{"id":264679,"date":"2026-09-27T10:28:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T10:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/27\/running-with-chema-martinez-on-the-aletsch-glacier-an-epic-experience-athletics-news\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T10:28:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T10:28:54","slug":"running-with-chema-martinez-on-the-aletsch-glacier-an-epic-experience-athletics-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/27\/running-with-chema-martinez-on-the-aletsch-glacier-an-epic-experience-athletics-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Running with Chema Mart\u00ednez on the Aletsch Glacier: An Epic Experience &#8211; Athletics News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\u201cA trip worth taking, the kind you should experience at least once in your life.\u201d With these words, Chema Mart\u00ednez summed up his experience on the journey we organized with Suiza Turismo to the Aletsch Arena region. Walking on the ancient sea of ice\u2014the longest in the Alps\u2014discovering the glaciers\u2019 importance for the health of the planet, and running at over two thousand meters in the Aletsch Half Marathon with spectacular views of legendary peaks such as Jungfrau and Eiger. An adventure to be repeated. Here is the video of our experience with Chema Mart\u00ednez on the Alps\u2019 longest glacier.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"CORRIENDO EN EL ALETSCH CON CHEMA MART\u00cdNEZ | Revista Trail Run\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8q5xuHrc0ak?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When I was a child, I couldn\u2019t see the end of the glacier from here, and now, 25 years later, I can,\u201d Jasmine Noti recalls with nostalgia as we watch how the immense ice tongue and moraine fade in the valley background until they become a mass of earth and rock. Jasmine, the region\u2019s tourism manager for the Aletsch Arena, was born at the foot of the longest glacier in the Alps, and if for outsiders who behold it for the first time it is painful to witness the alarming retreat of the ice sea, we can imagine her distress every time she introduces visitors to this natural treasure of her region. Declared UNESCO World Heritage, the Great Aletsch Glacier has<strong> 20 km in length, 800 m of depth and 79 km\u00b2 of area<\/strong>. It harbors, tucked between the towering peaks of the <strong>Swiss Alps, 160 million cubic meters of ice in continuous motion<\/strong>. It is hard to grasp its magnitude with numbers alone; if we tell you that its extent equals 10,000 football pitches, and that if it melted, the water could supply each day one liter to the planet\u2019s 8,000 inhabitants for six years, it becomes easier to picture its vast dimensions.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the Aletsch, like many glaciers around the world, is melting at an astonishing rate. We could see it with our own eyes on the trip we organized with Suiza Turismo and our agency Sport Travel to the Aletsch Arena region from June 25 to 29\u2014a journey designed to reveal to participants the beauty of the mountains in this Valais region in an active way\u2014walking on the glacier and running the Aletsch Half Marathon\u2014and at the same time, as lovers of nature-based sport, to understand the importance glaciers have in preserving the planet. We share the incredible experience we had with a group of 10 adventurers alongside the athlete Chema Mart\u00ednez in this place we\u2019ve just returned from and already want to revisit.<\/p>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3><strong> Brig, the gateway to the Aletsch Arena<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\nComing from Madrid and Barcelona, the group of travelers flew to Zurich Airport, from where we hopped a train that carried us to the Aletsch Arena region and to the destination that would become our base camp on this journey: Fiescheralp, one of the three mountain villages perched on the Aletsch Glacier (the other two are Riederalp and Bettmeralp), which can only be reached by cable car since car traffic is prohibited. To reach Fiescheralp, at 2,222 m above sea level, you take Switzerland\u2019s fastest cable car in barely ten minutes from the valley village of Fiesch. Before arriving, we make a stop in Brig, the gateway to the region. This small town surrounded by mountains often goes unnoticed by many travelers who only see it as a transport hub or stopover for the famous Glacier Express, yet it hides a surprisingly splendid past. In the 17th century Brig was an important economic center thanks to its strategic position on the Simplon Pass, an Alpine gateway essential for the trade routes that linked northern Europe with Italy. The entrepreneur Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper took advantage of this privileged position to control the flow of goods through the pass and build an economic empire, earning him the nickname the \u201cKing of the Simplon.