Gibidumpass

The high trail from Giw to Gspon forms part of the Great Walser Trail from Zermatt to the Kleinwalsertal. One thousand years ago, descendants of a Germanic people settled in the upper Valais. The Walsers were used to life in the high mountains and keen to migrate further and create new settlements in previously uninhabited mountain regions. The Great Walser Trail does not follow the migration routes of people from Valais, but instead connects the various sites linked with traditional Walser culture.

Starting point for the hike is the summit station of the chairlift from Visperterminen to Giw. A steep ascent through forest and then across open terrain leads to the Gibidum Pass. It is well worth making the detour via the Gibidumsee lake, fed by the Heido, one of the historical “Suonen” (irrigation channels) of Valais. The shallow lake (2 m) quickly warms up in summer: perfect for a refreshing dip!

All along the trail, you enjoy glorious views of the Vispertal valley as well as dramatic peaks from the Bietschhorn and Balfrin to the Weisshorn (4,506 m). The path leads mostly along the treeline but also passes through sections of the Lochwald and Riedjiwald forests. Here, in autumn, hikers often hear the belling of stags in rut. However, to actually see one of these fine creatures in the thick forest requires rather more luck.

At Sädolti, the trail starts its descent to Gspon, a car-free mountain village that has carefully preserved its original charm. Gspon is also known as home to Europe’s highest football pitch, the «Ottmar Hitzfeld Gspon Arena».

Highlights:

The easiest way to access the starting point of the walk at Giw is to take the chairlift up from Visperterminen, but you could alternatively hike up. A steep climb then leads via Stafel to the Gibidum Pass.  From here, you walk above the treeline across the alpine pastures of Sänntum and Sitestafel. After a short climb you reach Sädolti, an ideal spot for a break to enjoy the fine views. The hike finishes with the descent to the car-free village of Gspon.

You can easily extend the hike in a number of ways – for example, by following one of the many paths back to Visperterminen, or by walking from Gspon down to Stalden instead of taking the cable car. You could also follow the entire high trail as far as Saas-Grund – for which you should allow about 7 hours’ hiking time.

A9 motorway and cantonal road 9 to Visp. Follow the signs for Visperterminen, taking the Terbinerstrasse road via Unterstalden and Oberstalden to Visperterminen. 

At the Giw chairlift, hikers can buy a round ticket that includes the chairlift up to Giw, the cable car from Gspon down to Stalden and the PostBus from Stalden back to Visperterminen.