From the Riemenstalder Valley to the Muota Valley (Muotathal)

July 30, 2017 -- There are so many beautiful spots within two hours of home and one of these is the Riemenstalder Valley off Lake Lucerne (or rather, Lake Uri). If you don't have a car, you phone ahead for a ride and they come pick you up in the Post Van at the train station in Sisikon, and drive you up the steep and narrow windy road to the back of the valley.

Usually from there we take the cable car up higher to the lovely Spilauer Lake, but for this Sunday's hike (which was supposed to be an easy 10-km walk) we decided to walk up and over to the Muota Valley. Usually walking downhill is no issue for me, but after a 15-km downhill hike the day before, I was feeling it in my calves, and could barely manage the final steep descent, 4 km along a paved road.

But besides the fact that I can barely walk anymore, it was a beautiful sunny and cow-filled day.

The day starts in Sisikon on lake Uri, where a nice lady picked us and five other people up for the ride into the Riemenstalden Valley.

Heading East into the Riemenstalden Valley with the sun in our eyes because it was quite early.

Across the valley high up on the ridge to the South are some pretty cool rock formations.

Our 10-km hike from Käppeliberg (Riemenstalden) to Muotathal took us 4 hours because I had to walk slowly

Looking westward along the Riemenstalden Valley

The cows had just been sent out of the barn, they know where they are heading

Joining the cows on their march to the meadows

Hiking trails in Switzerland are often shared with the cows.

Hiking trails in Switzerland are often shared with the cows.

This area is Karst topography.

This area is Karst topography. In fact, the Hölloch Caves in Muotathal form the largest cave system in Europe.

I like the colors on this picture

Heading toward the Muota Valley

Typical Central Switzerland landscape

What a cutie!

As we approach the Muota Valley, we get some more clear views of the red peak of the Greater Mythen

Muota Valley (Muotathal) and the village of Muotathal below.

To the East is the Pragel Pass which we hiked over last year, and at the back is the Silberen Mountain, a large karstic plateau. Just this side of the plateau is the Bödmeren Primeval Forest, an ancient woodland which came into being 7000 years ago after the ice age. It is home to the oldest spruce trees in Europe, and at 450 hectares is the largest spruce forest in Western Europe. Right below the forest are the 200 km of karstic caves.

Our final 4 km were steep downhill along this paved road.

Finally arriving in Muotathal, up in the center is where we came down from, that's 450m altitude.

We finished early, it was only 12:45, so we rewarded ourselves with Whisky Torte

These are all the hikes we have done so far in this small area

Susten Pass, Stein Glacier, High Moors and Haslital Valley

July 29, 2017 -- THIS rates as one of my very best hikes, and I will look back on this with fond memories....  

I had just gotten back from three weeks in Canada and was still trying to find my hiking legs, so we picked a trail with lots of downhill, high up in the mountains near the glaciers... and boy was there a lot of downhill! A total of almost 1500m in fact! But I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the landscape was.

We started with a bus ride to the Susten Pass.. (side note, we almost missed our connection because of traffic congestion heading South for the long weekend). The sky was cloudy, and it was COLD at the pass (2224m or 7300ft) at 10:00 a.m. so we ate French Fries at the restaurant at the pass, while waiting for the sun. It warmed up quite quickly after that.

The first descent was to the Steinsee Lake, fed by the Stein Glacier which we'll get closer to another time (we did see several people on "guided tours" across the glacier). From there we did a round trip into the Seeboden Natural Reserve, an upper moorland of national significance, a 2-hour round tour which can be done as a separate hike of its own. On this upper level, unseen from the road, are a myriad of small pools like little gems in an undulating brush-and-boulder landscape, entirely surrounded by the most magnificent glaciers and peaks, it leaves you speechless. I could have stayed up here all day.

After a steep descent out of the upper moorland, we continued down the Haslital Valley another 7 km to the village of Gadmen, fairly parallel to the pass road but in a smaller side valley, so we rarely heard the road. First we bought some Alp Cheese from the local dairy shop, then continued on a wonderful trail which passed through a second moor landscape ("In Miseren") and along and across and past so many streams and waterfalls and down canyons.... every turn in the trail was a new adventure.

In total we did 14 km and it took us 5 hours and 45 minutes, and I couldn't have taken one more step, but every step was worth it.

We came by bus from the East through the Meien Valley. This is looking back the way we came.

Heading up by bus to the Susten Pass from the East

At the pass it was very cold, so we warmed up in the restaurant with French Fries until the clouds cleared a bit.

Lots of ponds filled with or surrounded by cotton grass

So cold! I'm looking forward to a brisk walk all the way down that valley

First stop is the Stein Lake below, then a climb onto the upper moor behind it.

After a tour of the Seeboden Reserve, we headed down the valley to Gadmen

The hike was exhilirating. I love glaciers, glacier moraines, glacier lakes, and mountains in general.

Time for a picnic at the lake below the glacier.

Just beyond the lake we headed up to the right to the upper moor: Seeboden Reserve

This upper moorland is a reserve of national importance.

There are lots of ponds and little lakes, some full of cotton grass

Seebodensee Lake

At the back on the other side of the Haslital Valley is the road to the Susten Pass from the West

The Swiss are good at making holes in everything.

The Steingletscher Glacier. This is the view as we headed back down off the high moor.

Zoomed photo of the glacier and a group of people getting ready to walk along that crevasse

Before continuing down the valley, we bought some Alp Cheese.

Alp dairy / cheese shop near the Susten Pass.

Filling up the water bottles

Walking through the "In Miseren" Nature Reserve (here it was strictly forbidden to leave the trail)

Heading down the steep trail in the Haslital Valley

For a fantastic couple of kilometers the trail was paved like this with flat rocks.

The end is near! We plan to catch the bus in the village of Gadmen below.

Crossing the river at the bottom of the valley

This is a young bull (steer?)

Final leg into the village of Gadmen to catch the bus, with just one minute to spare.

On the way out of the valley by bus toward Innertkirchen and Meiringen.

14 km in 5-6 hours including a detour to the Seeboden Nature Reserve

Hikes we have done in this area to date (each colour is a different year)