Via Alpina Red R104
HARD (3.3/10)Gsteig b. Gstaad → Godet
A demanding mountain route — the Via Alpina Red R104 packs 20.2 km and 1,302 m of climbing into a 7h 07min day. Running from Gsteig b. Gstaad to Godet, the trail spans an elevation range of 1,176 m to 2,288 m. At 64 m/km, this is one of the steeper profiles you'll find.
The route breaks into 9 segments. The toughest stretch is the 3.2 km from Mittaghore to Spitzhorn, climbing 716 m — an unrelenting 223 m/km grade. In contrast, the 1.2 km from Sex Rouge to La Fava is much gentler — mostly downhill with 128 m of descent.
About 75% of the trail is runnable, but the remaining steep sections will push most people into power-hiking mode. Some pitches hit 60% gradient, so trekking poles are strongly recommended.
Budget roughly 4,295 kcal of energy expenditure and 4.3 L of water. Aim for 60–90 g of carbs per hour to avoid bonking on the longer climbs. No confirmed water sources along the route — carry all the water you need.
Alpine route. Usually accessible from June to October. Early and late season may have snow patches above 2200m.
Elevation Profile
Route Map
Trail Splits
Waypoint-to-waypoint breakdown with estimated hiking times (Naismith's Rule).
| Segment | Dist | ↑ Ascent | ↓ Descent | Time | Cum. km |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📍 Gsteig b. Gstaad → Mittaghore | 1.8 km | +69m | -7m | 28 min | 1.8 |
| ⛰️ Mittaghore → Spitzhorn | 3.2 km | +716m | -18m | 1h 50m | 4.9 |
| ⛰️ Spitzhorn → Arpelihore | 1.3 km | +103m | -22m | 27 min | 6.3 |
| ⛰️ Arpelihore → Les Mountons | 1.2 km | +28m | -12m | 17 min | 7.5 |
| ⛰️ Les Mountons → Le Sublage | 3.8 km | +198m | -125m | 1h 11m | 11.3 |
| ⛰️ Le Sublage → Sex Rouge | 2.2 km | +174m | -0m | 44 min | 13.5 |
| ⛰️ Sex Rouge → La Fava | 1.2 km | +0m | -128m | 20 min | 14.7 |
| ⛰️ La Fava → Mont Gond | 2.1 km | +0m | -516m | 51 min | 16.8 |
| ⛰️ Mont Gond → Refuge du Lac | 2.4 km | +13m | -281m | 44 min | 19.3 |
| Total | 20.2 km | +1,302m | -1,111m | 7h 07m | 20.2 |
Terrain Analysis
Nutrition & Hydration
Estimates based on metabolic equivalent (MET) for hiking with significant elevation gain. Actual needs vary by body weight, fitness, weather, and pack weight.
Pace Estimates
Based on Naismith's Rule adjusted for distance, elevation, and technical difficulty. Click a pace to update split times above.
Current Conditions
Best Season
Alpine route. Usually accessible from June to October. Early and late season may have snow patches above 2200m.
Logistics
💧 Water Advisory
No confirmed water sources along this 20 km route. Carry all water needed — plan for 4.3 L minimum.
Nearby Points of Interest
⛰️ Peaks
- Petit Mounton 500m · km 6.7
- Tête Noire (Sanetsch) 592m · km 14.5
- Gros Mounton 625m · km 7
- Sex Rouge 659m · km 13.2
- La Fava 680m · km 14.5
📍 Nearby Places
- Poteu des Etales 78m
- La Chaux de Mié 194m
Route Details
- Network
- International Trail Network
- Sport
- hiking
- Start
- Gsteig b. Gstaad
- End
- Godet
- Reference
- ehem. VA-R104
- Operator
- via-alpina.org
- Start Coordinates
- 46.38527, 7.26745
- OpenStreetMap
- View on OSM →
- Official Website
- Visit →
From OpenStreetMap
Gsteig - Godey
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Plan this route
This hard route demands careful planning. Use the TrailSplits planner to set custom waypoints, get turn-by-turn navigation, and export to your GPS.