The municipalities of Naters, Riederalp and Bitsch have decided not to open the Massa trail for the coming hiking season. The decision was taken in mid-March following an inspection of the area and a recommendation by the cantonal experts, the regional security service and the managers of the Aletsch and Valrando forests. They consider the situation to be too dangerous for recreational traffic, as charred trees could fall at any time as a result of the forest fire. Therefore, the barriers remain in place. The closed trail cannot be used.

The Massa Trail runs between Blatten b. Naters and Ried-Mörel along the Massa Gorge and offers a varied landscape. It follows the course of the historic Suone Riederi, which until the 1940s carried meltwater from the Aletsch Glacier to the agricultural meadows near Ried-Mörel. The municipalities are responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the homologated hiking trail and associated structures. Within the framework of the applicable legal system, they must ensure that the trail is freely accessible without any significant danger.