Finnu -> Schalba

Short winter hike up to Chastler, down through Meinimatte and Schalba, then back around past Egga, through Bodma, and then more or less along the contour line to Finnu.

Snowshoeing: Finnu -> Maelchgrat

Again up to Brischeru via Chastler. Today we're a bit earlier (9:30 start), so we're the first ones along the path for the day (noticeable because the wind has blown snow over the path during the night). Our goal is the Mälchgrat and we have a description of the way there, but there aren't really any paths to be seen, so we wing it. Up behind the houses of Brischeru and then more or less along the slope following the occasional hint of a trail (from snowshoes or touring skis). Throughout the weather is odd: the clouds seem to be swirling, so at times we're in sun and at times we're under clouds. The 4000ers are all buried under an impressive cloud blanket.
Fun watching a group of touring skiiers work their way towards the Gärsthorn. By the time we get to the bottom terrace of the grat, it's looking like the clouds are there to stay, so we decide not to do the last bit of ascent and wander around the lower terrace a bit. Crazy wind-crafted snowscapes. Lunch with a nice view but in the cold cold wind, so it's a quick one.

On the way back we watch the 4 touring ski guys come down the mountain (with two dogs!) and then follow their path back into Brischeru. Of course by the time we get down to the alp the clouds above us have cleared up and the sky is fantastically blue. Neither of us trusts it enough (or feels fit enough really) to turn around and go back up, so we have another snack and then head back down towards Chastler.

Along the way we follow a side trail off into the woods and get to enjoy a very nice steep descent through the deep snow in the woods before rejoining the main trail. Quite a nice diversion from the very well trampled highway. After a bit more wandering around Chastler, we head back down to the flat (3:30).

Finnu -> Visp

Down to Visp via Eggen and Eggerberg. Wandered around Visp, had lunch, did some shopping. Back by Post bus to Eggen and then on foot back up to Finnu.

Snowshoeing: Finnu -> Brischeru

We set out directly from the flat (~1420m) in Finnu. After a quick detour caused by a bad guess at an unmarked path split, we head off along the UNESCO trail towards Brischeru. Up a bit through the woods, past Chastler (1606m) (looks like another great place to stay in the winter) then more seriously up through the woods to Brischeru (2057m). Lunch while enjoying the amazing views (another great place to stay that's only reachable on foot), then up a bit more to the Bättchrixji (2171m) with a very nice view up the Rhone valley. Back along a ski-touring trail around the shoulder of the Gärsthorn and then back to Brischeru. Back to the flat along more or less the same route.

Wasserfallen->Nunningen

This was the first snowshoe trip of the year and the first anything that we've managed to do in quite a while.

After the gondola from Reigoldswil to Wasserfallen (937m), we headed on foot up to the Hintere Wasserfallen, where we put on the snowshoes. It was then up a bit towards the Chellenchoepfli and then along the ridge (snowshoeing and a ridge walk!) through the woods to the Vogelberg and a bit further to Passwang Pt 1204 (1204m). Down to the road and then along the road to the Gasthaus Vogelberg. Over the ridge then down to Ulmethoechi. Past Stierenberg (993m), around the Chleini Weid, then down to Nunningen (621m) and the bus back home.

We forgot to turn on the beeper, so there's a hand drawn track for this one. We were underway for about 4.5 hours with a couple of short breaks.

Boy was it great to be outside again.