Fantastic hike from Reuss Valley to Brunni Valley via Lake Seewlisee

Friday August 23, 2024 -- In August of 2019 we did a very nice 8-km hike above and parallel to the Reuss Valley from one farmer's cable car (Erstfeld/Schwandi) to another farmer's cable car (Waldiberg/Bristen) (Those photos are HERE). Along the way we saw a trail signpost which indicated that a 2½-hour uphill hike would take us to the upper mountain lake called Seewlisee, the deepest lake in Canton Uri, stocked with Canadian trout and thus beloved by fishermen. Urs had mentioned that he would be interested in doing this hike, even though it meant ascending 900 meters almost vertically in the beautiful Windgällen Massif. 

A day-hike in this region would take 5-6 hours or more, and I was worried that I could not do such a long hike, especially as an additional 250-meter ascent was required after visiting the beautiful lake. On the other side of the Seewli crest is a wonderful valley called Brunnital, one of our favourite valleys where we have been often, and there is a family who pastures their cows on the alpine pasture called Sittlisalp during the summer, and offers hostel-like accommodation. We figured spending a night there would be a good fall-back plan if the first 5½-hour hike proved to be enough (from there it would only have been another hour to the next bus stop, but I didn't know if I could hold out). We had been trying to get a bed there for a couple of years now, and finally got a place this weekend.

(Side note: We did a two-day hike in this same massif in 2020, overnighting in a very rough outbuilding near the lake, operated by a local mountain farmer. Those photos are HERE. We didn't really want to overnight there again).  

We started the climb super early (7:30 a.m.) at the summit station of the Chilcherbergen cable-car and managed the entire ascent in the shade of the west side of the mountain, and arrived to fantastic sunshine and views at the Seewli Alp and the turquoise lake. There was plenty of breeze so the hike was very comfortable and we took our time with many breaks. We arrived at the B&B (which was in the cow barn!) at 5 p.m., not at all tired. 

In retrospect, we could have completed the final hour of the hike and still been home in good time, as this is very close to where we live. We would not have attempted this hike, though, without an option for accommodation, but I wish for many reasons we had asked to cancel the reservation, not the least of which was that the cows were brought in at 5:30 a.m. the next morning for milking.... 

Leaving home at 5:50, we got to Silenen at 7:10, and after a short walk to the farmer's cable car, we were up at Chilcherbergen ready to start our hike at 7:30. Our ultimate goal was 900 meters higher up at the location of the arrow. 

First we had to walk 12 minutes from the bus stop to the cable car station. 

This is one of our favourite farmer's cable-cars (originally used by mountain farmers to transport cargo to the alpine pastures) and we have used this often. The fellow who lives most of the year round up on the mountain is Mr. Epp, and we have to call him to operate the cable-car. 

At 7:20 we were on our way up the mountain. The cable-car saves us 600 meters of climbing. We started early because we wanted to make sure we could do the ascent in the shade, as it was going to be another hot day. 

A look down the beautiful Reuss Valley as we head up to Mr. Epp's mountain farm at Chilcherbergen.

Details of the lovely little cable-car! You have to phone at the bottom station, and Mr. Epp goes to the control room to start the engine! We were ready to head out on our walk at 7:30 a.m. 

Our first goal is the small mountain hamlet of Seewli Alp, near the lovely lake. It actually takes almost 3 hours to walk up there, the first 2½ hours is just to cover the 900 meters straight uphill. Our ultimate goal is Sittlisalp. The sign shows 5hrs20 to the cable-car station, but this is also too short. The farm where we spent the night takes that amount of time to get to, and it is another 30 minutes to the cable-car station. 

According to the map, it is about 5 hrs. 20 minutes to the farm at Sittlisalp where we spent the night. Had we continued on the hike, it would have been 30 minutes more to the cable car, and from there another 30 minutes out of the Brunnital Valley to the next bus stop. We could have made it home the same day, as it turns out, but we haven't really done such long hikes in one day in the past couple of years. 

The sun is lighting up the summit of Mount Bristen

For about an hour, the trail was through a forest area. Once in a while we got a peek at the mountains on the west side of the Reuss Valley. (This is the Erstfelder Valley).

It was comfortably cool and we gained altitude quickly. The cliffs around us were magnificent. 

I'm sure our walk would not have been as great if the sun had been over the mountains already!

