More Mountain Dairy Farms in the Brunnital Valley

Sunday September 9, 2018 --  Another valley we go to a lot is the Schächental Valley, because there are lots of wonderful hiking opportunities, from Eggbergen at the entrance of the valley, all the way to the Klausen Pass and over on the eastern side in the Urnerboden Valley.

Before the road heads up toward the Klausen Pass is a side Valley called Brunni Valley, at the back of which is a mighty vertical wall of stone, a 7-km wide North face, one of the largest in Switzerland. We were here once before in May, but ran into snow on the trail we had planned to walk, so we wanted to try this again. Also, we had read about a small mountain restaurant boasting of the best views up and down the Schächental Valley and their homemade Lebkuchen, so that was our plan for Sunday.

We are having an unusually warm September and with perfect weather in the forecast, we knew there would be MANY people in the bus to the Klausen Pass (three buses, all packed including standing room). What we didn't expect were the number of people wanting to go up to Sittlisalp in the Brunni Valley (it is very ideal for families!). We had to walk 2 km to the cable car station, but cars are allowed to drive up there, and when we got there, the 20 or so people ahead of us (x4 people per cable car transfer x7 minutes per transfer) meant a wait of about 45 minutes, which kind of cramped my style. But in the meantime, there were AT LEAST 30 people waiting behind us, so I guess you could say we got up there "quickly". 

A 40-minute walk through the forest (heading out of the valley) got us to the Obsaum Bergrestaurant at a good time for lunch, and the meat/cheese platter and Lebkuchen as well as the view were as good as claimed. And we even got treated to an alphorn performance, which with the backdrop was such perfect Swiss cliché.

Back at the cable car and on along the wide road toward the back of the valley, we first bought some cheese at the Sittlisalp cheese dairy, and then walked the lovely mountain trail we had missed out on last time (clouds covered the sun at the best part.... what's new?) and walked down to the other Alp, Brunnialp. That was in shadow so we didn't stop there, walked straight out the valley from there back to the starting point, with surprisingly lots of sunshine at 4 p.m. (the walls are steep, so I expected shadow). Total 13 km, 4.5 hours.

At 10:30 a.m. there is still lots of shade in this North-South Valley, because all the cliffs are so steep

The cable car takes only 6 minutes for the course, plus a minute to unload and reload. So it transports four people every 7 minutes.

First a 40 minute detour (plus 30 minutes back) to the mountain restaurant Alp Obsaum, before heading in the other direction to the back of the valley

The view East into the Schächental Valley toward the Klausen Pass is definitely as spectacular as promised!

This is a popular restaurant, and if it's not too busy the owners will play a piece on their alphorns (or small accordeons with yodeling). And the views also as good as promised.

We had their signature meat and cheese platter, plus homemade Lebkuchen for dessert

The sound of the alphorns fit so perfectly in the mountain setting

VIDEO: Alphorn Performance at Alp Obsaum

Back at our starting point we head South toward the rock face to the next alp called Sittlisalp, where they process the milk produced all summer right here in the alpine dairy. The cottage cheese made here is used by the bakeries in the Schächental Valley below

Buying cheese at the Sittlisalp Alpine Dairy (this time we purchased one with chives)

Up to this point the road was wide and cars can drive up here (there is a toll). The geese did a good job of defending their territory... we walked a detour around them....

From here starts the mountain trail we were not able to walk last time.

Ahead is the mountain trail we couldn't walk last time in May, because of too much snow. Our end goal is Brunnialp below.

I'm always happiest walking these kinds of trails

Sometimes the farmers have to find innovative ways to permit the hikers to cross their fences!

Some other day or year we will walk up that valley to the mountain lake called Seewlisee, but for now this is as far as we go. It's downhill from now on.

Arrived down at the third pasture called Brunnisalp, the sun was blocked by clouds, so we didn't stop here. We continued down and back out the valley to Unterschächen, which took a little over an hour.

One last look backwards at Brunnialp and the large North Face of the ridge called Gross Ruchen (very popular with cliff climbers)

The 4.5-km descent back to the Schächental Valley was mostly through forest along a river, with some games for children along the way

We passed under the cable car on the way out, busy bringing people back down to the parking lot.

We had surprisingly lots of sunshine on the way out.

And a final look back southwards into the Brunni Valley

Total distance walked: 13 km, 4.5 hours.

On a recent trip with the Bus to the Klausen Pass, this is what the alpine dairy farms in the Brunnital Valley look like from the road high above the Schächental Valley