(Photos from Day 1 can be found HERE)
After a not-so-restful night in the dormitory at the Seewli Alp (three large fellows heading out to pee several times during the night!) we woke up early to a cloudless sky, checked out the lake again (the lighting was unfortunately not ideal from our vantage point), had a quick breakfast and headed back onto the trail.
Our plan for this day was to return along the trail we had descended the evening before, and then to head northwards below the peak of Hoch Fulen, over a saddle (Bälmeter Grätli), followed by a very long descent to the sunny Haldi Plateau, which we barely saw the day before due to the thick fog. This time we were lucky, the good weather held long enough for us to reach the saddle (took two hours as we had to navigate several snowy patches again, after first climbing the 300m we'd done the day before, which took an hour) for some absolutely stunning views North and South, but shortly after starting our descent, we totally lost the sunshine, and it even started to rain, totally unexpected and not at all in the weather forecast.
Fortunately for us, we had just reached another mountain dairy farm where they served drinks and food at picnic tables under cover, and so we waited out the rain with a nice cheese/sausage plate and something to drink. For the rest of the very long descent (in total 1200m altitude, 8 km distance, 2.5 hours) to the cable car in Haldi, we had sunshine, and were glad for any shady stretches through the forest!
So after the long hike up on Day 1, our Day 2 performance was also quite the achievement, almost 5 hours of walking and equivalent to about 17 km of regular walking. We saw marmots and chamois again, which is always the highlight of our walks as you can hardly imagine wild animals in such a small and populated country of ours. Furthermore, many years ago when I first discovered the sunny Haldi Plateau (above the winter fog), I had walked to the back to the base of those steep cliffs, saw the zigzag trail and told myself: "One day I will descend on this trail". And so another goal has been achieved...
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| Early morning walk to the lake... behind me and below is the Seewli Alp, and beyond that the 1500m drop into the Reuss Valley (also, the Erstfeld Valley on the other side) |
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| Looking down at Seewli Alp and the early morning sun in the Reuss Valley |
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| The sign says 3 hours 50 minutes to the cable car in Haldi, but it was definitely longer than that, at least 4 hours 30 minutes. (a couple of steep descents on snowy patches). The Seewli Lake is behind those cliffs |
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| After a quick short breakfast, it's off on our 1-hour climb back the way we came the afternoon before (we started at 8 a.m.) |
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| The first day we started in the Brunnital Valley and climbed up to Hoch Fulen before descending to the Seewil Alp. On the second day, we walked to below Hoch Fulen, and then down to Haldi. Minimum of 5 hours walking on each day. |
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| Early morning is a good time to catch sight of wild animals such as this chamois |
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| Another chamois keeping an eye on us and where we might be heading |
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| In this area there are often rock slides, as can be seen here where the rocks have flowed down over this year's winter snow. |
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| Crossing back over the larger rock slide |
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| A final look back at the Seewli Alp. The lake seems to still be in the shadow of the Windgällen mountains. The evening before, when we were at the lake, we heard lots of rocks falling there. |
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| Now we cross the snow fields and karst rocks again. |
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| Crossing the snow fields |
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| Our goal is the saddle over there. It is actually further than it looks because we have to go down a narrow passage first |
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| On this narrow passage there was still quite a bit of snow and it was kind of difficult to navigate |
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| So happy that the weather is playing along right now! |
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| More fantastic rock formations |
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| Looking down the Reuss Valley toward the Gotthard |
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| As we reach the saddle we look back to what we crossed in the past hour |
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| Here on the saddle below Hoch Fulen (where we were the day before) we have far-reaching views to the North and South |
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| Panorama view to the South |
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| Panorama View to the North (this was all in cloud the day before) |
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| Heading down to the sunny Haldi Plateau. It is a 1200m descent from here! Behind me on the other side of the Schächental Valley, is the popular Eggbergen, and Alp Selez where we often take our international visitors. |
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| A bit of colour in an otherwise rocky landscape! |
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| As soon as we started the descent, the sky totally clouded over. |
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| Passing by some small alpine lakes |
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| We're heading down toward the forested section below |
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| Directly below is the Stafelalp farm, which we reached just as the rains started |
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| We had brought along our own picnic lunch, but since we had to wait out the rain, we ordered some cheese and sausage produced here at the farm |
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| Panorama view from Stafelalp farm to the Haldi Plateau and below that, Flüelen and Lake Uri |
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| Skies are clearing again for us to head down |
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| Good weather to complete our descent |
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| Arriving at the plateau, at the back of it. From here we still have another hour to walk to the cable car station! |
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| A look back to where we descended from |
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| Last stretch through meadows and forests |
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| Descent with the cable car to Schattdorf |
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| Day 2 of the two-day hike, took us about 4.5 hours, not counting the stop at Stafelalp |
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| Both days of hiking, total approx. 30 km, 1300m uphill and 1450m downhill....Started in Unterschächen, 2 km to the cable car, then over 5 hours to Seewil Alp via Hoch Fphlen, and the next day down to Haldi |
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