Maderaner Valley High Trail, and a hike out of the Valley to Amsteg

Sunday September 17, 2023 -- The final day of our hot summer heat wave, so we went into the mountains again, this time choosing to do a hike in the Maderaner Valley in the Uri Alps, a beautiful valley with a lovely high alpine lake (Lake Golzeren) where we have walked many times.

This is such a popular valley that you don't really want to try to come here on a weekend, as the buses into the valley are usually full, as are all the parking spaces. There is often a long waiting line for the 8-person cable car which takes you up to the Golzeralp upper valley, from where it's a 20-minute walk to the lake, a popular bathing destination for families. So generally, we don't even consider this for a week-end hike but we figured if we start early, we can beat the crowds, and do what was a steep 500-meter climb in the morning shade. Our goal this time was not the lake itself, but the alpine hostel Windgällenhütte, where we had once spent the night back in 2014 (Those photos are HERE).

So we left home at 6:15 and were already ready for the climb at 8:10, having caught the cable car right after leaving the bus with no waiting time at all. The climb went quickly, we had some sunshine at the top, but then the sky became milky-cloudy which was a bit disappointing, as were the clouds pressing over the mountaintops in the south and east. But the valley is spectacular. After descending back to the hamlet called Seewen near the lake, we treated ourselves to coffee and ice-cream before returning to the cable-car for the 2 p.m. descent, hoping to beat the crowds (which we were fortunate to do).

Back down in Bristen where we'd normally take the bus back out of the valley, we would have had to wait about 50 minutes, so we decided to walk out of the valley to Amsteg, a hike of one hour and 15 minutes. Urs did this once when he was a teenager in the rain and remembers it as a steep ugly trail. Which it still was! But it was through the forest and not hot, and we made it to the bus stop just as the bus was ready to pull out! We were back on our way home at 3:45 p.m. after about 5½ hours and 13 km of walking, not even taking into account how much ascent and descent we did! This was basically two separate hikes in one day.

We left home at about 6 a.m. and were already on the road into the Maderaner Valley on the 7:42 bus from Amsteg. This is another of those hidden valleys which is accessed by a narrow winding road. Without the road, you'd not even know that the valley was there! This view is up the Reuss Valley.

Off the bus and right onto the small cable car! Six of us from the bus, and another three who were already there, got to ride up right away. Down below is the Chärstelen River, and there aren't many cars yet in the parking lots.

Shortly after 8 a.m. we were ready for our climb to Oberchäseren (which actually only took us an hour and 15 minutes). Both paths to the Windgällen Hostel take about the same time, although most people take the other trail via Seewen and Golzerensee, where we descended.

This house near the cable car summit station is where Urs' grandmother grew up.

From the cable car station, there's a look at the trail we climbed, and the high plateau where we emerged in the sunshine. Eight of the nine people from the cable car went up that way!

Urs caught sight of a large herd of chamois grazing in a pasture further down the mountainside, so we watched them for a while.

A look eastward along the Golzeralp as we head up the mountain. On the way back we came from that side, where there is the lake in the depression past the buildings. The sun is just coming over the mountains.

A superb loop hike starting and ending at the summit station of the Golzeren cable-car. It was four hours of straight walking time. We started at about 8:15 a.m., headed up first to Oberchäseren (9:30, where we took a long break), then got to the Windgällen hostel at 11 a.m., where we had our picnic lunch. Back down in Seewen at 1:10 p.m. for coffee and ice cream, and back at the cable car station at 2 p.m.

Heading up the mountain. It was 500 meters steep uphill, and with the shade, we gained altitude quickly.

Looking behind us once in a while at our progress

And to the West we can watch as the sun reaches Mount Bristen on the left, and the Reuss Valley at the back.

Final stretch up a couloir

And finally, the lovely morning sunshine at Oberchäseren Farm at 9:25 a.m. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes for the ascent. The mountain farmers have already descended from these high elevations, where they usually spend the July/August summer months with their livestock.

We took a detour to a bench near the little buildings for a break, but from here it's another hour to walk along the high trail to the Windgällen Hostel.

This is a continuation of the large karst region between the Muotathal Valley to the north and the Alps directly to the south.

Taking a peaceful break after a steep climb. In the background is Mount Bristen, a mountain which Urs has summitted twice. There is also a lake there just as the tree line.

The cows have long come off the alpine pastures (if there were any at all up here, as we can't imagine how they would have managed the steep trails), but there are still sheep grazing. These sheep are left all to themselves until it is time to collect them and bring them back down the mountain.

Weather forecast actually had pure sunshine for this region at this time of the morning, so we were a bit surprised at the thick clouds that were pressing over the ridge from the Oberalp Pass and Surselva regions just to the south of this mountain range. The view is into the Etzli Valley and you can also hike across that pass into Canton Graubünden (it's the canton border)

But to the west, to the lovely peaks of the Uri Alps near Gurtnellen and Arni, the skies are cloudless .

As we head east on the high trail, we get this great view down on Lake Golzeren and the Golzer Alp. It is so beautiful up here.

Because of our long break earlier, some families from later cable-car rides had caught up to us. We were amazed at how quickly the children were walking, and we had a hard time keeping the distance from them which I need to be able to enjoy my mountain hikes. The view is right into the Reuss Valley, from where the bus takes you up into the Maderaner Valley.

The high trail to the Windgällen Hostel.

At this small cluster of houses, the families took a break, and we thought we'd lost them for sure now, but they still managed to pass us before we got to the hostel!

Now the first look at the very back of the Maderander Valley and the glacier called Hüfi Glacier. And you can just see the hostel buildings.

