Hiking out of the Isenthal Valley to Isleten and to Flüelen

(This post published on May 11. 2023)

Sunday May 22, 2016 – After Saturday’s big hike (those photos are HERE), we wanted to take it easy, do a short 2½-hour hike from the back of the Isenthal Valley out to the lake (Lake Uri, eastern arm of Lake Lucerne) where we’d catch the boat back, but the Föhn winds (warm southern alpine winds) were blowing very strongly that day so the boat couldn’t dock.

So once we were out of the valley (8 km), we decided that instead of waiting the 2.5 hours for a bus, we would walk the additional 7 km around the south end of the lake to the train station in Flüelen. So much for taking it easy. My feet were killing me.

The Isenthal Valley is pretty well hidden from view when you are down at the lake, it’s surprising to see so much “activity” up there after navigating the steep curved road (The road is so narrow that no other cars are allowed to drive it when the Post Bus runs its route, four times per day. Before the road was built in 1901 the inhabitants are said to have used ladders to scale the cliffs).

The village of Isenthal is renowned for its cemetery of intricately carved wooden grave markers (no stone) and seems to be proud of having killed the last bear in the valley on the 29th of May 1820. The two front paws of this last bear hang displayed in a picture window, a macabre photo which I didn't want to add here...

NOTE: This YouTube video (not mine) showing the bus route into this valley, is also worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxbrSjGLrXY

The excursion starts with the bus ride from the train station in Flüelen, to the winding road in Isleten. This photo is looking south down the Reuss Valley to the magnificent Mt. Bristen. 

VIDEO:

Bus Ride up the winding road into the Isenthal Valley. 

The road is so narrow that other vehicles are not allowed to travel this stretch when the bus does its four runs per day. 

A look out the bus window as we head up the steep mountainside to the hidden Isenthal Valley

Entering the Isenthal Valley now. 

View from the bus as we head toward the back of the Isenthal Valley

View from the bus as we head toward the back of the Isenthal Valley

After we got out of the bus at the final stop called St.Jakob, we were able to watch as the cows were being herded into their spring pastures. 

VIDEO:

Time for the cows to head into the pastures!

Always a pleasure to watch

Our hike started at St.Jakob base station of the Gitschenen cableway. Our plan as to walk 2 hours 15 minutes out of the valley to Isleten on the lake, where we would have caught a boat. if the Föhn winds hadn't been so strong this day.  

A very nice ca. 8 km hike out of the Isenthal Valley from St.Jakob to the lake at Isleten. The wind was too strong and the boats could not dock. Buses run seldom here, so we decided to walk the additional 7 km to Flüelen train station. This was not nearly as nice as the first part of the hike. 

Heading out of the valley next to the river called Isentalerbach

Following the lovely trail along the Isentalerbach

Following the lovely trail along the Isentalerbach. It is a perfect day for walking here.

Even though the name of this river translates to "Isental Stream", it is definitely more than a stream. 

Here the trail leaves the stream and heads up into the mountain pastures. The farmers are busy cutting and drying the mountain hay after all the rain we have had. 

Passing through a mountain farm

A look to the back of the valley. This is one of our favourite valleys

Being observed by the little cows

Taking a break to look down the valley where we are headed. The little village in the center is the main village of the valley, also called Isenthal

We discovered this cute farmer's cable car on the way. We didn't ride it this time, just hopped on for a photo. (But later, in June of 2019, we did ride it. Those photos are worth looking at HERE)

As we reach the village of Isenthal, we get a look up another side valley called Chlital, a valley we hiked up in July 2020. Those photos are also worth a look, see HERE. 

The church steeple in Isenthal

The cemetery in Isenthal is unique, as all the "gravestones" are actually hand-carved wooden grave markers. 

Some very nice hand-carved details on the grave markers in Isenthal cemetery. 

Continuing down the valley now, we get a nice look at the peak called Rophaien, and the lovely Oberaxen alp beneath it. There is a very nice trail below the Rophaien called "Wild Hay Trail" which I have walked twice (see also HERE). 

Now we are at the mouth of the Isenthal Valley, looking south toward the end of the lake. It has become overcast and the wind has started to blow quite powerfully

Looking down at the road we came up on the bus. We still have to walk down to lake level, but the trail is on the north side, away from the road. 

Looking up Lake Uri toward the north. The trail down to the lake is on this side. It only took about 20 minutes to descend from here. 

The surface of the lake is teeming with parasailers. This strong wind is ideal for them. But this spot near Isleten always has more wind than other places on the lake. 

Down at the lake we found out that the boat was not going to dock at Isleten as expected, due to the high winds. So we continued along Trail no.2: Trans-Swiss-Trail for another two hours of walking to the next train station at Flüelen! (I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect)

You can see how strong the wind is at this point! We had to walk a boring 7 km along the lakeshore, sometimes on the paved road even, to get to the train station in Flüelen. 

As we pass back along the road where the bus ascended, we can see how an entire gallery was created by blasting out the rock from the vertical cliff, to create the road into the Isenthal Valley

Apparently also popular for cliff-climbing!

This trail is also part of regional Trail no.99: The Swiss Path (all around Lake Uri).

We took the shortest route across the Reuss Delta (the Reuss River enters Lake Uri here, to leave again in Luzern), so missed the bird observation tower. Another time perhaps?

Finally arrived in Flüelen, and we look back at the valley we walked out of. 

What our 15-km hike looks like on Google Satellite maps

As an aside, this is what the zigzag road into the Isenthal Valley looks like from the other side of the lake. (The photo is not mine, but copied from a website called alpinforum.com)

Zigzag road blasted created in 1901 to access the Isenthal Valley