ViaStockalper

The ViaStockalper

The Stockalperweg (also ViaStockalper) is a mule track built more than 300 years ago by Kaspar Stockalper. Since 1991, it has been given a new lease of life as a cultural hike.

As one of the most important Alpine crossings, the Stockalper Trail can be hiked for the most part on original paths in several stages. A special experience is the hike accompanied by a local hiking guide.

Trail description

Stage 1: Brig – Simplonpass

Passing Stockalper Castle, the path leads up through the old castle grounds to the “Bach” and on to Riedbachstrasse. On the so-called “Römerweg”, you reach the hamlet of “Brei” via Lingwurm through open meadowland. Through the “Gfalte Wald” to “Chalchofe” runs a hillside path carved into the rock under Stockalper and restored to its original route in 1992, offering an impressive view of the Saltina Gorge and the Rhone Valley. A connecting path along the old Napoleonic Road takes you to the Via Stockalper, situated below the carriage road. From Schallberg, the stage runs along the restored “Talweg Ganter” through the Ganter Valley towards Rothwald. Above Mittubäch, the route finally leads into the Tafernatal and up via artful hairpin bends to the Simplon Pass summit.

Note: The original section via “Grund” through the Tafernatal is closed indefinitely due to an acute risk of rockfall. All hikers heading for the Simplon Pass are urged to follow the orange diversion signs from Schallberg and not to descend into “Grund”.

Option using public transport: The first stage from Brig to the Simplon Pass is a challenging one (19.4 km). Taking the PostBus can reduce both the walking time and the distance. Possible alighting points: Schallberg / Eisten, Ganterbrücke and Rothwald, mountain hut

Places of interest on this stage:

Stage 2: Simplonpass – Simplon Dorf

At the top of the pass, a new hiking trail leads west of the national road over flat pastureland to the rejoin the old mule track. Below the “Alter Spittel”, along the asphalt road for a bit, the hiking trail continues to the “Niederalp” and on to the Engiloch inn. Up to the hamlet of “Maschihüs”, the mule track leads through a charming wooded pasture landscape with a partly park-like character. The most striking building on this medieval section of the trail is the Susten building at “Engi”, which dates from before Stockalper. From the “Maschihüs”, the path leads parallel to the national road through the hamlet of Egga and up into the forest, where the original course of the mule track can only be guessed at under the mighty debris of the 1901 glacier slide. Below the Sengg group of houses, the mule track descends to Simplon village in a line that is optimally adapted to the terrain.

Places of interest on this stage:

Trail description
Trail description

Stage 3.1: Simplon Dorf – Gondo

Variant Gondoschlucht

From the paved village square, the mule track leads past the “Alter Gasthof” through the “Stutzji” to the southern village exit and on the Napoleon road to a field road. This crosses under the national road and from there descends over the meadowland of the “Chluisä” towards Gabi. From Gabi, a direct path leads through the impressive Gondo Gorge to Gondo. In the Gondo Gorge, individual parts of the mule track laid out by Kaspar Stockalper have been preserved with the original paved path surface. After the construction of the Napoleonic road, however, most of the Stockalper path was destroyed. For this reason, during its renovation in 2001/02, the hiking trail had to be rebuilt in the gorge, which is highly susceptible to rockfall, with metal passerelles and footbridges and on the galleries of the national road. At the northern entrance to the Gondo Gorge, the trail passes a ruin in the “Äbi”, a building designed by Kaspar Stockalper as a goods depot. From here, the trail passes the “Alte Kaserne” (old barracks), a Napoleonic military building connected to the Stockalper trail by a passerelle. At the Gondo infantry fortress, the trail runs underground through a tunnel-like passage. Below the Gondo fortress, a well-preserved, carefully paved section of path has been preserved on the right side of the valley. Then the path crosses the Doveria on a new metal footbridge. On the left side of the valley, the path descends to Gondo.

Places of interest on this stage:

Trail description

Stage 3.2: Simplon Dorf – Gondo

Furggu variant

This variant of the ViaStockalper leads you from Simplon village to Gondo, but not through the notorious Gondo Gorge, but via “Furggu” into the Zwischbergental. On the right side of the Zwischbergental, the trail leads out of the valley past the ruins of the gold mines. Through a beech forest you reach the former mule track down to Gondo.

Combined with cultural highlights and impressive Alpine flora in an imposing mountain setting, the Stockalperweg is a real experience.

Places of interest on this stage:

  • Feerberg Waystick
  • Ruins of the gold mines
  • Stockalperturm, Gondo

Stage 4: Gondo – Monscera – Bognanco

From Zwischbergen to the Monscerapass, a signposted hiking trail leads up many natural steps. During the summer months, you can travel from Gondo to Zwischbergen and Bord on the PubliCar (runs according to the timetable; booking required the day before).

After the Monscerapass, the trail heads south to the Rifugio Gattascosa, on to Lago Ragozza and via San Bernardo to the scattered village of Bognanco.

Places of interest on this stage:

  • Rifugio Gattascosa
  • Lago Ragozza
Trail description

Trail description

Stage 5: Bognanco – Domodossola

Descent from the scattered village of Bognanco, which today is only a shadow of the once flourishing thermal spa. On the left slope of the valley, a fantastically beautiful mule trail leads us through poetically sleepy hamlets to the pleasant town of Domodossola.

Places of interest on this stage:

  • Torchio di Monteossolano
  • Sacro Monte Calvario, Domodossola

This is what the hiking guests say:

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