In the Gasteretal

Although the Gasteretal is a familiar place to me, I had never been to Selde as part of a training course. I had also descended into the valley several times from the Gemmi, via the spectacular Gurnigel trail, but had never gone further into the valley.

We had gone to Selde because we intended to cross the Lötschepass the next day. From the Kandersteg station, we had followed the Kander along its left bank. Although this means a detour, the route along the bank is advantageous, as one is not hindered by traffic, even if there is not heavy traffic. After the buildings of the international scout centre, the marked trail continues along the left bank, but a bit further away from the stream.

At Eggeschwand, we had to go back a bit in the direction of Kandersteg to be able to climb along the Kander, which soon turns into a raging torrent. The Chluse is an impressive place, as the water creates a deafening roar, which one finds in few other places in the Swiss Alps, as the streams are often diverted to feed dams.

After climbing up the Chluse, we found ourselves at the bottom of the Gasteretal. The contrast is striking, as the roar of the water cascading down is followed by the discreet splashing of the water flowing along a nearly flat bed. After passing the Waldhus, we had crossed the Gastereholz along the marked trail. At one point, the trail leading up to the Balmhornhütte can be seen, and it is hard to imagine the trail’s path through the large rock walls. Only a few people walking along the trail allow one to see where it goes through. A little further on, we followed a wide trail leading to the foot of the waterfall going down from the Balmhorn. The place is spectacular, but it is spoiled, as there are remains of ammunition from army exercises.

After changing the bank three times, we found ourselves at the foot of the last climb towards Selde. The trail describes a few zigzags and joins the road a little higher up. We then followed the paved road to Selde, where there are two mountain inns.

Route: Kandersteg (station) – Bütschels – Eggeschwand – Chluse – Gastereholz – Selde
Distance: 11.7Km
Altitude gain: 460m
Duration: 3h30