Uphill climb along some pretty neat cliffs

Now above the forest, we get some pretty nice views of the Uri Alps. On the other side are alpine pastures and a small lake (not visible) called Arnisee, another favourite hiking destination for us, as there are other small cable cars accessing the upper part of the mountain. Also, Urs' dad grew up there. 

Zigzag trails mean we gain altitude quickly and it's not so strenuous

These high altitude meadows get fully mowed by the farmers, as they need to harvest any grass they can for the cows. It's called "Wildheuen", or "Wild Hay Harvest" and is a dangerous job. Accidents have happened with farmers slipping down the steep hillsides. 

A cool sign reminds us that we are on the right track, although there is not a lot of chance of losing the trail. 

This photo shows how steep the hillsides are, which are mowed as cleanly as city lawns!

A mini-museum here gives information about these meadows and the tools used to mow them and gather the dried hay!

It's now 10:53, and almost 2½ hours after we started on our uphill climb, and we haven't even really taken any breaks yet! But what a view down down to Erstfeld in the Reuss Valley, looking north.

And this view is up the Reuss Valley, looking south. Simply magnificent. 

We have reached the "top" of the first uphill section for now, having done a 900-meter ascent in 2½ hours. That massive mountain on the north side of this huge "indent" is called Rinderstock, and when we did the 2020 hike in this region, we came down to Seewli Alp from the pass on the far right.  

There is no greater feeling than having climbed up a mountain to enjoy a view like this. There was a bench here (from where Urs is standing) where we sat for a very long time, as this view had to be enjoyed, as well as a snack.... We stayed for about half an hour until the next pair of hikers came up the mountain and sat on the second bench and started chatting... 

Feeling great

Turning the corner now and heading east along a fairly level path, after the long ascent. The sun has just come over the Windgällen peaks, which is OK, as we welcome the sun about now!

The lake we came to see is still in the shadow of the mountain at the back, but what a view! 

A close-up look at Seewli-Alp which now has sunshine, and where we spent a night in 2020. We figured, even if the lake is no longer in shadow by the time we get there, we wanted to go have another look. We had found out from other hikers descending, that a new German couple ran the place now (no longer the old Swiss mountain man), and I was hoping for some real coffee.... 

A level trail now to Seewli Alp, but with a steep drop. The path was also wet, so we had to go carefully. the chain handholds really help. 

A look behind us to where we had sat on the bench for 30 minutes after coming up from the far side. Those are still some small pieces of glacier in the Uri Alps. 

Now we can see the region a bit better: The small houses at Seewli Alp, the pass which we want to cross later (another 230 meters), and the lake hidden in a depression, possibly still in shadow

Sun's rays coming over the peaks

Getting closer to Seewli Alp. The lake is in the depression behind the cliffs. 

Mt. Rinderstock from a different angle. Hard to believe we crossed that pass end of June 2020 to spend the night here, and then went back up there the next day to descend to Haldi to the north. 

Ah, first we get to enjoy a waterfall!

This waterfall was very cool, or rather the rocks it flowed down from. They were thickly covered in moss. 

It is hard to show how beautiful this really was. 

It's now 11:10 and we have arrived at Seewli Alp. That is the distinctive flag of Canton Uri.

This is the little restaurant at Seewli Alp, and behind it is a small building where they offer accommodations. We needed to have a look, as it was pretty basic when we spent the night there on June 30, 2020, and it smelled like motor oil, as all the equipement was stored in there as well. 

The German couple who have taken over this little place as of June this year have done a really nice job in making the accommodation cozy. The mattresses were not as close together as the previous time, and there is a cute loft for two now. And even a hot tub! They call it "Alp-Traumhüttli", or "Little Alpine Dream Hut". 

Comparing the two outbuildings.... the current one sure looks more inviting!

We sat here for a while with cake and something to drink, and chatted with the new owners. Unfortunately no real coffee, just the traditional weak and watery "Urner Kaffee" or freeze-dried made strong, if I wished. So I passed. But it was nice stopping here. The owners hope we will come again to spend the night. 

Perched so close to the precipice!

Interesting perspective, to see where we had walked from last time we were here, from the other side, to spend the night in the "Dream Hut" (not a dream at the time) and then go back over the pass the next day. Heading up to the lake Seewlisee now.

First glimpse of the little lake; it was really this colour

What a very pretty lake. It is the largest and deepest (20 meters) natural lake in Canton Uri, and was populated with Canadian trout in 1880. We decided to walk around the east side of the lake, and then hoped for a nap break before heading up to the "pass" in the center of the photo, called the Seewligrat (or Seewli Crest).  