\u201d His legacy endures in the Baroque Stockalper Palace, the town\u2019s symbol and one of the stops on the Grand Tour of Switzerland, the grand driving route that showcases the country\u2019s landscapes and iconic monuments. Another illustrious figure from the town was the physician Ernest Guglielminetti, who laid the foundations of modern paving by suggesting tar sealing the old sandy roads to prevent the respiratory problems caused by the dust raised by carriages and early automobiles. We stroll through its charming old town, where Italian influence is evident in its Central European-style buildings, before heading back to the station and taking the train toward Fiesch. A few meters beyond the exit (www.alpinafiescheralp.ch), we are greeted with a delicious raclette typical of the Valais. Now we can truly say we are in the Swiss Alps.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Trekking on the millennial sea of ice<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The first day in the mountains features one of the trip\u2019s star activities: a guided trek across the millennial island of ice. To access the glacier surface, you first climb to the Eggishorn (2,869 m), the highest viewpoint of the four spread along the glacier\u2019s eastern edge; the others, from highest to lowest, are the Bettmerhorn (2,647 m), accessible from Bettmeralp, and Moosfluh (2,333 m) and Hohfluh (2,227 m), from Riederalp. Eggishorn is the only viewpoint from which one can glimpse the glacier\u2019s origin: Konkordiaplatz, a zone at the base of the imposing Jungfrau walls where three large streams of compacted snow (firn) converge: the Grosser Aletschfirn, the Jungfraufirn, and the Ewigschneefeld.<br \/>Before descending to the ice tongue, we view it from above. The <strong>panorama is magnificent: above the ice tongue rise some of the Alps\u2019 mythical peaks<\/strong>: alongside the Jungfrau, the neighboring peaks of the Eiger and the M\u00f6nch, and even Mont Blanc far away. One feels insignificant, even overwhelmed by its vastness and beauty. The sight is awe-inspiring, especially because we don\u2019t know if we\u2019ll ever witness it again with its current dimensions: each year the ice retreats noticeably due to global warming. \u201cExperts say that by the end of the century the Aletsch might not exist,\u201d I recall Jasmine\u2019s warning, and it knots my stomach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Recurso foto en Blanco y negro glaciar\" data-id=\"15326859\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504933_2_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"Recurso foto en Blanco y negro glaciar\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>From Eggishorn, a trail descends to the ice tongue through its back. It\u2019s one of the numerous marked routes you can hike in the Aletsch Arena, which totals more than 300 kilometers of trails. A first, winding descent brings us to a junction where we must head toward Gletscherstube, T\u00e4lligrat, and M\u00e4rjelen. From there, the route continues along a cobbled path to T\u00e4lligrat and the small lake T\u00e4llisee, where you enjoy another perspective of the glacier, and continues descending to Gletscherstube, a quaint mountain refuge beside M\u00e4rjelensee, where the guide distributes the crampons we\u2019ll need to traverse the ice and shows us sepia photos taken a century ago at the very spot where we stand, near M\u00e4rjelensee. The \u201cspot the difference\u201d game is revealing: the current meadow was once covered by enormous blocks of ice, and M\u00e4rjelensee was, for centuries, a much larger glacier lake dammed by the glacier itself. As the glacier has retreated, the lake has lost much of its surface. Another blow to the stomach.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Recurso Caminando por el glaciar\" data-id=\"15326997\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504933_367_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"Recurso Caminando por el glaciar\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We continue descending; the glacier comes into view more clearly and we become acutely aware of its immense size. The walk isn\u2019t technically difficult, but you must go with a mountain guide and be roped up to traverse the crevasses. A first broad step to clear the meter of height to the edge, and we are walking on the ice\u2014deep blue, intense. We move slowly in complete silence, the only sound the creak of crampon steel biting into the frozen surface: \u201ccrack-crackcrack-crack\u201d\u2026 I try to imagine what the Aletsch would have looked like millennia ago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 26  0182\" data-id=\"15327062\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504933_693_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 26  