The old village of Bellwald is situated on a mountain promontory with panoramic views of two valleys: the Goms (upper Rhone Valley) and the Fiesch Valley. This enchanting winter hike leads west of the resort over the sunny, southwest-facing slopes with views of the Fieschertal valley. The terrain is mostly open and promises first-class views of the entire region where the two valleys meet.
The Fieschertal was formed in prehistoric times by the mighty Fiesch glacier, which has since retreated further into the valley. However, with a length of almost 15 kilometres, the glacier north of Bellwald is still the second longest in the Alps and one of the jewels of the UNESCO World Heritage "Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch".
From Gassen, the trail leads gently downhill, first northwest and then southeast to the lowest point of the route: the sleepy hamlet of Ried with its historic chapel. From here, the trail climbs back up to Gassen.
