valley floor. This is where the Pfynwald forest is located today. Due to its geological activity, the Illgraben is a national research area and is equipped with monitoring and warning systems. A 134-metre-long suspension bridge spans the Illgraben and was built in 2002 in the UN Year of Mountains together with the Kingdom of Bhutan. The Bhutan bridge was built in the Bhutanese style and equipped with prayer flags. It is intended to symbolize the connection with the Kingdom of Bhutan, which supported the construction with its know-how. After crossing the bridge, there is a more leisurely descent through the Pfynwald conservation area.
The Pfynwald forms the heart of the nature park and has been officially protected since 1997. It is one of the largest contiguous pine forests in the Alps and is known for its great biodiversity. The end point of the hike is at the north-eastern end of the Pfynwald at Leuk railroad station.
Highlights of the hike: the geologically interesting Illgraben, the 134-metre-long Bhutan bridge built in the Bhutanese style, the Pfynwald conservation area with its extraordinary biodiversity
Please note
A head for heights is required, we cross a suspension bridge!
Information on getting there
Departure 08.32 at Zürich HB, arrival Turtmann 10.55 Uhr, arrival Unterems 11.28 Uhr / half fare price 49.90.- (one way), best to take a savings day pass
Departure 08.05 at Luzern / half fare price 45.90.- (one way), best to take a savings day pass
Departure 09.34 Uhr at Bern / half fare price 32.40.- (one way), best to take a savings day pass
Departure 08.28 Uhr at Basel / half fare price 45.90.- (one way), best to take a savings day pass
You can find the exact route on our Komoot profile. By the way: If you send us an email with your first name and surname to hello@swissmountaingirls.ch we’ll even give you a Komoot region pack of your choice!
How to sign up
To register, please complete the form below. Please note that your registration is binding. Places are limited to a maximum of 12 – “first come first serve” 😉 After your registration you will receive a confirmation and a message from the organiser Nadine as soon as possible.
IMPORTANT: If you are unexpectedly unable to attend, please let us know by 29 of April at the latest so that we can give others on the waiting list the opportunity to come along. Participants who cancel at short notice will be excluded from future events. We strive to offer our events free of charge and invest a lot of our free time in these events (we all work on a voluntary basis), but have unfortunately experienced many no-shows/no-answers or super last-minute cancellations in recent years, which is demotivating for the organisers. That’s why we had to establish this rule.
Liability disclaimer / Please note
The hike is free of charge, but our organisers are always happy to receive a small tip via TWINT for their voluntary work (it takes about three days to organise and run a hike). The number will be announced after registration and you will be invited to a Whatsapp group. Food and drink are not included in our hikes and you must bring your own. Participation is at your own risk and responsibility, as we are only a volunteer community of friends and not an official tour operator. You will therefore be asked to confirm a disclaimer below. You can also find more information in our FAQ.
