Another fabulous Schächental Hike: Oberalp to Wannelenalp via Wäspen

Thursday June 30, 2022 -- Well, we are back into the mountains again! 

The weather in the mountains is always tricky. Forecast again was for rain mid-afternoon, so we risked another trip to the mountains nearby, and left home very early (6 a.m.) to get an early start on our hike, which was in our beloved Schächental Valley. (A benefit of starting early is that there aren't so many people on the bus, which runs only every couple of hours).

We had an interesting excursion planned, a trail near the Klausen Pass (south side) starting on an alpine pasture high above the valley which you can access by one of those cargo cable cars (one which we had yet to ride... and a local who rode up with us informed us that at 1.2 km, this was the longest cable-car in Switzerland with no between-masts), and then after the 3.5-hour hike, a descent back to the valley bottom via another cable car from a different alp (one which I have ridden twice before). The only downside is that there is no bus service to the back of the valley, so our hike started with a 40-minute walk to the Äsch-Oberalp cable car, which we had to phone ahead to "reserve", as it was still a week early before the farmers actually head up there.

The walk to the Wäspen Lake was easy although hot, and to our great pleasure we were again able to observe a chamois doing his own uphill climb. (In fact, we had sightings of chamois in three different locations on the way).  From there another 30 minutes to the passage into the Brunni Valley.... we were so looking forward to a view of the largest North Face in the Alps, but it was somewhat marred by the earlier-than-expected arrival of the rain clouds. And we got caught in the rain, which doesn't happen often.

Luckily for us, it was a relatively light drizzle and lasted only about 20 minutes before the sun came out again, so we were still mostly able to enjoy our descent to the Wannelen Alp, where the cable car was ready to go, as the farmers were continuously running their cargo of cheeses and equipment up to the alp for the summer. We got back to valley bottom just after 13:40, and instead of waiting for an hour for the bus, we walked the 15 minutes to Unterschächen (a nice little trail we've done a few times now) and enjoyed... what else but an ice cream sundae at the local restaurant. 

Even with the short spurt of rain, a spectacular hike with a total of 4.5 hours of walking time. 

(NOTE: In 2016 we walked from the Klausen Pass to Oberalp, intending to take the cable car, but decided to walk down. Those equally beautiful photos are HERE. July17 it was, and way more snow!)

(And then in the fall of 2020 I walked via the Oberalp to the Wannelen Alp on my own, but on the lower trail. Those photos are HERE). There were no more cows up here at that time, they had already been moved back to valley bottom). 

Heading up the Schächental (Schächen Valley) by bus, this is the village of Unterschächen where we ended our excursion with an ice cream sundae. It is still early morning, 8 a.m. at this point

The start of our hike at 08:15, as we walk up the rest of the valley, normally a 50-minute walk, but we did it in 35 minutes

The early morning sunlight throws interesting shadows on this fantastic landscape.

At first we were very worried when we saw the sign "Road to the Waterfall Closed" but upon closer inspection, hikers were allowed!

Heading up the Schächental Valley toward the base of the cliffs which form the Klausen Pass

We had arranged for a 9 a.m. transport up the mountain with the cargo cable car from the little hamlet called Äsch, at the base of the spectacular Stäuben waterfall. The farmer was already waiting for us when we got there at 08:50. Good thing we walked quickly, I hate making people wait! This photo of the waterfall and the Klausen Pass is from the cable car on our way up. 

This is the opposite cable car on its way down. We rode up on a similar one, with a local man who was going up to prepare the farm for the start of mountain farming a week later. 

A look down the Schächental as we ride up with the cargo cable car. 

Urs' good eyes spotted a Chamois grazing on the mountainside below us. It did not seem to be bothered at all by the passage of the cargo cabin above. 

Arrived at the summit, to start our hike on the Oberalp alpine pasture. Another cargo cable car ride to tick off our list!

Trail marker shows 1 hour 35 minutes to the passage at Wäspen. It took us about 10 minutes longer, which isn't too bad as we do stop along the way a few times for photos!

This map shows the upper part of our hike, from the cable-car station at Oberalp on the right, to the lake and then the passage at Wäspen, and back down to the other cable car at Wannelenalp

A look down at Oberalp pasture, where they will bring up the cows a week later. We started the hike there at 09:15. Also in the back is the Klausen Pass (The road continues from there down to the very large Urnerboden alpine pastures).  

Heading up to the lake. At this point, 09:15, it's already quite a hot day!

You can just see the fabulous Klausen Pass road on the other side of the valley. (Between the cliffs and the road is is the popular Schächental High Trail... the bus is usually packed with people heading to the pass to walk back down the valley along that trail). 