A zoomed view past the hostel buildings to the Hüfi Glacier. Up on that ridge is another hostel which overlooks the glacier. It is called the Hüfihütte, and after this spectacular hike, we are even more determined to hike up there soon. (Urs did spend the night there once many, many years ago).

An even closer look at the Hüfi Glacier and Hüfi Hostel. (The approach to the hostel is from the glacier side, after reaching the sunny plateau on the left)

OK, so the family passed us here again, but I got a kick out of the exuberance of these little boys who obviously know how to get to the hostel on their own, without waiting for their parents!

The boys obviously really enjoy walking in the mountains!

Spectacular location up here as we finish the last few meters to the hostel. There were too many people for us, so we found a bench at the stone building in front, and had a much more peaceful lunch break there.

An interesting aspect of this region is the abundance of caves where quartz crystals can be found. You have to have a permit to harvest the crystals, and many locals do this. Then they set up boxes like this along the hiking trails, with price tags on the crystals and a small cash box where you pay for what you take, all on the honesty principle.

Our bench at the other stone building, and the views we had during our lunch break.

From the Windgällen hostel back down to the cable car at Golzeren, going by the lower trail, is another 90 minutes. We started on our descent at 11:30.

Heading down the mountain again.

These two little hikers passed us all alone on the trail, with such determination to reach their goal. I said to them "What? You're hiking up the mountain all on your own?" and they just laughed and said "No, Mum's behind us!". It was quite a while till we passed Mum and Dad, though!

A look up at the hostel with its fabulous mountain backdrop, and an airplane which just happened to be flying past!

A look down into the back of the Maderaner Valley as we descend the mountain. This is another side valley called the Brunnital, and you can also hike all the way up there to the Cavardiras Pass crossing into Canton Graubüden. There is a hostel at the pass, and Urs also knows that hostel, as he once hiked from there to the Hüfi hostel.

On the south side of the Maderaner Valley are very many waterfalls.

First glimpse of Golzer Alp

Last stretch to lake level. The trail on this side of the loop was not as nice as we had hoped. (Except for here, this was better).

We got to Seewen at 1:10 p.m, in this case longer than the recommended time (we had to descend carefully because of the rough trail). We decided to stop at one of the two restaurants here for a coffee and ice cream (Urs, obviously), before planning to catch the 2 p.m. cable car.

The lovely church up here on the Golzer Alp. We didn't pop by this time, we've looked at it on another occasion.

All along the trails as well as the road from the lake to the cable car station, and even down in the parking lots are these trays set up with quartz crystals of various sizes, which you can "buy" and pay into small cash boxes set up for that purpose. It's all on the honesty principle. The random ones on the trails in the middle of nowhere are the ones that I find most fascinating.

The first restaurant near the lake had too many people, was too busy, so we took our chances with the second, the Edelweiss restaurant. It was much more peaceful here.

Urs loves his ice-cream sundaes. I just had a coffee because I needed to wake up!

Lots of people started passing the restaurant on their way to the cable car, so we paid up and left quickly, in order to pass all the people, mostly families with kids who had to walk more slowly! This is a look behind us. We didn't want to have to wait in line if all those people got to the cable car before we did!

Our hurrying paid off! We got to the cable car in about 15 minutes, and were just able to board as it "took off" with just seven of us! When there are lot of people up here, like on a weekend, the cable car runs constantly, otherwise only every 30 minutes.

Another look down at the Chärstelen River, and this time the various parking lots around the cable-car station are really pretty full, with cars spilling out into the pastures as well.

The busy, busy Golzeren Cable Car.

Down at the valley bottom, this placard reminds passersby that back in 2005, the river flooded this valley, destroying several buildings including the cable car station, many barns, bridges, and about 80 vehicles, as well as 7 hectares of land and 700 meters of the valley road. As a result, the river was rerouted, and they rebuilt the entire infrastructure within a year.

We had a 50-minute wait for the bus here (there was a restaurant but there were many patrons already there, and we figured there were more coming). We suspectedd that the bus would be full, and so decided to walk the one hour and 20 minutes out of the valley to Amsteg, instead of waiting for and riding the bus.

Four hours of walking apparently wasn't enough, as we decided to walk another ca. 1¼ hours out of the Maderaner Valley to Amsteg, where there are more buses going to the train station. The trail to Frentschenberg was good, but after that it got a bit steep and we had to tread carefully so as not to slip. But we got to the bus in Amsteg just one minute before departure time at 15:43! (We left Bristen at 14:10)

A look up the Maderaner Valley as we make our way to the village of Bristen

Some pretty house details along the way

A bear!

What cute little Mini-Lilies (I don't know what they are called).

Here at the village of Bristen, the Chärstelen River drops into a ravine. The village and road are on the south side of the ravine, but the trail we want to take is on the north side, so we have to cross the ravine here.

Heading to the Reuss Valley along the north side of the Bristen Ravine

The road takes us up to a small mountain village called Frentschenberg

A look into the St.Josef's chapel in Frentschenberg

On the hillside above the Bristen Ravine, with a view up the Maderaner Valley past the village of Bristen.

I was pleasantly surprised that there were still hillsides full of meadow flowers here!

Continuing past Frentschenberg with a view up the Reuss Valley. On the left is the fabulous narrow, winding road from Amsteg into the Maderaner Valley

At 15:06 we saw (and heard!) the bus heading out of the valley, the one we would otherwise have boarded at the cable car station at 14:55.

Close-ups of the road as the bus descends and other traffic ascends. The last picture is from a look-out point very near Amsteg.

Making our way very carefully down the steep and "slippery" trail (lots of small evergreen cones covered the trail, and it was like walking on marbles!)