Grüben is in the Turtmanntal, a hanging valley above the South side of the Rhone Valley. This is a remote spot, suitable for poets & writers seeking peace but is a necessary halt on the Chamonix-Zermatt Walk.

The railway station in the Rhone Valley is Turtmann & you will probably have to change to a local train from Sierre or Visp. There is a cable car up to Oberems & a bus from there. I believe the road is now passable, as much of the village now appears to be holiday homes. Everybody like me walks in & out, as the links above imply.

...you need somewhere to stay. That means the Hotel Schwarzhorn. This has rooms & a bunk house.

There are four options from the West for getting into Grüben, all but one covered on previous pages of the Chamonix-Zermatt Walk: two ways over Bella Tola; the Forcletta (Fugglitti) Pass & the Meid Pass. The Meid Pass from St Luc seems a bit pointless, as it is by far better to traverse Bella Tola for the fantastic view. However, if the weather is poor, the Meid Pass looks a safer option, although I have not done it.

The Augstbordpass - next stage East on the Chamonix-Zermatt Walk

...after getting down below the July snowfields, there is a signpost for the St Nicklaus option above. The other goes straight ahead towards Embd & has an up-and-down 'contour' section after crossing the stream. However, there are even better views across to the Mischabel range than on the Jungu option. Eventually, the path drops to Kalpetran in the Mattertal & it is a short walk to Stalden. On the C-Z Walk, take this option if you intend to stay in Stalden & go up to Grächen the next day for a rest day, well earned, before tackling the Europaweg to Zermatt.		Augstbordpass West side
Augstbordpass up the green sward	After the steeper bit	The top of the East side: easier walking
The St Nicklaus option seen from Grächen.	The end of the Mischabel from the Kalpetran route	Mattertal. 'E' marks up where the Europaweg is