0182\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>During the last ice age, about 18,000 years ago, snow completely covered the slopes between the Bettmerhorn and Riederhorn, with only the highest summits protruding above the ice. The glacier reached its maximum length in 1860; back then it was about 3 km longer than today, and the edge stood roughly 200 m higher. A level marker carved into the ice shows how the thickness has been decreasing day by day, centimeter by centimeter, meter by meter, especially after heat waves that affected all of Europe and from which the Alps were not spared. Before returning to solid ground I look around again, trying to memorize the landscape in case I don\u2019t see it again. We return to Fiescheralp, not before taking a dip in the cold, crystal-clear waters of M\u00e4rjelensee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Recurso Caminando por el glaciar\" data-id=\"15326997\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504933_367_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"Recurso Caminando por el glaciar\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3>\n<br \/><strong>Villa Cassel and the Secrets of the Aletsch<\/strong><br \/><\/h3>\n<p>The second day is more relaxed, you have to stay active but not go overboard, especially because the group\u2019s runners must tackle 21 km and 1,148 m of positive elevation the following day. Today we head to the town of Bettmeralp, the starting point of the half marathon, to pick up race numbers and to get a feel for the terrain we\u2019ll be running on tomorrow. Here lies another stop on the Grand Tour of Switzerland: the Chapel of Mary of the Snows. The scene is lovely\u2014the church rises solitary on a hill with a chain of mountains in the background. We climb to Bettmersee, the lake through which the race passes before tackling the ascent to the glacier\u2019s edge via Riederalp. At the lake you can paddleboard or simply relax with the incredible views. We continue up toward Ch\u00fcestall, an old farm converted into a restaurant where you can sample some regional dishes, such as Cholera: a savory pie made with potatoes, onion, leek, cheese, and apple. Its name originates from a cholera outbreak that spread across Europe in the 19th century; people had to stay home to avoid contagion, and since there was a need to use foods that could be preserved for long periods, it became a very practical recipe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Recurso Capilla Santa Maria de las Nieves en Bettmeralp\" data-id=\"15327075\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504933_765_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"Recurso Capilla Santa Maria de las Nieves en Bettmeralp\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p> Para bajar la contundente <em>Cholera<\/em>, despu\u00e9s de comer afrontamos una de las rutas\u00a0m\u00e1s bonitas y populares de la regi\u00f3n. Subimos al <strong>mirador\u00a0del Moosfluh, que aunque es el m\u00e1s bajo de los cuatro,\u00a0ofrece a cambio una de las panor\u00e1micas m\u00e1s cercanas<\/strong>\u00a0e impresionantes del glaciar. Aqu\u00ed se ha instalado un\u00a0enorme photocall con forma de la bandera suiza. Tras las\u00a0fotos de rigor con el Aletsch de fondo (\u201c\u00a1mirad, ah\u00ed abajo\u00a0estuvimos ayer!\u201d) nos disponemos a recorrer el sendero\u00a0desde Moosfluh hasta Riederfurka por el borde superior\u00a0del glaciar, en sentido contrario al trazado de la media,\u00a0que en Moosflush tiene su km.18. Durante gran parte del\u00a0recorrido el glaciar nos acompa\u00f1a a la derecha, mientras\u00a0que la reconocible silueta del Matterhorn (Cervino), si\u00a0no hay nubes que tapen la cima, se divisa en el horizonte. <\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 27 0112\" data-id=\"15327280\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504933_179_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 27 0112\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The trail also crosses a section of the Aletsch forest, one of the oldest in Switzerland, where alders and millennial pines thrive. A stop to sit on the \u201cbench with the best views in Switzerland,\u201d the famous Aletschb\u00e4nkli, chosen in 2023 by popular voting organized by a Swiss media outlet. On the trail there are several interpretive panels about the surrounding nature. Thus, spellbound by the landscape, we reach <strong>Villa Cassel<\/strong>, a Victorian mansion standing anachronistically in the heart of the forest. The house has a curious history: it was commissioned by Sir Ernest Cassel, one of the most powerful financiers in early 20th-century Europe, an adviser to King Edward VII. Sir Cassel suffered from stress and digestive problems (the modern burnout), and his doctor advised him to spend seasons in the mountains to recover. In 1895 he stayed for the first time at the modest hotel in Riederfurka. The scenery impressed him, but