(View from the train)
The group MrB works with plans a group hike once a year, and we were lucky enough to get here in time to join them. We caught the 6:37am train from Basel to Brig with a quick train transfer in Bern. From Brig we took a bus to Leukerbad (1411m altitude), the starting point for the hike.
The first leg of the hike was very steep, 2 hours up the mountain to Gemmi Pass (2350m altitude). Lucky for me there was an option to ride up on the lift, because after about 20 minutes I realized that I wasn't yet up to that much of an uphill climb, with at least another two hours of hiking after that. I took the backpack from MrB, leaving him a bottle of water, and headed back down the mountain, stopping to take some great photos. I think it would be hard to take bad pictures there, it is so beautiful.
I made my way to the lift, and have to say, that was 9.50CHF (with the Halbtax (travel discount card)) well spent! The ride up gave some great views, and I was able to get a couple pix of the group hiking up the trail, as well as some of the trail they were facing. This was apparently a pack horse path that was cut up the face of the mountain for a trade route. I was joined on the lift by two other members of the group, and we enjoyed the view as we waited at the restaurant at the Berghotel Wildstrubel for the rest to toil their way up the mountain. I snapped another pic of the 
group as they took their last rest before making their way to the top. It was very cold up there with the wind whipping around and they were quite glad to come into the warm restaurant at the top.
The view of the Alps to the south from the restaurant was amazing, and from the other side you could see the end of the Wildstrubel Glacier and the Daubensee. There were clouds blowing around in the Leukerbad valley, but we could see all the way over to the Matterhorn. When the rest of the group arrived at the top, they took a well deserved break and we all had lunch - MrB and I tried Röstli for the first time, his with ham and bacon and mine with tomatos and cheese. It was tasty, but rather greasy. I can see why you would need to hike up the mountain to stay in shape eating that!
The second leg of the hike was from the Gemmi Pass along the Daubensee, a glacier fed lake, past the Berghotel Schwarenbach (built in 1752 as a customs house) to the Sunnbüelbahn (another cable car lift) in Kandersteg. This was along the mountaintop meadows, where we saw some sheep and cows grazing, and lots of huge rocks and pine forests all around. I definitely have to join the BaselWalking group so I can get out there and get in better shape for these longer hikes.
Berghotel Schwarenbach
Looking back along the trail
View from Sunnbüelbahn
Another recommended hike: Train from Basel then Post Bus from Kiental to Griesalp, where there are a lot of hiking trails and gorgeous scenery.
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