Hotel Belalp - Oberaletschhütten

MODERATE (1.8/10)

Geissbalma → Oberaletschhütte

Distance
8.1 km
Ascent
+849 m
Descent
-498 m
Est. Time
3h 40m
Altitude
1,974–2,701 m
Type
point-to-point

Use this route

The walk, as far as the open data goes

Height and time

  • High point 2,714 m
  • Low point 1,969 m
  • Climb 849 m from a 30 m terrain model, smoothed
  • Swiss signpost time 3 h 50 the official method, on our line

Computed on 2026-09-20 from OpenStreetMap, the terrain model and the federal route layer — not read from the operator's own page, and not checked on the ground. Hikes we have reviewed say who published each fact and when.

Explore the route

Read the topography, inspect the climb, or preview the route over real terrain.

Loading topographic map…
2,000m2,100m2,200m2,300m2,400m2,500m2,600m2,700m02 km4 km6 km8 km2,697m1,976m
Flat (<5%) Gentle (5–10%) Moderate (10–15%) Steep (15–25%) Very steep (>25%)

Route briefing

What comes next

Climbs, descents, huts and decisive places in route order. Not listed does not mean absent: it may not be mapped.

14 route events
  1. Start

    0 m

    Geissbalma

    Start

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-11

    About 0 min in

    8.1 km remaining

    +849 m remaining

  2. Descent

    12 m

    153 m descent

    1.1 km at 14.4% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 0 min in

    8.1 km remaining

    +849 m remaining

  3. Climb

    2.0 km

    144 m climb

    1.2 km at 11.8% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 54 min in

    6.1 km remaining

    +789 m remaining

  4. Climb

    3.4 km

    487 m climb

    2.0 km at 24.6% average

    OpenStreetMap route data · source 2026-04-11

    About 1h 32m in

    4.7 km remaining

    +656 m remaining

  5. Hut

    3.8 km

    Tällihütte

    Hut

    OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-11

    About 1h 44m in

    4.3 km remaining

    +622 m remaining

  6. Hut

    3.8 km

    Driesthütte

    Hut

    OpenStreetMap · source 2026-04-11

    About 1h 44m in

    4.3 km remaining

    +622 m remaining

  7. Finish

    8.1 km

    Oberaletschhütte

    Finish

    Route geometry · source 2026-04-11

    About 3h 40m in

    0 m remaining

Trail route lab

Turn this trail into your own route

Open a planning copy, adjust the line, then share the version you would actually run or hike.

8.1 km Distance849 m Climb3h 40m Est. time2,701 m High pointMODERATE Difficulty
Customize in Planner

Hotel Belalp - Oberaletschhütten is a 8.1 km point-to-point moderate hiking route in Switzerland, running from Geissbalma to Oberaletschhütte. The route covers 849m of ascent and 498m of descent, with elevations ranging from 1,974m to 2,700m. Allow approximately 3h 40m for the full route.

The route is divided into 4 segments. The toughest stretch is the 4.3 km from Tällihütte to Unterer Torberg, climbing 714m (allow 2h 17m for this section).

About 55% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. Some pitches hit 60% gradient, so trekking poles are strongly recommended.

Budget roughly 2,050 kcal of energy expenditure and 2.2 L of water.

Mountain route up to 2701m. Best June–October; snow possible into June.

Trail Splits

Waypoint-to-waypoint breakdown with estimated hiking times (Naismith's Rule).

SegmentDist↑ Ascent↓ DescentTimeCum. km
📍
Geissbalma → Sparrhorn
2.4 km+121m-196m50 min2.4
⛰️
Sparrhorn → Tällihütte
1.3 km+151m-20m32 min3.8
🏠
Tällihütte → Unterer Torberg
4.3 km+714m-282m2h 17m8.1
⛰️
Unterer Torberg → Oberaletschhütte
0.0 km+0m-0m0 min8.1
Total8.1 km+849m-498m3h 40m8.1

Pace & Fuel Calculator

Adjust your flat 10K pace to see personalized finish time, calorie burn, and hydration needs.

7:00 /km
4:00 /km (elite) 12:00 /km (leisure)
Fast Hiker / Jogger
Est. Finish Time
2h 12m
Calories
1,724 kcal
Water Needed
1.9 L
Effort Distance
19.1 km
flat-equivalent
🍫 Recommended: ~45g carbs/hr (100g total) Electrolyte needs vary with conditions and sweat losses; no individual sodium target is estimated.

Terrain Analysis

Lower-gradient terrain
55%
Gradient estimate, not surface or technical difficulty
% of route below 15% gradient
Climb Ratio
105 m/km
Very steep profile
↑ 849m ↓ 498m
High Point
2,700.6 m
High alpine zone
Low point: 1,974.2m — Range: 726.4m

Surface & Technicality

Gradient breakdown
Low gradient (14%) Easy Grade (27%) Moderate Climb (9%) Steep (30%) Very steep gradient (20%)

Gradient describes steepness, not exposure, scrambling, footing or current conditions. Technical difficulty is unknown where no mapped rating is available.

Tree cover and UV

☀️ Little tree cover 98% open to the sky · 2% under canopy
Estimated canopy along the route
Under canopy (2%) Open terrain (3%) Above treeline (95%)
South-facing: 0% of route — mostly north-facing, less direct sun

☀️ Little to hide under. About 95% of the route is above the treeline, so wherever the terrain is not shading you there is nothing else to. Sunscreen, a hat and extra water.

