Description

After a few days in the high mountains, this is a wonderful trip down into thicker air and lush, green meadows.

Start early-ish (there's no need for a true alpine start) from the Hollandia Hut to try and get good conditions on the Lang Glacier.

Descend from the hut to the col at the top of the Glacier and then drop down, initially on the true left and then coming back towards the middle.

The exact route will, as ever, depend on conditions so treat the line drawn here as a very rough guide.

If the glacier is particularly dry or it's late in the season then check with the guardian of the Hollandia Hut which exact route they'd recommend. Drift right when the Glacier begins to narrow and exit the ice onto a moraine.

Follow the moraine down and cross over the toe of the Anengletscher to get back onto another moraine.

From here the path is much clearer and passes across a series of hillsides beneath towering alpine peaks.

There are several paths you can follow, on both sides of the Lang river, so, as on the glacier, pick your own route if it looks more appealing to you than our suggested line does. Whichever line you choose you'll end up being funnelled down into the valley bottom.

The first settlement you reach is Gletscherstafel and the Camping Fafleralp.

If you're lucky you might be able to hitch a lift from here but most likely you'll have to continue down the valley to Eisten and then Blatten, from where you are can catch a bus into the Rhône Valley.

Once there, the Swiss rail network awaits, as does thick air and a warm shower!