A look at the lake from all sides as we walk around it to the north side.

The peaks of the Uri Alps make a stunning backdrop to the lake. 

Walking around the lake now, we are looking for a suitable place to spreak a blanket and have a little nap before starting on the second half of our hike, over the Seewligrat in the center, another 220 meters of uphill. 

Checking to see how cold the water really was! Someone across the lake had gone in for a swim. Too cold for me. 

We found a large flat rock on the north end of the lake, where I was going to take a nap. But without shade it was too hot, and all the cows came over from the far side of the open pasture where they had been grazing. We watched them walk into the lake to drink, but then they just used the water as a toilet as well, which took away any desire we might have had to try to swim in there!

After about a 30-minute break here (no actual nap, but some lunch), we went on to the top, following the path we saw along the mountainside, which turned out to not be the official trail (which was across the plain first and through the cows, which have now all gathered here), but it still got us there. The other trail might have been less strenuous.

More cows blocking the path. Urs always makes a big detour, but this time the cows started running in his direction, which means he had to try to run even faster! I just stayed on the path and ignored the rest of the cows. 

Looking behind us now at the herd of cows, which seem to have lost interest.

What a lovely place for the cows to roam free for a couple of months in summer!

Climbing higher now, with more views of the lake.

A close-up look at the peaks in the Uri Alps; There are still a few small glaciers here. 

To get to the alpine pastures around the lake, we assume the cows were brought down along this trail from Sittlisalp (where we are headed), as they could not have gone along the trail we walked to get up from the Reuss Valley side. 

Finally up at the saddle at 13:40. It took us about 45 minutes to get up here, but it's the final uphill of the the 1250 meters we ascended altogether, and now the rest will be all downhill on the north side of the Seewligrat. 

This is the view on the north side of the saddle, the landscape we will be descending into. At the very back are the mountains of Canton Glarus, in the center is the Schächen Valley with the Klausen Pass, and closer but perpendicular is the Brunni Valley where we are headed. 

It was very windy up here, but with these benches conveniently placed with views both south and north, we sat here for quite a while as well. In particular, I was impressed by that "horn" of a peak behind me. It's called Schwarz Stöckli.  

VIDEO:

360-degree Panorama View from Seewli Crest

Heading down the north side of the Seewligrat now. We left the saddle at 2:15 p.m, afther another 30-minute break up there. We were in no hurry, as we had already booked our overnight stay at Sittlisalp, which we planned to reach in about another three hours' time. 

What an unusual looking peak! "Schwarz Stöckli" (Schwarz = Black)

Can you imagine a herd of cows being led up and down this trail, just so they can get a summer's worth of grazing in the higher alpine pastures? The valley we are in now is called the Griesstal, and it was the trail along the mountain on the north side which we followed when we did our 2020 hike from Sittlisalp. 

Schwarz Stöckli seen from below. Pretty fascinating.

Another bench along the way to stop and enjoy the view some more. We now get the first view of the mountains on the east side of the Brunni Valley. 

Now we are at the bottom of the Griesstal (Griess Valley), heading into the Brunni Valley. 

According to this sign, we have another 50 minutes to get to Sittlislap (where our accommodation is), and from there it would be another 30 minutes to the cable car station, plus another 30 minutes to the bus in Unterschächen. 

I try to take a photo like this on every hike! The cows watching Urs as he takes a detour around them, when they are standing on the walking trail. 

More cows here in summer pastures in the Griess Valley. 

First glimpse of the North Wall of the Gross Ruchen mountain, which is the largest north face in the alps, and very popular with rock climbers. 

So here we are now, having come out of the Griess Valley and into the Brunni Valley. Another break to admire the mountains here. 

This was basically the view we were looking at, the north face of Mt.Ruchen.

As we continued north again, we saw a couple of these very colourful caterpillars along the trail. An Internet search shows this to be a "Spurge Hawk-Moth" (Hyles euphorbiae) caterpillar. It was huge. 

Now we get the first view north into the Schächen Valley, which runs perpendicular to this, the Brunni Valley. The large alpine pasture ahead is Sittlisalp, basically our goal for this day. 

Looking back into the Brunni Valley. This is the last stretch we have to walk, and it is already in the shadow of the cliffs to the west. It's now about 5 p.m. 

