Places to go in Switzerland - mostly easy walks

Here's a list of some nice places to go in Switzerland. I highly recommend Lonely Planet book - "Walking guide in Switzerland" (ISBN 0-86442-327-6). Described tours usually follow BergWanderweg path. You have to be able to walk safely, no special equipment needed. Generally I must say, that BergWanderweg's are NOT marked very well. I was able to do some walks according to General map of Switzerland 1:300 000 (that's not a road map!). There are even Alpine huts and some paths in mountains shown. However, it required some effort to find proper way. For those who don't know yet, BergWanderweg's are always maked with Red stripe between two white stripes, i.e. if there's a crossroad in mountains, this white/red/white sign you see in all directions, which is terrible, as there is sometimes not a vertical sign describing destinations.

All these tours are rather safe, not going over exposed parts, but no warranty of any kind. Because you will loose your way time to time (and sometimes hopefully find it again), you might go through places which are more dangerous. This happened to me when I went for example from Arth Goldau to Rigi (by lake Luzern). Rigi is from east and east-north quite steep. The way up is quite nice but in May there're still some snow patches lying around. When you reach the summit with the broadcasting antena, asfalt paths around and tons of people coming by train, you will be at least surprised, if not disgusted. Therefore, I'll never go again to Rigi, Pilatus etc.

My interests were to go to nice places, which are not crowded by people. ;)

I was told there is available a book listing cheap places to stay in Switzerland for sale. These "huts" are called Massenlagern, look for it. One of them is most probably the hut at the end of Gasterental valley.

Gasterental
Take a WanderWeg from Kandersteg into this very nice valley. People during past years like it very much as it was sparsely visited valley, but I think it has changed. There's lot of really nice places for wild camping. However, I don't know how much legal is it in this kanton, but some do it (with camping car, having barbecue and drinking beer). Through this walley I went once to Petersgrat (quite easy Hochtour over a glacier).
Second time went from Gasterental over Lotschenpass, it's supposed to take about 7.5 hrs to Fernez (I did it shortly faster). The track crosses in one place glacier. The way marked by red rods (very well), and I've met there family with children like 10 years of age, in light sportshoes. It's doable by everyone. The road coming from Kandersteg to Gasterental is private, and in touristic season there coming like 12 cars after each other every like 20 minutes?! -when they are allowed to go through, because the road is rather narrow. This might be a bit disappointing. There's one hut in Gasterental where you can stay for almost no mony (Massenlager).

After you get down from Lotschenpass, you will be in Lotschental, a really nice valley going to glacier by Aletschhorn. This way some skiers enters or leave the glacier. Watch some of the old houses in villages around. They stand on a piece of flat stone which prevents mice to enter the house. Go for example to village Blatten, then continue to Schwarz See. It's very nice valley, and not so crowded.

Dientigtal (westwards from Kandersteg) - 1 long to 1+1/2 day: -Grimmialp to-Achseten(Adelboden) or to-Zweisimmen

Kiental (eastwards from Kandersteg) it's possible to go the from Kandersteg over Oeschinensee. Hohturli hut.

Safiental (westwards from Thusis) - 1 long or up-to 2 days:
Bonaduz-following edge of mountain chain via some walking path Prater Hohi-Safien Platz-Vorder Rhein
This way I haven't tried yet, but I have seen the area while kayaking on Vorder Rhein. The mountain ridge is covered by trees and grass. The valley seemed to me quite closed and full of trees. The Vorder Rhein valley in this place is just wonderfull - is called Swiss Grand Canyon. You can hire there a raft/kajak and just go. The difficulty is WW2-3.

Maderanertal (Erstfeld-Amsten-Bristen) - 2 days:
Bristen-Brunnital-Disentis
When you get to the place around SAC hut, there's nice to place to camp. Then, you can go on Bergwanderweg straight over one pass, or to left over another pass. I went straight to south. From the pass go left as much as possible bellow rocks. At the corner of rocks (after 15 minutes) you reach 3 lakes, wonderfull place to stay overnight. From there you can go to east through small pass few hundred meters south-east from these lakes, and just go down to valley called Val Strem. There's lot of flower Erica sp. growin, blueberries, lot of "steinbock" animals, just beautifull. Go down via Bergwanderweg to Sedrun.