Canopy is inferred from elevation against a 2000 m Alpine treeline and from gradient below it, not from observed tree data — treat it as an estimate. It is a different question from the terrain shade above, which is about whether a mountain is between you and the sun at a given time.

Current Conditions

Loading live weather...

Based on 1991–2020 climate averages, no month on Hotel Belalp - Oberaletschhütten is without a weather drawback; July to September are the most workable. Snow is likely at the high point (2714 m) in November to June.

Weather this week

Loading the forecast for low point (1,969 m) and high point (2,714 m)…

Weather by month

Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (1,969 m) and the highest point (2,714 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.

Monthly climate averages and daylight
Month
WeatherPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorPoorMixedMixedMixedPoorPoorPoor
High point, day / night-5°/-11°-6°/-12°-5°/-10°-3°/-8°1°/-4°6°/1°7°/3°8°/4°4°/1°2°/-2°-2°/-6°-4°/-10°
Low point, day / night0°/-8°-1°/-8°1°/-6°3°/-4°8°/1°12°/5°14°/7°14°/8°11°/4°8°/2°3°/-3°1°/-6°
Rain, mm7863798298919392859510485
Snow at high pointLikelyLikelyLikelyLikelyLikelyLikely––PossiblePossibleLikelyLikely
Daylight8 h 5810 h 1811 h 4913 h 3114 h 5715 h 4715 h 2914 h 1512 h 3811 h9 h 288 h 37

Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. These values describe the whole trail's lowest and highest points. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.

Averages cannot establish current trail conditions. Check recent local reports, the forecast and restrictions before departure. Snow and ice can persist on shaded sections or arrive outside the usual season.

Current snow conditions

Current route snow

Insufficient evidence

Enable “Current snow map” in the route map’s Map layers to see the surrounding snow evidence. Current conditions do not describe a future departure date.

Planning ahead?

Checking snow-monitoring coverage... Notifications require permission on this device; on iPhone use the installed Home Screen app. No email alerts are sent.

Safety & Bailouts

Exit routes not verified

We do not have a verified emergency exit plan for this route. A nearby settlement, hut or route endpoint is not necessarily reachable or open. Do not leave the trail based on a straight-line distance or compass direction.

Mapped high point: 2715 m, approximately 5.9 km along the route. This is not an assessment of the most remote or exposed point.

Review possible exits against current local information before your trip. In an emergency, contact local rescue services; this page is not live rescue guidance.

Suggested Gear List

Auto-generated based on 8.1 km, 849m ascent, max altitude 2700.6m, ~4h duration.

Essential 8 items
  • 👟
    Trail running shoes / hiking boots
    Required for any trail
  • 📱
    Phone (charged) + offline map
    Navigation & emergency contact
  • 💧
    2L hydration pack
    Water source information is incomplete; plan supplies before departure
  • 🍫
    Trail mix, bars & sandwich
    Est. 2050 kcal burn
  • 🧴
    Sunscreen SPF 50+
    UV intensifies above 2000m
  • 🧢
    Sun hat / cap
    Exposed alpine terrain
  • 🧥
    Windbreaker / shell jacket
    Summit at 2700.6m — wind chill
  • 🆘
    Emergency space blanket
    Critical if injured at altitude
Recommended 6 items
  • 🕶️
    Sunglasses (cat 3+)
    Snow & rock glare at altitude
  • 🧤
    Warm mid-layer (fleece)
    Temps drop ~6°C per 1000m
  • 🔦
    Headlamp
    4h route — plan for delays
  • 🩹
    Mini first aid kit
    Blister plasters, tape, antiseptic
  • 🥢
    Trekking poles
    50% steep terrain, 849m+ ascent
  • 🧊
    Microspikes / light crampons
    Snow risk in Jan, Feb, Mar
Nice to have 2 items
  • 🦵
    Gaiters
    Keep snow out of boots
  • 💰
    Cash (CHF/EUR)
    Mountain huts often cash-only

Logistics

This route runs from Geissbalma to Oberaletschhütte (8.1 km by trail). You'll need to arrange transport back to your starting point.

Start — Getting There
Geissbalma
No transit stops detected nearby.
Finish — Getting Back
Oberaletschhütte
No transit stops detected nearby. Check local timetables.

Nearby Points of Interest

⛰️ Peaks

  • Sparrhorn km 2.4 · 1.1 km off trail
  • Hülsenhorn km 7.2 · 2.1 km off trail

🏠 Mountain Huts

  • Tällihütte km 3.8 · 1.5 km off trail
  • Driesthütte km 3.8 · 1.8 km off trail

📍 Nearby Places

  • Riederij km 0.1 · 1.6 km off trail
  • Oberaletsch km 1.7 · 1.6 km off trail
  • Nesselweg km 0.1 · 1.6 km off trail
  • Steigadu 1.7 km off trail
  • Riederfurka km 0.1 · 1.8 km off trail

Route Details

Network
Local Trail Network
Sport
hiking
Start
Geissbalma
End
Oberaletschhütte
Start Coordinates
46.38067, 7.99091
OpenStreetMap
View on OSM →

Similar Trails

Share this trail

Send it to your hiking crew — they’ll get the route, elevation profile & GPX.

Route resources

Specialist links and source details for this route. Everyday actions are kept in the route rail above.