Massa Gorge from Blatten b. Naters to Ried-Mörel

This popular hiking trail from the typical Valais mountain village of Blatten into the Massa Gorge at the foot of the Aletsch Glacier in Canton Valais is also suitable for families with children provided caution is exercised in the areas where the trail winds along the steep gorge cliffs.

Before starting the hike at Blatten, a quick trip through the quaint little old town with its original Valais-style dark wood beam homes is a definite MUST! This quaint little nostalgic core nestled among the typical modern structures of a ski village boasts cobblestone pathways, a tiny church, and lovingly maintained and decorated homes.

A short walk up the road north-eastward brings us to a stream and a wooden bridge, and from there it is steady uphill through a peaceful forest along stony cliff walls for about 20 minutes to the highest point of the tour. From here it is downhill all the way to the steel bridge over the Massa River, just below the hydro-electric dam. (Caution on the descent is advised especially when wet, as the path is covered with lots of roots).

After a long level stretch of wide trail with views South along the gorge, we reach the vertigo-inducing part of the tour along the steep cliff walls on the left and the drop into the gorge on the right. The trail is still wide enough to not prove dangerous, and there are cables and hand rails along the way.

This trail was originally the site of one of the many irrigation channels in the Valais called Bisses (French) or Suonen (German) which were dangerously and painstakingly carved out of or mounted onto the steep cliffs by the local farmers hundreds of years ago in order to bring the water down from the mountains to the farms in this relatively low-precipitation area. Some of the original iron mounts can still be seen in the cliff walls. In some places water still flows through some of these channels and is still used for irrigation.

At the mouth of the Massa Gorge there is a clearing with fantastic views into the Rhone Valley, to the Alps in the South and to Brig below. This is a favourite lunch spot for hikers. From here the trail heads NorthEast for another 3 kilometers to the vacation village of Ried-Mörel, where you can catch the gondola cable car down to Mörel in the Rhone Valley, and from there the train to Brig or Andermatt.