From Lenk via Wildstrubel to Crans-Montana - 2-3 days:
Get to Lenk via Zweisimmen, ascent steeply on asfalt track and later pebbel track along a waterfall uphill along some farmers houses. After reaching small flat valey in the middle of mountain under those 7 springs, ascent in steep track, partly on rock with fixed metal rope uphill. After 1-2 hrs? you will get to a wonderfull hut Fluehseehutte just by 2 lakes. Hut belongs to local mountaineers club in Lenk, so you won't get a discount as on SAC huts. There's cooking equipment incl. wood and ceramical toilette available, radio, cards, maps, guides, beds and overlay blankets. Help yourself and leave some money in a metal box. From Fluehseehutte it takes about 2.5-3 hrs to get to Wildstrubel 3243.5m (walk over stones on a small track a bit through rocks and thus you nicely avoid glacier). At the altitude of glacier on western side of Wildstrubel are some grassy fields where people have a camp (there are sometimes stony walls around those places). Some people go eastwards from Wildstrubel down to Lammerenhutte (you will reach the top from south). The glacier de la Plaine Morte has no crewasses (almost), some people walk without ropes or ice-axes. Return back in direction to Fluehseehutte, cross the creek coming out of the glacier and go westwards through Tierberg valley and sattle. Behind the pass another place to camp (Ravil seeleni). There's military hut above you all the time while walking through Tierberg valley. Also there's military cable car going down from Ravil seeleni (to Blattihutte or Iffigenalp?). Walk steep up to the SAC Wildstrubelhutte not that far from the military hut (1hr walk?). From here get somehow in direction to Rohrbachstein but before reaching it climb few meters down along a metal rope through a crack in rocks southwards. You'll enter Plaine Morte Luton, really dead area covered just by stones. After 2km southwards starts grass again with animals. From the lake Lac Luton 2575m one could possibly ascent to the glacier de la Plaine Morte. Continue over the grassy areas to Bella Lui, in the middle of the way are remnants of some old huts and one brand new "bivak?" (locked). At Bella Lui is water again. Do not walk-up the mountain but descend through the valley with pastures. Then follow aquaduct build aside a rock untiul you reach Crans-Montana (after 2 hrs?). Expect with large bagpack to get on your knees to be able to move in few places ahead. However it's completely safe and really nice. There some tables along explaining the history of the aquaductus.

Engadine:
Scuol-Piz Lischana-Uina Dadaint-Sur En, 2 days, I think best trip , but also difficult(exposed optional walk to Piz Lischana - 3105 m, first ascent from Scuol is very steep, return to Uina Dadaint through narrow gorch high above some creek, and finally longish descent on ugly road)
I went from Scuol to SAC hut below Piz Lischana and than over plateau with many lakes (Lais da Rims) downhill to east to Sursaas (2157), where is nice palce to stay overnight. From Sursaas I went shortly southwards over Swiss/Italian border to the hut Capanna Sesvenna. The old hut is falling apart. From there is a beatifull view of mountain Ortler. Then back over Sursaas through very narrow rocky valley with some creek - with path in a rock and tunnels, fixed with metal wire. After this part which was like 400 meters long, up to 100 m high above the waterlevel I got after really long walk on some routes with low slope down via Uina Dadaint to Sur En. This is really long in total and physically difficult walk. The highest peaks are about 3000m, Piz Lischana itself I couldn't make because of 30cm snow (10. Oct.) I highly recommend this trip. It's doable in 2 days, but you have to keep walking like crazy. Even 3 days with heavy bagpack, partly through snow almost weren't enough...

Lavin-lakes around Piz Macun-Zernez - 7 hrs, difficult(exposed) accordigly to Lonely Planet Walking guide

Other trips:
Altdorf-Chinzigchulm-Muotathal - 1/2 day

Emmental - 1/2 day:
Route: Roomos-Napf-Langnau
I've heard there's a nice WanderWeg following Kleine Emme river. In some places river flows through rocks (river itself is here WWII-WWIV+). The walk from Roomos to Napf is nice, also then down to Trub. If you want to go to Langnau, then it's a hike for whole day. There's a hut on the top of Napf hill, some people go there by car to eat something. It's a nice place to go in unstable weather, when you cannot go to high mountains.

Crew-du-Van - 1 day
Go from Neuchatel by train to Noirague, from there on BergWanderweg to Crew-du-Van (in direction to La Soliat). Crew-du-Wan is a big eroded piece of rocks, it's a must to see. It's rather popular by school-kids and many other people as it's really nice. Then take a direction to Poeta Raise, also nice place - a creek is going between rocks in a very narrow canyon, and you walk on bridges over the creek. Poeta Raise is approx. 1-2 hrs from Motiers[NE].