Ascension Weekend: Hiking in the Wallis

Friday, May 18: Massaweg.
We took the train to Brig and set up camp at Camping Geschina.
We started the hike through the center of Brig (684 m) and Naters up to Blatten (1327 m), on to the Stausee Gibidum (1436 m), walk across the dam, down to the Gibidum Bridge (1335 m), on the Massaweg through the Massaschlucht along some old water-channels "Suonen", down to Bitsch (696 m), and along the Rhone back to Brig (684 m). (total ~750 m up and down in about 7.5 hours, including lunch)
After some shopping and a cool drink in town, we had dinner at the campsite and watched the surrounding mountains turn pink.

At the Gibidum Lake

Saturday, May 19: Stockalperweg to Simplon Pass.
Starting at the Stockalperpalast in Brig (684 m) we went up to Lingwurm (827 m), along the Saltinaschlucht to Schallberg (1316 m) and the road, then down again to Grund (1071 m), where we had a nice lunch break on some rocks by the river. Up from Grund, across some very nice bridges through the Tafernatal (1597 m) and up up up to the Simplon Pass (2006 m). (total ~1550 m up and 250 m down in about 6 hours, including lunch)
The cold beverage was well deserved. We got up to the Pass shortly after 3pm and spent the next couple of hours resting, wandering around, looking over to the other side, having some ice cream before taking the bus back to Brig at 6pm.

At Simplon Pass

Sunday, May 20: Upper Lötschental.
We packed up camp, took the train to Goppenstein, left most of our stuff there and went on by bus to Blatten.

Hiked from Blatten (1490 m) via Kühmad to Fafleralp (1787 m). Saw a huge, old Steinbock on the way to Guggistafel (1933 m). After Guggistafel on the way to Anenhütte the snow got real deep, we lost the path a couple of times (we think), however, made it to Guggisee (2007 m), where we had a rest and lunch and a great view!

Lötschental

Lost in the snow, Lötschenlücke in the back

No way we were getting any higher with that snow, so we took a different, somewhat lower path back, past a raging waterfall, to the parking lot at Gletscherstafel (1771 m), where we had a short break and drink in the sun. But clouds were coming up, so we went through the valley back to Blatten (1490 m) to catch the bus to Goppenstein to get on the train back to Basel.
A great day! Also a pretty lazy one: ~500m up and down in about 6 hours (including lunch).