Switzerland Belalp
Belalp Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

36.4
PDI
10.7 mi
DISTANCE
4,833 ft
GAINED
8.4 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
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Page Contributor(s): Ard Oostra, Montreux, Switzerland

INTRO

Belalp climbs 17.3 km (10.7 mi) out of Naters in Switzerland's Valais, gaining 1,473 m (4,833 ft) at an average grade of 8.4% to the car-free mountain village of Belalp, at roughly 2,130 m (6,984 ft) beneath the Aletsch Glacier. Pavement holds for most of the distance before giving way to hard-packed gravel for the final several kilometers into the village - manageable on a standard road bike according to rider reports, though it's a genuinely steep, rough finish rather than a gentle cooldown. Belalp itself bans private cars entirely; its hotels and handful of residents are served by the Blatten-Belalp cable car, which is part of why the upper stretches of this climb see almost no motor traffic at all. The payoff at the top is one of the best in the Valais: Belalp sits at the edge of the Aletsch Forest with trails leading to viewpoints over the Great Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. This climb currently ranks #148 in the world by difficulty - one of the tougher ascents in a canton that's full of them.

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Belalp runs 17.3 km (10.7 mi) from Naters, gaining 1,473 m (4,833 ft) at an average grade of 8.4%. The steepest riding is concentrated over short stretches rather than one dominant wall: the steepest quarter-mile averages 16.0%, and the steepest full mile 12.6%. Even the steepest 5 miles still average 10.2%, and the steepest 10 km holds at 10.1% - this is a climb with essentially no easy sections, sustaining double-digit grades over long stretches rather than easing between ramps. That sustained steepness, combined with the rough gravel finish, is what places Belalp among the more difficult ascents in the Valais - and among the tougher climbs in PJAMM's global database.
Roadway: Paved from Naters to around kilometer 11.2 (roughly two-thirds of the way up), where the surface turns to hard-packed dirt and gravel for the rest of the climb into Belalp. Rider reports describe the gravel as manageable on a standard road bike, though it's genuinely steep and rough in spots - not a casual finish. Belalp itself is a car-free village served by the Blatten-Belalp cable car rather than a public road for motor vehicles, part of why the upper climb stays so quiet.

Traffic: Light to moderate on the lower paved section out of Naters, dropping to essentially nothing once you're past Blatten bei Naters and onto the gravel, since no private cars use that stretch.

Parking: Free parking is available in Naters, about 800 m from the climb start - Map; Street View; route from parking to start.
Blatten bei Naters, around kilometer 4, and the summit village of Belalp itself both have restaurants and small shops for a resupply. Fill bottles in Naters before you start if you want the widest selection - there's no water source on the steep gravel stretch above Blatten.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Belalp is one of the better glacier viewpoints reachable by bike in the Valais - from the village, it's a short walk out to the Belalp Forest and viewpoints over the Great Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in the Alps and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village has a handful of hotels and restaurants, though as a car-free destination its options are more limited than a full-size resort town. Naters and neighboring Brig, at the base, have the area's full range of grocery stores, bike shops, and hotels for a multi-day trip, and Brig is a major Swiss rail hub if you'd rather arrive without a car. This climb currently ranks #148 in the world by difficulty in our database, among the tougher ascents in a canton that's full of hard climbs. Naters is also the starting point for the Simplonpass, so if you're basing a trip here there's a second, very different climb right from the same town - a year-round international pass rather than a car-free glacier village. Use our Routes in the Area tool to see this and other nearby Valais climbs.

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CLIMB SUMMARY

Cycling Belalp

Ride 17.3 kilometers gaining 1,460 meters at 8.3% average grade (9% climb only)

Climb begins in Naters (population 10,073)

This World Top 100 bike climb is #14 in Switzerland and is located in the extraordinary cycling climbing area of Valais south and southeast of Lake Geneva.

The climb ends in site of the Aletsch Glacier

The Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps with a length of 23 kilometers covering about 82 square kilometers. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.

“The extension of the natural World Heritage property of Jungfrau - Aletsch - Bietschhorn (first inscribed in 2001), expands the site to the east and west, bringing its surface area up to 82,400 ha., up from 53,900. The site provides an outstanding example of the formation of the High Alps, including the most glaciated part of the mountain range and the largest glacier in Eurasia. It features a wide diversity of ecosystems, including successional stages due particularly to the retreat of glaciers resulting from climate change. The site is of outstanding universal value both for its beauty and for the wealth of information it contains about the formation of mountains and glaciers, as well as ongoing climate change. It is also invaluable in terms of the ecological and biological processes it illustrates, notably through plan succession. Its impressive landscape has played an important role in European art, literature, mountaineering and alpine tourism.”  Unesco.org - Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch

Climb report and photos by PJAMM ambassador Ard Oostra, Montreux, Switzerland.

Start and first part of climb.

Both the asphalt section and gravel part are steep. There is hardly any part to have intermediate recovery. The upper gravel part is mostly smooth but in the curves although there sometimes is loose gravel and stones.

Middle section of the climb.

At the steepest parts there are two lines of some sort of concrete tiles / slabs with holes in them. It increases the adherence of the tires, but with a racing bike its unconfortable (similar feeling to cobblestones). I used 23 mm tires in front and 25mm in the back and it is doable. I only had to walk some 50 meters after my rear wheel slipped. But with the smaller tires both in the ascent and downhill the road surface forces to slow down in some places. So, wider tires -or even better a MTB-, are recommended.

Gravel section

Last segment of climb before the top.

I've not seen cyclists on a racing bike that day. I saw several MTBs but don't be surprised in Switzerland to see that most of them are ebikes or downhill MTBs (people take the cable lift up with their bike from Blatten to near Belalp). Overall its a scenic ride, in the upper part the alpine scenery and the little villages with their chalets are worthwhile visiting.

We climb to the ski resort of Belalp 

Finish just above the village of Belalp at the bottom of Bruchegg and Sparhorn ski lifts.

Thank you Ard!!