Photo: Thomas Woodtli, CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
About this guide
The Great Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps, lies below the Aletsch Arena above the Rhone valley, in the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site; over the last 20 years it has lost about 50 m of its length a year on average. Gondolas from Riederalp and Bettmeralp lead up to viewpoints on the ridge above the ice, where both hikes in this guide start.
- Difficulty
Moosfluh – Riederfurka: a themed trail, almost entirely downhill. Bettmerhorn – Märjelensee: needs very good fitness; a path cut into the rock with stone steps.
- Season
June to October, depending on weather. 2026: the Moosfluh and Bettmerhorn gondolas run 6 June – 25 October, 8:30 – 16:30.
- Getting there
Train from Brig or Oberwald to Mörel-Filet for the Riederalp cable car, or to the Bettmeralp valley station for the Bettmeralp cable car (Aletsch Bahnen); then the Moosfluh or Bettmerhorn gondola.
- Winter
A groomed winter hiking trail runs from Moosfluh along the ridge via Hohfluh to Riederalp (January – April); check the open sections in the Aletsch Arena winter report.
- Food & drink
Gletscherstube at the Märjelensee on the Bettmerhorn hike.
Map, routes and places
Trails
Route data checked: October 2026 ·
Places
Sights & viewpoints
Huts & food
Getting there & parking
Plan your trip
Gondola from Bettmeralp to the Bettmerhorn; start and end of the Märjelensee hike.
Gondola from Riederalp to the Moosfluh viewpoint, start of the themed trail.
Cable car station at the end of the themed trail.
Related guides
Sources (7) · last checked October 2026
Route data checked: October 2026
- Aletsch Arena AG — route, access, season and opening, history
- Moosfluh – Riederfurka themed trail — route, track, elevation, difficulty, access, season and opening
- Bettmerhorn – Märjelensee – Bettmeralp — route, track, distance, elevation, time, difficulty, access, season and opening
- Valais/Wallis Promotion — route, season and opening
- SchweizMobil — history
- UNESCO-Welterbe Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch — history
- swisstopo — access
- Moosfluh – Riederfurka themed trail — elevation
- Bettmerhorn – Märjelensee – Bettmeralp — difficulty
- Valais/Wallis Promotion (valais.ch) — route, track
- BRouter (OpenStreetMap) — track, distance