From Grächen to Zermatt via the longest suspension bridge: part one
Hiking from Grächen to Zermatt via the longest Suspension bridge is an interesting two-day hike. It provides you with views of glaciers, boulder fields, scree slopes and more. It also provides you with the opportunity to cross a suspension bridge that takes six minutes.
Hiking up from Grächen
The hike up from Grächen takes you up through a forest. You go through a forest and there is a stream to your left and the nice landscape to your right. The hike up is easy. [caption id=“attachment_3736” align=“aligncenter” width=“768”]
Path that leads up to a first view of a glacier[/caption] As I hike with a water filter I like to get water straight from glaciers when I can. I gathered water from the glacier. It tastes good and it’s fresh. Gathering water from this point is easy. [caption id=“attachment_3737” align=“aligncenter” width=“1024”]
A nice Cirque[/caption] From this cirque you climb up through some more trees and eventually you get to a nice view point from which you can see the landscape. This provides a good point for a snack and rest. [vrview img=“https://www.main-vision.com/richard/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/export_1503909534859.jpg” width=“500” height=“500” ] Use mouse to look around image above. (360 image) [caption id=“attachment_3738” align=“aligncenter” width=“768”]
You can clearly see evidence of where the glacier was.[/caption] Many years ago the glacier reached down into the valley below. You can clearly see the depth of the former glacier. At this point you are above the tree line. You begin to walk on bare rock. The slopes get steeper and you are more exposed. [gallery ids=“3741,3740,3739”] One segment of this hike crosses a zone of active rock falls. When we were walking here we heard a loud noise that sounded like thunder or a jet. After a few seconds we saw large rocks falling down the slope and bouncing. Where they hit the ground clouds of dirt and dust erupted. It was too far away for me to get good video footage. At this moment we were more attentive. If you look up you see that massive rocks get loose and fall. Look at the contrast between the sign post and the boulders. You need to scramble and climb over rocks and navigate your way towards safety. [gallery ids=“3742,3743”]