Another Winter Hike, in the Entlebuch from Marbachegg to Bumbach

Saturday December 28, 2024 -- With more fog below and lots of sunshine above, we wanted to take advantage of the sunshine again, but wanted to stay away from the more popular ski areas which were bound to be overrun with skiers on the weekend. 

In the Entlebuch region near Luzern is a small family ski region called Marbachegg (very near the border of Canton Bern) from where there is an official winter walking trail down to a small hamlet called Bumbach, a walk we had not ever done to date as there had always been too little snow on the trail to make it interesting for us. But with all the snow this December, we thought we would try this out, as there would also be fewer people along the way. 

After the gondola ride, we did encounter quite a few skiers at the restaurant at the top, but we didn't have to cross any pistes, and the walking trails soon left the skiing area. Before descending to the Bumbach Valley, we first walked the upper trail, one kilometer to the border stone and another kilometer back. On this trail the warm sunshine had melted a lot of the snow and it was soft to walk on, but descending to Bumbach was pleasant with plenty of snow. This region of Entlebuch and Emmental is often fog-free, and a good place to walk where the winter walking trails are prepared. 

We have done two hikes in the past starting here in Marbachegg, once a similar winter hike in February 2019, and the first time was in October 2015, when we walked all the way down to Kemmeriboden Bad. 

On our trip from home to the Entlebuch region, the fog started to lift past the city of Luzern, and the landscape was very pretty with the snow on the trees and the sunshine. 

Always a nice sight, the monastery in Werthenstein near Wolhusen. 

The snow hasn't melted here yet on the stretch between Wolhusen and Escholzmatt. 

At Escholzmatt, we traveled by bus up the valley toward Marbach. 

From Escholzmatt, we now take a bus southwards down the valley toward Marbach. There were cross-country ski trails all the way along the entire valley, which widened out quite a bit. 

How lovely! No fog, and cold enough that the snow has not melted, whether on the trees nor on the ground!

Having left home at 9:10 we got to the Marbachegg gondola station shortly before 11 a.m., and even though there were quite a few people (groups of children!) waiting at the bottom, we got on fairly quickly. 

View of the Entlebuch Region from the gondola on the way up to Marbachegg. Below is the town of Marbach. In the wide open valley below were several kilometers of prepared cross-country ski trails, as well as a walking trail along the small river, which I had walked earlier this year in February (Photos are HERE). 

There were definitely more people here than we had expected, but not nearly as many as at Mount Flumserberg the day before! And most of them were already having an early lunch. Shortly after heading out on the walking track, we left the skiers behind. 

First we walked one kilometer from the summit station at Marbachegg to the border stone (Canton border between Luzern and Bern) and had our picnic lunch on a bench on the way back. Then we walked down to Bumbach which we reached at 2 p.m. The next bus was a 2:45, so we had coffee and a dessert at the Gasthaus there. Altogether we were out in the sunshine for three hours again. 

At this junction, one of the ski pistes headed west down the shadow side of the mountain back to the gondola station at Marbach, and the walking trail headed into the sunshine to the left. This was a very pretty house here, among several nice vacation houses. 

The walking trail was softer than we had expected, because it was warm here (about 5ºC) with lots of sunshine! But not very many people! 

Our view into the Bumbach Valley, where we are headed later on. The mountain range on the south side is called Hohgant, but further to the southeast we can see the peaks of the Schrekhorn and Finsteraarhorn, which is the highest peak of the Bernese Alps. 

The peak on the right is called the Finsteraarhorn, which is over 4000 meters and the highest peak of the Bernese Alps. The other two peaks are called the Schrekhorn and Wetterhorn. 

Heading south along the walking trail toward the Canton border. In the back are the Gantrisch mountains in Canton Bern. We also did this stretch back in February 2019 when we did our first winter hike up here. 

To our east, the fabulous Schrattenfluh massif. 

This is the "Grenzstein" or "Border Stone" which denotes the border between Canton Bern, where I am standing, and Canton Luzern, from where Urs is taking the photo. 

Far to the west, past the Emmental Region and more fog, we can see all the way to the Jura Mountains. The snow-covered peak is Mount Chasseral, the highest peak in the Bernese Jura. 

Down below us to the west is a small village called Wald, which is also just south of the Bernese-Luzern border, and is where I started that hike earlier this year, walking northward all the way out of the valley, past Marbach, to Wiggen. (Those photos are HERE). 

Heading back toward the ski piste, from where we started on our walk down the mountain. 

Slightly to the southwest, this is a close-up look at a pass called Sichle, which leads to a valley on its south side called the Justistal, opening out at Lake Thun. This is a pass we have often talked about crossing, but haven't gotten around to it yet. 

We sat on this bench next to the walking trail to eat our sandwiches, but it soon became too warm to sit here! So we continued northwards to the place where we would start our descent on the downhill section. 

