Mäderlicke
Description
From the Simplon Pass, which you have previously reached by post bus from Brig, you immediately start pushing uphill. You walk along a bisse - pushing your bike - in the direction of the Chaltwasser glacier. Finally, the path climbs more steeply and from then on the bike is mainly on your shoulders. The path is easily manageable on foot. In this way, you climb up to the Kaltwasserlicke. The Kaltwasserlicke is the first highlight of the tour with views of the Chaltwassersee lake, the Chaltwassergletscher glacier and Monte Leone above. The Monte Leone hut is also clearly visible. After a refreshment, the last few meters up to Mäderlicke, the culmination point of the tour, follow. This is where the exceptionally long and equally exceptionally beautiful descent down to Brig begins. The first few meters are still a little rough, but the path then becomes increasingly smooth and agile. At the mountain station of the Rothwald ski lift, the tree line is reached and the alpine trail turns into a fast path on velvety soft forest soil. But this is just the beginning! After the Ganterwald restaurant, an exceptionally long, flowing and almost perfectly laid out single trail (Talweg Ganter) leads down to the Ganter bridge. The trail fireworks continue immediately on the other side of the valley with the Ganter Höhenweg. The riding fun is only marginally spoiled by a short, steep climb to Schallberg, before heading down to Brei on the legendary Stockalperweg. From the glacier region at the top, you now find yourself in a kind of Mediterranean climate. The final bouquet of fireworks is provided by the trail from Brei down to the Saltina River, from where you finally roll comfortably into the center of Brig.
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Details of the tour
25 km
960 m
2295 m
677 above sea level
2879 above sea level
1 day
Brig
Brig
1910
not suitable
More information
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User comments (16)
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
The tour was simply fantastic from A to Z! Although we had to carry the bikes up most of the 900 meters in altitude, the descent more than made up for it. As a special highlight, we even got to see ibexes.
The route was technically challenging, but still easy to ride for the most part. The longer the tour lasted, the more flowy it became - and the finish via the Stockalperweg was simply brilliant.
High alpine tour.
2 - 2.5h carrying / pushing the bike up. Enjoy the beautiful panorama as well as the spaghetti in the SAC hut. Then up again to Mäderlicka [2887]. The first 300 - 400 tm are to be completed by pushing for the mostly bikers with short rideable passages. The fun starts at 2300 m above sea level. Super trail. The Gantner Höhenweg is also fun.
Everyone has to decide for themselves whether the long ascent on foot is worthwhile.
A Giger tour. Thank you.
A brilliant tour in impressive surroundings. The way up is very doable on foot and the descent is absolutely awesome. Technical, flowy, playful... A bit of everything from time to time.
Tour today, great! However, in my opinion clearly 4 and not three points. It's not just the ascent and the first 100m down that are challenging, it remains technically quite demanding until Rothwald, and even below that it's not trivial until the "flow trail" really begins. The Ganter-Thalweg and the first part of the Stockalperweg are easy, but at times do not forgive lack of concentration...
All in all, a great tour, but not to be underestimated due to the 3 points in the ride database...
At the very end, don't go down under the Napoleon Bridge (Helsana Trail) but go straight on, slightly uphill onto the road and back to Brig, missing only 50m of trail. The self-built bike barrier can also be overcome if the front wheel is removed! It went well with my 29er Enduro. The trail is otherwise really great, so it doesn't really hurt.
Did the tour on 26.08.21. The ascent is hard, only a few meters can be ridden. The start of the descent is difficult, but after a few meters rideable/technically very high. From the Alp everything is rideable, long descent. A great tour for me.
We did the tour today. The descent is long and strenuous. The upper part after the Mäderlicke is steep with lots of loose gravel. I would probably rate the difficulty one point higher. At the entrance to Brig, on the path below the Napoleon Bridge, there is an insurmountable bike barrier. We had to turn back there and climb up onto the road before the bridge.
We rode the tour yesterday on 18.07.2021. I would still advise against it. On the way up there is still snow on both sides of the lake before the Monte Leone hut. After the Mäderlicke there is still a very large snow field that you can't go around. So the first 100 Elevation losses are no fun.
Wonderful tour where you can watch the hikers dragging their bikes. The ascent is beautiful despite the effort. You can stop for refreshments at the hut. The descent starts at the Mäderlicke, the first few meters were buried for me. After that, apart from a few blocked sections, everything was rideable for me.
Wonderful tour, the right mix of technical passages and flow trails! The ascent is tough with lots of carrying sections. But that's a good thing - the e-mountain bikers are sifted out :-)
Tour done on 03.09.20. Great tour. Fantastic views, challenging descent. Not for e-bikes! Carrying passage but certainly 2/3 of the route from the Simplon Pass to the hut. Wear good gloves for the first part of the descent. Almost froze my fingers though :-).
Checked 2020.
I was probably the first one on the Maderlicke with the bike yesterday this year
The tour rides through the target slope of an artillery firing range. Be sure to consult the firing notices.
https://map.geo.admin.ch/?ch.vbs.schiessanzeigen=1204.100&time=None&lan…
I rode the tour on September 19, 2019.
I started the tour in Simplon-Dorf. So I had a run-in on the Stockalperweg (in my opinion, this is also the only section of the Stockalper that can also be ridden uphill). From the top of the pass, I continued on foot as expected. I was on the road for about 2 hours, about 50% pushing and 50% carrying. The nature and the view of the Chaltwasser Glacier and the wild landscape are breathtaking. At the Monte Leone hut I had a well-deserved coke. After the short ascent to Licka, it was time for the long descent. The start was still rough with loose rock, then flowing, with a bit of blocking again at Bodme. From the ski lift to Rothwald it was quite technical but easy to ride, then world-class trail to Schallbett. From there you are back on the well-known Stockalper.
Conclusion: If you don't shy away from the carrying passage, you will experience a sensational tour.
I ride a Scott Spark 900RC and am usually in the head group uphill; downhill I'm always the last, by a long way.
I wanted to do this tour a year ago. Then the area was closed because our army was doing target practice!
From Märderlicka to Burst, lots of loose scree and a bit rocky in places, but all rideable. Would classify it as more difficult there (S4). The rest of the trail was very flowy and a lot of fun