Heimischgarte Trail
Overview
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Distance 9 km
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Duration 4 h 45 min
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Ascent 620 m
Intro
On the Heimischgarte Trail the Saas Valley shows its quiet side. The delightful snowshoe hike above Saas-Balen leads through the snow-covered “Löübinobodme” natural forest reserve with views of the breathtaking mountains and the glacier landscape.
Description
The tour begins in Saas-Balen. The picturesque mountain village is the smallest of the Saas Valley communities and an oasis of peace. Unlike the well-known Saas mountain resorts at the entrance to the valley, time seems to stand still up here. The trail initially follows Forststrasse up to the 40-meter high Fellbach waterfall. It is an impressive natural spectacle and in very cold winters, visitors are fascinated by a magnificent ice column. Across the small bridge the trail continues to climb until it turns right after about 500 meters and joins the hiking path. From there you ascend through several switchbacks. At Ze Gartu the most challenging section is behind you. The trail flattens out and leads through snowy larch forests to Heimischgarte Alp. Once you reach the old Walser settlement, a breathtaking view opens up of Saas-Fee and the majestic Alpine backdrop of the Saas Valley. Heimischgarte chapel is a perfect place to take a break and enjoy the views of the wintry Saas Valley. At the southern end of it you will see the Mattmark dam, Europe’s largest earth dam.
Heimischgarte is followed by an approximately 5 km descent in the direction of Saas-Grund. Across snow-covered Alpine meadows, you reach the rustic Obru Brend and Unnru Brend hamlets. After passing the homes of Unnru Brend the trail enters the forest and continues through the “Löübinobodme” natural forest reserve. The untouched pine forest is also known as the Yellowstone Park of Saas and the environment is left to freely develop here. With a bit of luck, some of the local wildlife may be spotted between the over 400-year old pine trees. Across the clearing at Alp Bodme the trail continues to the whitewashed St. Josef’s chapel where you can enjoy the amazing views again across the glacier scenery of the Saas Valley. The path then descends down to Saas-Grund.
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 |
Saas-Balen
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Saas-Grund
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| Ascent |
620 m
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| Descent |
560 m
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| Distance |
9 km
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| Duration |
4 h 45 min
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Signalization |
Signalisation in both directions
|
| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/snowshoe-trekking/route... |
Saas-Fee / Saastal Tourismus AG
Obere Dorfstrasse 2
3906
Saas-Fee
Quick Facts
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