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Looking back to Münster at the start of the walk on day 1   

The path continues north-eastwards through larch forests but with plenty of gaps allowing views across the valley of the Rotten Rhone. The path crosses no less than 5 major streams between Münster and Oberwald. At each valley the path drops to a bridge and then climbs out of the valley. One or two of these sections are quite steep and a little exposed on the mountainside but ropes are provided on these parts of the trail.  

The path descends to one of the many streams that it crosses

  The path is a mixture of track and forest vehicle lanes. Above Nessel (about half way) the summit of the walk is reached at 1712m with a panoramic photo board and a convenient bench – ideal for lunch. There is a magnificent view up the valley to the Neunfenpass and the snow capped mountains on the Swiss/ Italian border.  

Looking towards Oberwald from near the Milibach

  The path gradually falls to Hostette at 1535 m. After crossing the Milibach a path goes off to the Grimselpass but the path to Oberwald continues through forests to eventually reach Oberwald.

Day 2 Münster to Bellwald  

  We took the train again to Münster, this time leaving the village in a south westerly direction, on a paved lane which climbed steadily to reach a crossing point over the Reckingerbach at about 1760m Here there is a most unusual mountain restaurant by the stream – there are garden gnomes, computer produced jokes on the walls, a small marquee and a guardian who insisted we wrote in his visitors’ book

  From here the path crosses a succession of streams, the Walibach, Hilpersbach, Wilerbach and Schwarzer Brunnen, most of which involved fairly steep ascents and descents and in the heat of the summer of 2003, with temperatures in the upper 30s, extremely tiring. The altitude of the path descends to a low point of 1371m. Then the path climbs again up to 1622m at Obermatta before gradually descending to the outskirts of Bellwald.  

The path descends to cross thestream in the  Bieligertal

  Then there is a 15 minute walk downhill through the village to the cable car station at 1559m. From here the Risihorn, Fieschergletscher and Eggishorn tower above the village. The walk had taken about 5 hours with a height gain of 856m and a height loss of 657m. The cable car only takes 6 people so walkers are advised to leave plenty of time to make their connection at the railway station at Furgangen.

The delightful church at Bellwald with the Fieschergletscher in the background