Back at the lunch bench, I had to remove my jeans, as it was too warm up here with stockings under the jeans! It was even somewhat warm in the stockings. (The first time we were up here in October of 2015, we followed this same road right to the foot of the Schrattenfluh cliffs, and then walked down to Kemmeriboden Bad to the south. Those photos are HERE). 

Back near the ski piste, we head down the mountain now toward Bumbach. We didn't have to cross the piste. In February of 2019 we did the only other winter walk up here, walking on the north side down to Marbach, because we were worried that the south side would be snow-free. Those photos are HERE. 

Looking up above us, we get a view of the vacation village at Marbachegg, and the entire ski piste here on the east side. There are much fewer people here than at Mt. Flumserberg the day before. 

The road zigzags down the mountain into the Bumbach Valley, past farmhouses and through short forested sections. It was almost too warm to walk here! In front of us now is the massif called Hohgant. 

We passed a farm at Lochsite where three children have been born over the past five years. Melissa and Lorena have been relegated to the woodpile, to make room for Gabriel!

Long before now I had to remove my jeans, as it was too warm with jeans and stockings....Here the road is snow-free.  

Back onto a snowy section now, through short sections of forest. 

A close-up look at the summit of Mt.Stockhorn far to the southwest. We had been on that summit in September of 2023, those photos are HERE.

Passing more farmhouses. 

Still with lots of sunshine, although on some stretches the road was snow-free. 

Another look to the East to the Schrattenfluh Massif. The rocky horn is called Schibegütsch. 

We had sunshine almost to the bottom. 

Now we can finally see to the valley bottom, which is in shadow. Unfortunately, the road with the bus stop is also in shadow, and we had no bus out of the valley at this time, so we timed it to get to the road for a bus UP the valley to Kemmeribodenbad, renowned for its meringue desserts and where we have been often.  

Last stretch now on a snow-path again. It was now 13:45 and the next bus home was a whole hour later. In the other direction was a bus at 14:05, so we decided to draw out the walk to arrive at the bus stop at that time, and head to the final stop to a restaurant where we'd have a dessert till the next bus out. 

Down at that farmhouse is where we ended up in the shadow of the mountains. 

Still, the forests and the village of Bumbach look beautiful with all that snow! The bottom of this valley gets no sun for several weeks in winter!

Down at the bottom at 2 p.m. It took us 90 minutes to walk down here, and we quite enjoyed the walk.  

The snow won't melt here for quite a long time!

The bus to Kemmeriboden Bad was due to come at 2:05 p.m., just after we got here to the Alpenrose Restaurant. Then we thought, why don't we just stay here and warm up with coffee and dessert while waiting for the 2:45 bus back to Escholzmatt????

So that's what we did. We spent about 45 minutes here at the Alpenrose Restaurant. Coffee, meringue dessert typical of this region, no loud music, patrons talking quietly, pleasant atmosphere. It was a good decision. We would have had less time at Kemmeriboden Bad, and we've been there often. 

A favourite pastime of locals is to gather at the restaurant and play the national card game called "Jassen". (It is even a competive event broadcast on TV!). This group sat at our table with us. 

I went to use the restroom before we headed out to the bus, and discovered they have a large display case with dolls dressed in traditional costumes from each of the Swiss Cantons. It was so pretty!

All these dolls are dressed in local traditional costumes. 

In a separate larger dining hall were the rest of them!

Leaving the restaurant at 14:42 for the 14:45 bus!

Here's our bus, right on time for the trip back to the train station in Escholzmatt. 

What our two walks looked like: First one kilometer to the south to the Canton Border, then back again to the village, and then another 90 minutes to walk down to the village of Bumbach at the valley bottom. 

These are all the walks we have done in the region of Marbach/Schangnau, Schrattenfluh and Hohgant. 

It didn't take long to get back into the sunshine again. 

The bus heads west toward the village of Schangnau, and from there heads north along the valley. 

This is the lovely Gasthaus (Restaurant and Hotel) in Schangnau. 

Always a pretty sight as we pass the small church just north of Schangnau. 

This would make a lovely painting or jigsaw puzzle photo!

As we head north, a final look to the Hohgant Massif to the south. 

There were so many prepared cross-country trails here, that we decided to inquire about walking trails and returned here a few days later. 

I walked along this valley in February of this year (photos HERE) and now it looks like it would also be a pleasant walk here in winter (which we ended up doing a few days later). 

Passing the village of Marbach

At Wiggen, which is where I ended my February 2024 walk, there isn't a lot of sunshine in winter either, and it looks very cold. This is now 3:15 p.m. 

Gasthaus Sonne in Escholzmatt. 

Our train arrives at 15:21 for the trip to Luzern, and home from there. In all it was a two-hour trip back home from Bumbach. 

Location of Marbachegg within Switzerland.