Glacier Bike Tour 10. Visp (Viège) - Zermatt
Information
During this final stage of the Glacier Bike Tour (GBT), the terraced vineyards gradually give way to a more mountainous setting. Starting from Visp (Viège), you successively cross the villages of Stalden and Kalpetran by taking an old mule track that runs alongside historic dry stone walls, before returning to the road to St Niklaus (St-Nicolas). From there, you follow the railway line and the Vispa, passing noisy waterfalls and the imposing glacial tongue of the Bishorn on the east side of the Weisshorn massif. Straight ahead, you can admire the Little Matterhorn and the sparkling ridge of the Breithorn, one of the many 4000-meter peaks in the region. From Täsch, the forest path turns into a demanding MTB trail, which you can avoid by diverting early onto the road where the last section before arriving takes place. It is on the home stretch that the majestic Matterhorn finally appears, a rocky pyramid 4478 meters high with a striking triangular shape – a magical moment.
Characteristics
Best season
POI details
On the route to the Zermatt valley, the Rhône is replaced by the Vispa and you follow the MTB route no 150 Visp (Viège)-Zermatt until you arrive in Zermatt, along the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn railway line. Starting from Visp (Viège), you leave the vineyards to head towards the village of Stalden on the other side of the valley and continue to Kalpetran by taking an old mule track that runs alongside dry stone walls. Shortly afterwards, you return to the road until St Niklaus (St-Nicolas), then continue along the railway line and the Vispa, up to Randa with its meadows and pastures. From Täsch, the forest path turns into a demanding MTB trail, which you can avoid by diverting onto the road, and the final section before arriving is on a road with very little traffic, as Zermatt is a car-free village. Once at your destination, after completing the ten stages of the Glacier Bike Tour, the first thing to do is to toast and enjoy yourself.
Visp (Viège) is accessible by train.
Remember to reserve a spot for your MTB via the SBB mobile app or on sbb.ch
From Bern, ride to Kandersteg and use the car transport (car shuttle train) to Goppenstein, then continue your route towards Visp (Viège).
From Geneva/Lausanne, follow the A9 motorway to Sierre-East, then proceed towards Brig until Visp (Viège).
Which e-bike to take on the Glacier Bike Tour? Professional cyclist and two-time E-MTB world champion Nathalie Schneitter presents to you in video the ideal two-wheeler. A robust and comfortable full-suspension e-bike, equipped with wide and grippy tires, powerful brakes and, if possible, a dropper seatpost.
Even in midsummer, you have to be ready for anything in the mountains. So what should you pack in your bike bags for such a special adventure, which passes through three mountain passes and landscapes both alpine and Mediterranean? Professional cyclist Nathalie Schneitter has already ridden the Glacier Bike Tour and reveals here her packing list to take along.
