The Aletsch Bahnen AG inaugurated the Moosfluh Geology Trail at the Moosfluh Gletscherbahn mountain station on 7 July 2023. Those responsible presented what motivated them to create this thematic circuit above the largest glacier in the Alps. The Great Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps, is retreating rapidly under the influence of climate change. This glacier melt has had a major impact on the ridge of the Moosfluh. The natural support of the ice was missing, the sub-area above the glacier lost its hold. The first cracks formed in autumn 2016. These geological movements quickly calmed down and stabilised.
The Moosfluh area is under constant and very precise observation. This ensures safety for the mountain and the railway. The following reasons motivated Aletsch Bahnen to build the Moosfluh geology footbridge: On the one hand, they want to sensitise guests to the uniqueness of the glacier landscape, the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch and climate change, and on the other hand, they want to provide guests with knowledge about the dynamic geological changes on the Moosfluh in an informative and stimulating way. Guests can now walk through the sensitive area without danger. With the new geology walkway, the Aletsch lifts can present their guests with an even more attractive Moosfluh vantage point. Up here, guests become aware at first hand of the effects of climate change on the glacier landscape and tourism. Guests should be able to experience nature but also protect nature.
The new Moosfluh Geology Trail creates added value for national and international guests The newly built themed circular trail leads through the area to the west of the Moosfluh mountain station, which has been torn open by geological landslides. The Moosfluh Geology Trail comprises 7 stations. The geological processes and their consequences are described in a very instructive way and illustrated impressively: - What traces does the glacier leave in the landscape? - What happens when the support of the mountain melts? - How can the combined lift to the Moosfluh, built in 2015, move with the terrain? Children can approach the topics playfully with "Gletschi", the glacier flea.
The Moosfluh Geology Trail leads over a bridge and footbridges and is easy to walk on. The path has a length of approx. 500 metres and a difference in altitude of approx. 30 metres. The duration of the visit, including the adventure stations, is about 1 hour. The Moosfluh Geology Trail is free of charge for guests, i.e. it is included in the mountain railway ticket. The texts are available in the following 8 languages: German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Thai. This way, guests from home and abroad can benefit from the new summer offer in the Aletsch Arena.
From the idea in 2019 to the launch in 2023
The Aletsch Bahnen AG launched the Geology Footbridge project back in 2019. The covid pandemic and objections delayed the execution. The Aletsch Railways have realised the Moosfluh Geology Trail above Riederalp together with the company ProNatour. They have already implemented several projects with ProNatour, such as the places of power on the Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn and the "Aletschtrail on the Eggishorn" circular trail. The themes, the layout and the design of the stations are coordinated with each other, adapt to the character of the surroundings and thus create a uniform experience for the guests. Construction in summer 2023 took around three weeks. The costs for the theme trail amount to around CHF 200,000.
More about the Geology Walkway | Tour description | Photo gallery
| Projects