the lodging did not. He sent a telegram to his doctor that read: <em>Hotel impossible, suggest something else<\/em> (This hotel is impossible. Please suggest something else). Since he couldn\u2019t find lodging to his liking, he decided to build his own summer residence: a 25-room villa at more than 2,000 m altitude, in a area that at the time could only be reached on foot or by mule. The construction was completed in just two summers and soon the villa became an exclusive meeting place for the British elite. <strong>Winston Churchill himself stayed there before the First World War<\/strong>. Apparently, he couldn\u2019t sleep due to the loud bells of the cows, so Cassel paid the herders to muffle the sound by filling them with straw at night. It later became a hotel and, in 1976, was converted into Switzerland\u2019s first alpine center for environmental education and conservation, the <strong>Pro Natura Centre Aletsch<\/strong>, which houses an exhibition dedicated to the Aletsch, climate change, and the conservation of alpine ecosystems. On a visit one can discover how the glacier has sculpted the surrounding landscape and gain a better understanding of the current and future effects of climate change on it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 28  0021\" data-id=\"15327367\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504933_201_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 28  0021\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3>\u00a0<\/h3>\n<h3><strong>A high-altitude Half Marathon<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>On Sunday, June 28, the big moment arrives for the group\u2019s runners: <strong>tackling 21 km and 1,800 m of positive elevation<\/strong> in the <strong>Aletsch Halb Marathon<\/strong>, a race that is very popular in Switzerland and attracts up to 2,700 participants. The course\u2019s hardness is more than rewarded by the views along the way. Starting near the Bettmeralp cable car (1,950 m), runners head toward Fischeralp before looping back toward Bettmersee and gradually climbing up to Riederalp and then to Riederfurka. The route passes by Villa Cassel, skirts the Riederhorn mountain in a stretch with spectacular views over the Rhone Valley and the peaks above 4,000 meters, and returns to Riederfurka where the trail follows the edge of the dramatic ridge connecting Hohfluh and Moosfluh toward Bettmerhorn.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-mainarticle__main-media\" data-ck-asset-wrapper=\"\">\n<figure class=\"c-mainarticle__fig\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 28  0032\" data-id=\"15327354\" data-resize=\"1\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1790504934_988_Running-with-Chema-Martinez-on-the-Aletsch-Glacier-An-Epic.jpeg\" title=\"OXIGENO ALETSCH ARENA WEEKEND 2026 06 28  0032\" width=\"1000\"\/><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Undoubtedly, this is probably the race\u2019s most iconic stretch: for several kilometers, the Great Aletsch Glacier accompanies the runners from start to finish. The last two kilometers to the finish are a long and demanding ascent along the Bettmerhorn ridge, a hard and spectacular finale that becomes slightly lighter thanks to the cheers of thelarge crowd that climbs the cable car (or walks) to cheer. By the way, poles are not allowed due to the sheer number of participants, so you have to train to climb that final stretch \u201cwithout help.\u201d If the weather is good, runners and fans can eat and rest at the Bettmerhorn summit before taking the return cable car.<\/p>\n<p>One of the world\u2019s most beautiful mountain races \u2014and, in my view, one of the most beautiful in Europe\u2014 the cherry on top of this incredible experience at the foot of the Aletsch Glacier. A trip you must take at least once in a lifetime.<\/p>\n<h6>\n<strong>More information:<br \/>Aletsch Arena<br \/>My Switzerland<br \/>SportTravel Viajes\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\u00a0<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.athletics.co.ke\/running-with-chema-martinez-on-the-aletsch-glacier-an-epic-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cA trip worth taking, the kind you should experience at least once in your life.\u201d With these words, Chema Mart\u00ednez summed up his experience on the journey we organized with Suiza Turismo to the Aletsch Arena region. Walking on the ancient sea of ice\u2014the longest in the Alps\u2014discovering the glaciers\u2019 importance for the health of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":264681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6802],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-264679","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-athetics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264679"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264679\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}