Easy Hike from Furka Pass to Realp along the old Furka Steam Train Railway Line

Sunday July 9, 2023 -- This was to be the hottest day of the summer so far, with temperatures of over 30 degrees in the lower areas, so we were actually going to stay home and keep all the blinds shut. After all, we had already done 6 hikes in 9 days.... On the other hand, maybe if we got up early and didn't go far, we could still get a hike done before the big heat of the day?

Well, off we went again, and so glad we did as the day dawned fabulously clear. We did leave early, at 6:15, but we didn't stay close to home... we traveled all the way to the Furka Pass in the middle of the Alps! We got there just after 9 a.m., and even though the pass is at 2429 meters above sea level, you could even feel the heat there.

We chose an easy 3-hour hike down the valley following the original railway line of the old Furka steam train, which was the only way from here in the Urseren Valley (Andermatt) to Canton Wallis from 1926 till 1982 when the Furka Base Tunnel was opened. Until then, the train could only travel in the summer months, as there was a particular avalanche couloir which would always destroy one of the bridges, so the bridge had to be dismantled every winter. (A short video on YouTube is worth watching, how they mount this bridge in Spring. See HERE).

The Furka Steamtrain Organization (which has over 1000 volunteers) still runs the steam engine for tourists in the summer, and it was this train that we went looking for. It doesn't run often, so along the way, we spent a fair amount of time waiting for the train, and as a result, our 3-hour hike turned into a 5-hour hike, and we still had to hurry to make the 2 p.m train in Realp!

From the popular resort town of Andermatt (center back of this photo), a Postauto bus takes you up to the Furka Pass. This view is down the Urseren Valley to the East, with the town of Realp below, as the bus climbs the winding Furka Pass Road. Here in Realp is where the Furka Base Tunnel enters the mountain for the 15 km (15 minutes) trip to Oberwald in Canton Valais. There is vehicle transport on the train as one cannot travel on the pass road in winter.

Looking west as we reach a more level road near the Tiefenbach hotel we see the Furka Pass at the very back, and the valley of the Furkareuss River and the old railway, which we are going to walk along. There is a bridge down there where the railway crosses the Furkareuss River. We also accessed that bridge later.

At the Furka Pass. The shortest way back to Realp is the one we are taking, 3 hours. Part of the way we are following Regional Trail no.51: "Furka-Höhenweg". We started here at 9:15 a.m. The Furka Pass is the border of Canton Valais/Wallis to the West, and Canton Uri to the East (where we were walking).

Down below is the parking lot at the Furka Pass. We have been here often. In September 2021 we walked along the mountain at the back down to Oberwald on the other side of the Base Tunnel. Those photos are HERE. In August of 2019 we hiked up to the Sidelen Glacier and then passed by here on our way to the Rhone Glacier. Those photos HERE.

It was a short walk (10 minutes) from the Pass back to the hotel called Furkablick, from where the trail descends into the valley on the right.

From here also is the more popular trail to the Sidelen Glacier and Hostel, below those peaks behind me.

Before descending at Hotel Furkablick, I took a photo of the Sidelen Glacier. The main peak is called Sidelenhorn, and you can just make out the Sidelen Hostel in the circle. As the bus stopped here on the way up to the pass, at least 20 people got out. We assume they are all headed there. It's a beautiful hike which we did in August 2019, but we hiked up to the hostel from the road below, and followed the trail in this direction. Those photos are HERE.

After riding the bus from Realp up to the Furka Pass, we descended into the Furkareuss Valley and followed the old railway line and the river back to Realp. The 3-hour hike took us five hours!

Due to a series of very unfortunate circumstances, including a 10-minute delay by bus, my detour to photograph the glacier, and Urs having to return to the hotel to find his watch which he had left on the ground, we ended up missing the first train, which was due to enter the tunnel just below here at 9:50.

The descent to the railway tracks took 25 minutes from the hotel. If the bus hadn't been running late, we might have made it. But at least the hillsides in full flower made up for the disappointment of not seeing the train enter the tunnel!

So many pretty flowers up here at the Furka Pass! We are so glad we can experience this.

We finally got a glimpse of the Furka Train Station at 9:55. The train had just left the station a couple of minutes earlier.

This is the eastern entrance of the old Furka Steam Engine railway for the passage beneath the Furka Pass. On a previous hike in July of 2016 we descended from the Furka Pass to the OTHER (west) end of the tunnel and observed how the train came out of the tunnel there. (In fact, there was a crossing of the two trains at that time, so that was a great experience. Those photos are HERE).

From the Furka train station of the DFB (Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke), it was an easy 2-1/4 hour walk mostly downhill to Realp.

We did see a marmot!

Even up here we could sometimes feel the heat of the day, but mostly there was a small breeze.

Here we are just below Mount Sidelenhorn and the Sidelen Glacier, as well as the river of the same name. It was now 10:40, and the next train was due at the Furka station at 11:05. We figured it would pass here in about 15 minutes, so we waited here, as we thought it would make a nice photo going over the bridge.

We didn't have to wait too long. About five minutes later we saw the smoke from the locomotive! It took quite a bit longer, though, for the train to actually get here.

It requires a lot of coal to make the steam required to get this heavy train up the mountain!

Here's the photo we waited 15 minutes for!

VIDEO:

The little red train crossing the Sidelenbach River!

As the train continues its way to the Furka station and the tunnel.

Here's the bridge we saw from the Furka Pass Road up above!

There is a farm here called Steinstafel. Very interesting how they have used this huge rock (possibly left by a retreating glacier, or from a rock slide) to build their barn against, and store the equipment necessary for milking the cows up here in summer. Also, always thankful for fresh cold water!

A cog-wheel system is necessary to get the train up the mountain!

For a stretch we now walk right along the railway line.

Here the "Furka Höhenweg" Trail crosses the Furkareuss River and heads steep up the hillside back to the motor-vehicle road at the Tiefenbach hotel. I doubt we will even walk that stretch! We continued down-valley from here.

A look behind us at the Furkareuss River and the Furka Road high above.

After a short uphill section (the only one on this trail, and we did feel the heat), we get a first glimpse of the infamous Steffenbach Bridge, the one that has to be dismantled every winter.

A zoomed view of the Steffenbach Bridge, the one that has to be dismantled every winter. We thought this would be a good place to watch the next train cross here. (A very cool short video showing how they mount the bridge in spring can be viewed HERE at YouTube)

We got to this place above the bridge at 12:30, and had our picnic lunch while waiting for the final train we'd be seeing this day: It should be passing here in about 20 minutes, so we waited. (As it turned out, it must have been running late, it passed aat 12:55).

We ended up waiting 30 minutes to see this pretty locomotive cross the Steffenbach Bridge. This time the train came from the other side, from Oberwald in Canton Wallis.

VIDEO:

The little blue train crossing the Steffenbach Bridge

And off it goes on its way to the DFB train station in Realp

A zoomed view of the train entering the next tunnel

A look behind us now as we continue down the valley. You can see the tunnel and the railway line, as well as the motor vehicle road high above.

Now a first glimpse of the Ursuren Valley. You can't see Realp from here, but it's on this end of that valley.

A close-up view behind us of the Furkahorn mountains at the Furka Pass

At this point we have our final steep descent to the paved road at valley bottom. It's 1:30 p.m. We wanted to catch the 14:05 train in Realp, otherwise we would have to wait an hour longer. 45 minutes is the suggested time to the train station. We made it there in 30 minutes! (Luckily, it wasn't too hot, not even at the valley bottom).