I always study snow patches, as there are often chamois or ibex on them. Lucky spotting on my part this time! A zoomed view showed about four of them on that snow patch below

A very close-up view of the chamois on the snow patch. It looks like one of them has spotted us!

Getting closer to the lake

It took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to the lake below the Wäspen passage. (Another 30 minutes then to the passage)

Taking a break at this alpine lake before continuing up to the passage. 

We spotted movement again on the snow patch behind the lake, another chamois making his way across the mountainside. 

VIDEO:

Watching another Chamois as it climbs up the hillside

We could see the dark clouds gathering to the south, so we continued quickly up the hill. 

The the north, the weather is still holding well!

A glimpse into the Brunni Valley and the alpine pasture called Sittlisalp to the west. 

Getting near the saddle/passage!

Arrived at Wäspen! (ca. 1 hour 45 minutes). Even though we could descend from here to the alpine hamlet called Brunni, we only wanted to come this far for the view, and then return northwards to the Wannelen cableway (having come from the Oberalp cableway). 

Very proud of our achievement, having walked 600m uphill once again!

Even with the approaching rain clouds, the panorama view to the back of the Brunni Valley is fabulous

Behind us and at the back of the Brunni Valley is what is supposedly the largest North Face in the Swiss Alps (popular with climbers). This is the back side of the Gross Windgällen and Gross Ruchen mountains. On their other side is the popular Maderaner Valley. 

Panorama view from Wäspen to the North, where the weather is still looking promising! We didn't stay long up here, wanted to beat the rain, but just at the point of our descent where the arrow is, it started to rain. 

Mountain Gentians, always a pleasure

We also love these ponds with the cotton grass! It's just starting to drizzle

Cute little cotton balls

Some other hardy hikers braving the rain, climbing up the trail from Wannelen, where we are heading down. 

An entire hillside here was covered in happy arnica flowers and silver thistles. 

After walking for about 20 minutes in the rain, I was finally able to remove the plastic rain cape that I always have along. 

Down below we finally get our first glimpse of Wannelen and the large Wannelen alpine pasture

We thought the trail went over this hill, but we had to return and go around it. 

From the top of the hill, though, a really nice look at where we came down from the other side with the lake

Up here there were sheep, and the trail was not very good, worked over from their hooves and full of sheep poop. 

Llamas are used in the mountains to guard the herds of sheep (sometime dogs, sometimes llamas). 

Usually it's cows blocking our trail, but this time we made a detour around this mean-looking sheep!

Finally past the sheep pasture (hill with the cross upper right) to a better trail again. 

Another look at Sittlisalp across the steep Brunni Valley. It is hard to believe that there is an entire dairy industry up there. (They make the cheese on the premises and sell it in the Schächental Valley). There is also cable-car access, and we have been there several times. 

To the East, the rest of the rain clouds are just passing over the Klausen Pass. Below on the left is Wannelen. 

The weather has cleared again, and we had a lovely rest of the hike. A good view down the Schächen Valley from here. 

This is the best time of year for all sorts of alpine flowers! Simply beautiful

Weather is clearing in the East as well. 

Here at the Wannelen Alp, the cows have been brought up already. (We forgot to ask how they actually get them up here!)

Mountain hamlet Wannelen. The cable car station is in the middle at the back. 

We must have just missed the ascent of the cattle. They are already in the pastures and the farmers are cleaning and putting away the large bells which the cows wear for the traditional ascent. 

As we got to the cable-car station, we were able to help one of the locals unload, and got to ride down immediately, as the next load was ready to come up. 

The cargo cable car with the next load is on the way up from Ribi as we go down. The alpine farmers are very dependent on these cable cars for transport of all kinds of goods, including often their animals! (By the way, it is now 13:40. We started our hike in the bend of the road below, at 08:15)

A view up the Schächental as we descend to Ribi in the cable-car

The farmers patiently wait for me and my need to get photos of the cable-car. They are loading young cheeses to transport up to the alp for curing during the summer.

A hard-working alpine farmer who has to put up with tourist hikers wanting to take photos! He wanted to start loading right away, couldn't figure out why I was still hanging on to the handle...

Another 20 minutes on a very nice trail to the village of Unterschächen, where ice cream awaits!

This is the entrance of the side valley called Brunnital

Cute little guest cottage!

For a change, I also had a sundae....

We walked in three sections, a total of 4.5 hours and 12 kilometers, with 600m ascent and 800m descent. We specifically chose to start at the back of the valley with the Oberalp Cable Car, because it was somewhat less uphill that way. 

What the hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps

We have done a lot of hiking in this area! 

Where the region of the Klausen Pass is located