I had been preparing for this adventure for quite some time (also with previous reconnaissance trips) and finally dispelled all doubts. On September 17, 2025, the time had come. The climb is quite tough due to the altitude, but it is easy and relatively "safe". The section secured with ropes is also not really a problem. It is important that the bike is well positioned on the rucksack (so that you have one hand free) and you should certainly wear suitable shoes. As it was quite cold and windy, and clouds were forecast for the afternoon, I decided to postpone the detour over the Schöllijoch and inner Barrhorn until next time. Once at the top (after about 2.5 hours), the view from the Üssere Barrhorn is very impressive. Due to the cold and the wind, however, it was only a short guest appearance on my part. But now to the downhill.
The downhill to the hut was about 80% rideable for me, as I was able to study the line as I carried it up! At the hut (after about 1.25 hours downhill) I had a well-deserved and delicious cheese slice. From the hut to the lake, the route was almost 100% rideable apart from a few descents, even if it was quite technical from time to time. The trail from the parking lot was more on the difficult side, mostly meadow and cow shit trail without any highlights until Gruben. From Gruben, Ride skips the valley trail, although it gets really fun from there. I would therefore strongly recommend taking the valley trail from Gruben, first to the left and then to the right of the road. Only the "Zer Tänt" section can be left out without a guilty conscience. From there, Ride also turns onto the valley path. The whole downhill from Gruben to Turtmann is certainly one of the highlights in Valais, sometimes technical, sometimes flowy but certainly never boring.
Based on my exploratory tours, here are a few more tips / variations:
- Ascent to the Turtmannhütte: take the path below the transport cable car; 100% sustainable, but shorter.
- Approach via Moosalp (post bus) - Augstbordpass; from Grüobu Mittelstafel I tried to cross to the left into the high trail to the Turtmannhütte. However, I abandoned this attempt before Gigi Oberstafel as the trail was too rough.
- Approach via Forclattapass; relatively short ascent from the Val d'Anniviers. However, the "Chalte Berg-Turtmannsee" trail is extremely difficult and not recommended; next time I would ride down into the valley.
- High trail Turtmann valley: From "Talstation Transportseilbahn" I once tried the high trail, which winds nicely along the contour line out of the valley. From Pt. 2297 - Pt. 2235, however, the path is tedious and really blocked, the downhill to Brändji Mittelstafel is then quite steep but rideable. It might be better to take the trail down into the valley at Pt. 2343.
In the end, I decided on the following option: (3 days): Day 1: Les Haudères-Col de Torrent-Lac de Moiry-Col de Sorebois-Zinal-Grimentz-Vissoi-Tignousa-Hotel Weisshorn with overnight stay. Day 2: Hotel Weisshorn-Zinal-Col de Sorebois-Lac de Moiry-Grimentz-Vissoi-Tignousa-Hotel Weisshorn-Forcletta-Turtmannhütte with overnight stay. Day 3: Turtmannhütte-Barrhorn-Turtmann.
I ride a Scott Genius Ultimate and am usually in the head group uphill; downhill I'm always the last one, at a distance.

Tour ridden on 21.9.25 in quite optimal conditions directly from the Oberems cable car station. I also like to do alpine tours and this wasn't that far from it and comes pretty close to the extreme sport of bike mountaineering. Definitely an epic adventure! Fit bikers can easily make it from Oberems to the summit and back down to the valley in a day. But: I now know what is meant by the note in the tour description that you should take the user comments into account: it's an alpine high-altitude tour! So good shoes that offer grip in rough loose scree as well as on smooth slabs, ideally a carrying device for the bike for the short "via ferrata" etc.. In addition, the weather up there can quickly become very uncomfortable, perhaps faster than you can get down. And the trails do have some quite technical sections. So please take care! I don't know if I would do the tour again because I would probably be faster as a trail runner. But it was definitely exciting! The descent from Gruben to Turtmann on this initially rather technical and then very fast trail was certainly a highlight for me. Maybe I was also so happy because I was finally allowed to ride ;-)
In any case, one more epic experience! Thanks Ride Team, that was a pioneering feat!

We rode the tour on 31.8. We started the day before from Moosalp - Augstbordpass (800 m bike carry) - Gruben - Turtmannhütte.
We set off at 7.15 a.m. in perfect weather and warm temperatures. We reached the summit after about 3.5 hours of hiking. Even the ascent was a tremendous experience in this incredible high alpine scenery.
During the ascent, we had some doubts about our ability to ride.
After a long break, we tackled the challenge and were delighted with the great conditions and the fantastic descent.
In the blocked section, an optimal line choice is crucial in order to maximize the amount of riding up to the Gässi (place with wire ropes).
Back at the reservoir, we climbed up to Hungerli Mittelstafil via the panoramic trail and then descended into the valley. We had to push the bikes for the last few hundred meters before the descent. The trail down has some tight hairpin bends and was fun to ride.
We then rolled along the road until Zentänt (1723 m above sea level). From here we turned onto the fun trail (valley path) to Turtmann.
It was simply amazing - a tour for the history books. We enjoyed the strenuous but wonderful day to the full.
Many thanks to the Ride Team for this tour description.

Bucketlist done!!!...

Finally made it last week, the conditions were and still are ideal! Very little ice / snow fields
Incredible experience!!!

Went to the Barrhorn yesterday, 29.07. Great scenery, unfortunately we caught the day on which the Barrhorn Sky Run was taking place - absolutely avoid it ;-). We weren't able to ride that much, but found the trails from the hut to the lake and later along the river to Gruben really cool, so it's definitely worth it.

Tour ridden on September 18/19, 22: On the Barrhorn -13 degrees and about 15 cm of snow, it can be when it comes to fall :-)
The view and the experience are simply mega! Saw lots of edelweiss and few hikers.
Because of the snow, carrying the bikes up was very strenuous, and we had to push them down quite a lot.
The Gässli passage is not easy with snow, ice and a bike on your back, as you have to hold on to the ropes in such conditions. No problem in dry conditions, but we were glad to have the carrying device for the bike so that we had both hands free.
We'd do it again in a heartbeat, but without snow :-)

Started in Gruben at 03:00, 05:00 at the Turtmannhütte and at 09:35 on the Barrhorn - simply magnificent views. It makes up for the continuous carrying since the Turtmannhütte. From the Barrhorn, the first 600 m to the Rockgarden are easy to ride. After the Rockgarden, it is flowy all the way to Gässli. Here you have to concentrate again on the descent. Enjoy a delicious rösti at the Turtmanhütte and return to Turtmann with a full tank. At the beginning I was still on the hiking trails, but then had to switch to the road due to concentration problems. The tour had done me in. It was a good experience. Before I do it again, I'm now looking for more rideable trails.