An Awesome Secret Hidden Valley: Gasterntal in the Berner Oberland

June 2, 2018 -- We have seen many many beautiful places in Switzerland, but this day we discovered a secret valley which surpasses much of the awesomeness that surrounds us.

The Gastern Valley is hidden near Kandersteg, accessed on foot through a very narrow ravine through which gushes the Kander River, or over a stupendously-built narrow dirt road hewn out of vertical cliffs, so narrow that cars may pass in each direction for only 20 minutes every hour. I first saw this road and valley from the Sunnbühl cable car a year ago, as we descended from a winter hike which we did nearby. And Urs has been here once before, so also knew of it.

The excursion started with a wild 10-minute bus ride (worth every penny of the 13 SFr.), along this cliff and over the raging river, then on through a wide valley lined on both sides with the highest vertical cliffs I've ever seen.... (1400m or so)

Our original plan to walk to the back of the valley, toward the Kanderfirn Glacier where the Kander River has its source, was cut short by loads of avalanche snow. No matter, as it was worth the 4 km detour and a great place for our picnic lunch. The second part was a walk out of the valley, another easy 9-km walk in the most awesome landscape, culminating in a stunning descent through the ravine. And a stop for ice cream sundaes at the rustic Hotel Waldhaus before the final descent.

Before heading out on this outing we had read that there was an area in the forest where the rare LadySlipper Orchids were blooming, and it was our bus driver who pointed out the area on the way up, so we knew where to look, and found them up a side road. Just another thing that made this day perfect....

THE TIME-KILLER

Today was the first weekend "The Bus" was making the trip into the Gastern Valley. You have to phone ahead and reserve, and since we did this only after we had already left home, we found out the 09:50 connection was already booked out! In the vain hope that someone wouldn't show, we waited till the bus was full, and then spent an hour looking around the town of Kandersteg, which turned out to be a worthwhile "detour" plus there were only 4 of us on the 10:50 trip up, and I got to ride in the front seat, and we got to learn all kinds of neat things from the driver. Like where the ladyslippers were. And when an avalanche comes down the mountain, the sheer force of the air it pushes ahead of itself is enough to wipe out forests and wildlife....

The 09:50 bus was already booked out, so we had an hour to kill in Kandersteg.

Various buildings around Kandersteg

When people come to Kandersteg, it is usually to go up to this nearby valley to the East called the Oeschinen Valley, where there is hidden a very pretty lake by the same name, a favourite with hikers and tourists.

Crossing the Kander River to return to the train station. In the back in the center you can cross over the Gemmi Pass into Canton Valais (the hike we did in winter a year ago). Our secret valley is slightly to the left.

In Kandersteg, cars are loaded onto a special train for the 20-minute ride through the 14.6-km long Lötschberg Tunnel, a quick access to Canton Valais to the South. The Locomotive on display here is a "wet steam" locomotive, built in 1911 and in use till 1966.

THE RIDE

The first section of the road is a 10-minute stretch on a very narrow road carved out of the cliff wall. So narrow that cars cannot pass each other and are allowed only 20 minutes per hour to cross in each direction. Even bikes must adhere to this rule. I first saw this road a year ago in winter, from above, when descending with the Sunnbühl cable car nearby.

This photo was actually taken after we finished our hike out of the ravine, but this was how we rode up into the valley. They simply carved a road into the side of the cliff....

The ride into the Gastern Valley is on a narrow road carved into the cliff wall

This road along the cliff is so narrow that cars (as well as bikes) are only allowed to drive in each direction for 20 minutes every hour.

View into the Kander Valley before entering the first tunnel

View along the Ravine into the Kander Valley from the bridge

I rode up front with the bus driver and was able to make a short video of the best part of the ride. The video is shaky because the driver was going fast!

And WOW when we come out of the ravine into the wide open Gastern Valley!

And more WOW! The Geltenbach River which emerges from this cave carries water only between end of May and mid-June during the spring snow melts.

And so it went, 6 more km up the valley, not even slowing for oncoming cars. It was a very SPECIAL treat.

HIKE PART 1: UP THE VALLEY

Our plan was to first walk further back into the valley on one side of the river and return on the other, but that plan was cut short by large amounts of avalanche snow this far back (looks like it will be a long while before this is gone). So we had our lunch and headed back down the valley to where we'd gotten off the bus, and then on westward to the mouth of the valley.