This is a really good look at the south end of the Brunni Valley, with the large north face of Mount Ruchen. Down below is another large pasture with the hamlet called Brunni, where there is also a restaurant. 

We passed through this lower alpine pasture twice, the first time in May 2016 when we descended directly from where we are standing now, and then walked out of the valley on the other side (photos HERE), and once in September 2018 when we walked to the very back first, and then descended on the valley bottom trail (photos HERE).

The place where we are spending the night is directly below us to the left. It would have taken another 30 minutes to the small cable-car station for a ride to the valley bottom, and another 30 minutes to the bus stop at Unterschächen. As it less than 2 hours from there to home, and it now being just barely 5 p.m. and we were not really tired even after a 6-hour hike, we realized we could have made it home by 9 p.m., and not at all needed to spend the night here. 

Another look north across Sittlisalp to the Schächen valley. The cable car is 30 minutes' walk from here, and there is a cheese dairy along the way. All the farmers up here iin the summer deliver their milk there, and cheese is manufactured directly up here all summer. 

It turns out our accommodaction was in the barn just below the sign post here. The cows are brought into the barn for milking at 5:30 p.m. and 5:45 a.m. and then sent back to the pastures. When I found this out, I wished we had canceled the room (and paid the penalty if any) and simply walked the final 2 x 30-minute stretches to the bus in Unterschächen, and slept in our own beds that night. I didn't know that I would not at all be tired from the many hours of walking. 

Heading to the barn to check out our accommodation for the night. We had been told we could cook a meal in the kitchen in the main house on the left, using their locally-sourced products, but the cow-keeper had to go get the cows and oversee the milking, and by the time someone could explain the gas stove to us, it was 8 p.m. (At which time I was already asleep).

I have to say, though, that the owners have done a lovely job at decorating the guest area above the barn. There were three double-rooms (already booked by guests from USA), and a family room that sleeps 7, which we had to ourselves. Even two showers and two toilets! So many cow-related details as well. I especially liked the sinks, which were in-set milking pails. 

At 5:30 p.m. the cows arrived in procession at the barn, knowing exactly where they were supposed to go and how to get there. (Unfortunately, the farm was already in shadow at this time, so we could not even sit out in the sunshine at this early hour. Another reason I wished we had just continued on our walk). I did sleep well though from about 8 p.m. till 5:45 a.m. when the morning milking took place. 

VIDEO:

The cows are ushered from the pastures to the barn for the evening milking.

They know exactly where to go. 

They were a bit surprised to see me standing there and didn't know if they should

continue into the barn. I guess they recognized a stranger...

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What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. This was about 5½ to 6 hours of walking, 2½ of which was just for the uphill climb on the Reuss Valley side. 

We have done a lot of hiking in this area of the Uri Alps. It is our favourite region for hiking, and there are many cable cars which make the mountains accessible. 

Location of Seewlisee and Sittlisalp within Switzerland

We wondered about the three (or two?) double-rooms having been reserved by American Tourists, and also encountered other English-speaking tourists on Sittlisalp, which was quite a surprise to us, as this is a little-known valley, and we thought it was a local "secret". It turns out the Herger Family who have converted their barn into a hostel of sorts, have their accommodation advertised on AirBnB, and I guess that if you are looking for a real traditional and local experience, (i.e. like sleeping in a wine barrel, or sleeping on hay -- both of which have become popular), then you would be happy to find this. The Americans did not mind at all being woken at 5:45 to watch the cows come into the barn for milking!

Side Note:

As we always like to see where we have been when viewed from across another valley, for example, I checked my photos of an October 2022 hike we did above Lake Arnisee on the other side of the Reuss Valley. Here is what the mountain looks like from the other side. The red lines are approximately where we walked, and in the circle is the small group of houses at Seewli. You can even see the hillside where they cut the hay:

The red line shows approximately what we walked from the summit of the cable car, to Seewli Crest at the arrow, before descending on the other side. The larger peaks are the Wingällen. This is a photot taken in October 2022 from Sunniggrätli on the other side of the valley. 

A close-up look at Seewli and Seewli Crest from the other side of the Reuss Valley. You cannot see the lake from this side. 

This is a photo taken in November 2020 on the cable-car to Lake Arnisee. The red line shows approximately where the Chilcherbergen cable-car runs 600 meters up the mountain. The green line is approximately where we walked, which was 900 meters altitude gain, but it doesn't look like it from here.