Twingi Schlucht (= Gorge) with Monica Muller 24 May 2023

This was an interessing and photogenic hike in Valais, which started with a couple of surprises: I was expecting to have to pay CHF94 for the long journey, but buying my ticket the day before, a day pass only cost CHF59. The Valais hike was announced as going from Binn to Ernen - a generally downhill profile. (As Monica mentioned later, this is the direction of the route as generally described.) We hiked the other way, which was the second surprise. As a result of some works on the train tracks we took a train company organised replacement bus between Fiesch (following a well organised 'coffee pause') and Ernen. I was grateful for the varied views from the bus and reminded how different and beautiful is the landscape and architecture of Valais - almost a different country. On arrival we took a litle tour around the village of Ernen: it was good to see a modern version of tradional building style slipped between the originals: and then we set off from a perfectly situated, and uniformly created and maintained, graveyard of the Parish: After a climb from the village, we followed the Trusera‐Suonen , for some distance - almost horizontal, necessitated by the function of these very ancient irrigaton channels to carry water to where it was needed (and currently dry, perhaps because the water had been temporarily diverted): The hike soon passed the first of 5 foot‐bridges encountered along the route as we descended into valleys, and climbed up the other side. This first was a functional galvanised steel construcon, above some complex modern water management system: The remaining bridges were much more beautiful. After hiking through some stunning scenery, including flower meadows: We stopped at a well‐situated chapel for our picnic lunch, the church also providing shelter from a brief rain shower, which didn't much disturb the raclette being cooked on a spirit burner by Erhard and Thomas: After lunch we hiked on, and the bridges were one‐by‐one traversed: Eventually we came to the wagon road to Ernen from Binn engineered into the rock along the Twingi Gorge in 1863/64. It was closed to carts in 1903 and replaced by a road in the 1930s. (It's now a footpath and cycle past). The gorge is now bypassed by a long straight tunnel just outside Ernen, so the village can be reached safely in midwinter, which was not always the case. The engineering is impressive: The gorge itself presented a major challenge to construction which was overcome 170 years ago: But it's an easy almost horizontal path until about 50 vertical meters below Ernen: Where we crossed the final bridge for refreshments, while waiting for the bus back to Fiesch and the train: We had a few showers 'enroute', but also enjoyed sunshine. There were several places to enjoy a 'drink pause', all mericulously planned by our wanderleiterin, Monica Muller, to whom thanks are due for organising a great day out: 496 words by Adrian Dubock 25 May 2023