Our plan was a 5-km loop (blue) which we couldn't do because we ran into a huge amount of avalanche snow. and the lower part of the blue trail was completely washed out.

Up ahead on the high plateau is a hidden glacier (too high for us). Our plan was to walk to the back before the ascent, but we ended up blocked by that large amount of avalanche snow.

This is not a glacier, but avalanche snow. Too risky to cross as you don't know what's beneath.

We went as far as we could, had lunch, then returned the same way. 4 km and about an hour to walk.

We figure it will be a long while before this avalanche snow disappears.

And back after an hour to the place where the bus had dropped us off. Here starts Part 2 of the hike, down the valley toward Kandersteg

THE FLOWERS

The purple and yellow ladyslipper is one of the world's rarest orchids. There is mountain near where we live (Mt. Gribsch near Arth Goldau) where you can see them in abundance, but their season was extremely short this year (about one week in late April) so we were thrilled to learn there were some in the Gastern Valley, currently at their peak bloom, and we were so happy we found them! The ladyslipper orchid cannot be successfully transplanted as it lives in symbiosis with a fungus that grows on the forest floor.

The flowers we were looking at were near this stunning cliff formation called the "Gasterngesicht" or "Gastern Face". Very difficult to miss!

A verp pretty and intricate flower

There were lots of these little bushes, but this one was particularly cute, as all the slippers were facing the same way!

Very much enjoying having found the ladyslippers

The Valley

The Gastern Valley is actually a "high" valley, located at an elevation of about 1400m. The Kander River, which has its source at the Kanderfirn Glacier at the back of this valley, weaves its way naturally down the valley, sometimes running wild in narrow gorges or meandering around the wide open area at the front. It leaves the valley in a narrow gorge to water the wide open Kander Valley further below.

At some points the Kander River passed through a gorge.

We crossed the river a couple of times.

And sometimes the bridges are simply built across boulders in the middle of the river.

Found out later there's an alpine hostel up there, and a trail along the cliff wall to get there!

Caught first glimpses of the many waterfalls on the vertical cliffs to the South

And all along the North, vertical cliffs 1400 meters straight up.

AND THEN.... the first glimpse of the wide open flat-bottomed valley..

THE WATERFALLS

Along all the vertical cliff faces were waterfalls, long, thin, neverending waterfalls, sometimes also inside clefts in the rock. But the most stunning waterfall was the one GUSHING out of the Geltenbach Caves, high up right out of the center of the wall, waters that flow only for a few weeks during the snow melts. We read later that the caves, one of the possibly few unexplored places in Switzerland, were only fairly recently explored for the first time, as the access is so difficult, and can only be done when there is no water flowing, usually in winter....

One wonder after another as we emerge from the forests into this wide open meadow.

The Geltenbach cave is one of the few unexplored places in Switzerland: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/cave-adventure_cave-explorers-delve-into-uncharted-territory/42986036

Looking backwards: Perched on the edge of this upper plateau, to the left of the waterfalls, is the Balmhornhütte, a Swiss Alpine Hostel, which is reached by a trail across the cliff face on the right.

THE FARM

Before heading down the gorge back toward Kandersteg, we enjoyed late afternoon sunshine at the terrace at the Hotel Waldhaus, enjoying ice cream sundaes and the unbelievable views.

Pretty display of cow bells.

The cows in this valley are of the Simmental variety

The rustic hotel Waldhaus. There is electricity only for the kitchen!

A reward after many a hike...

The view from the terrace, up the valley to the East

THE KANDER GORGE

Instead of returning via the road, we chose the steep trail through the narrow gorge to return to the Kander Valley. Though steep, the trail was manageable and the rushing of the waters that accompanied us was a good end to what was a most unforgettable excursion. We lucked out again with perfect weather, and just as we boarded the bus... a light rain began.

Walking along the Kander River before it heads into the gorge.

A look back into the GasternValley and the Geltenbach waterfall.

The Kander River as it enters the gorge. Magnificent!

On our approach to the bridge, where a line of cars were waiting for the 16:15 access to the cliff road.

Cars and bikes must wait their turn for the 20 minutes allowed in each direction. We were here at 16:10, so a few more minutes before they could cross.