A Favourite Hike from Klausen Pass to Unterschächen via Oberalp and Stäuben Falls

Sunday September 20, 2026 -- Every year friends of ours from California visit us for a few days in September and we try to think of new places to take them, where we have not yet been together.

As I prefer to include a hike of some kind on my excursions, I chose a favourite hiking region of ours in the Schächen Valley at the Klausen Pass, a trail we have walked several times already, featuring stunning mountain landscapes and views deep into the valley, great hiking paths not too strenuous with a couple of interesting sections along a glacier moraine, and finishing off with a descent to valley bottom with one of those exciting alpine cargo cable cars (which we had to specially request to be operated as the farmers are usually down in the valley at the end of August). This part of the excursion was only 90 minutes (5 km), but it still required another four kilometers to hike right out of the valley to the bus stop at Unterschächen.

This particular outing also included a visit to the magnificent Stäuben Falls, an absolute Instaspot, although for us oldies it's not the "must do" that it seems to be for many tourists.

(PS: This is a very long entry because I had so many beautiful photos). 

PART I: Trip to the Klausen Pass

First of all, the day starts out with absolute clear skies and perfect visibility as displayed here at 8:20 from the train station in Küssnacht am Rigi. This stunning view is a close-up of the Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau trio in the Bernese Alps. 

A stretch we ride often with the train from Arth-Goldau southwards past Lake Lauerz toward the Reuss Valley. 

And a photo that has become a part of every trip along Lake Uri as the train passes through Sisikon on the way to Flüelen. 

On this beautiful day, we knew there would be very many people on the bus to the Klausen Pass from the Altdorf train station, so using an insider "trick", we rode the earlier bus across the Reuss River in the other direction into Attinghausen and back to Altdorf, instead of waiting 20 minutes at the train station. That way we were the first people on the bus and got the front seats for our guests!

The bus passes through the main part of Altdorf town before heading into the Schächen Valley. This here is the famous monument to William Tell (According to the story, this is the region where William Tell was born). 

A view back toward the Reuss Valley as our bus now heads up into the Schächen Valley.

As the bus climbs higher along the Klausen Pass Road, the valley becomes deeper and deeper. The second part of our hike was along the Schächen River on that valley bottom, to the town of Unterschächen at the junction of the Brunni Valley. 

Close to the Klausen Pass, a view directly south across the valley we can see where we are walking later, at the foot of Mt.Schärhorn to the Oberalp alpine pasture, where we took the cable-car down at the little arrow. (You can just make out the cable of the cable-car on the right). 

The bus has a 5-minute stop at the Klausen Pass Hotel and we can get out and get a nice look down the valley and at the Oberalp pastures where we are going to hike to. 

Just before 11 a.m. we were up at the pass, getting ready to head out on the trail, which goes past the little chapel on the left, heading westward.  

First a little detour past the parking lot, to look down the other side of the pass to the East. This is called Urnerboden, the largest upper valley of Canton Uri, where over 1000 cattle roam free during the summer. 

PART II: Hike to Oberalp from Klausen Pass

The first part of our hike is a 5-km, 90-minute walk from the Klausen Pass via the glacier debris below Mt. Schärhorn to the cable-car station at Oberalp pastures. (After descending with the cable car and spending some time at the waterfall in Äsch, we then walked out of the valley). Not in a hurry, it took us three hours to do this part of the hike. 

Group photo at the start of our hike!

View to the north side of the valley, to the Klausen Pass Road and the Klausenpass Hotel. Twice I have hiked to the ridge at the arrow (it takes just over an hour). Most "recently", Urs and I hiked up there in June of 2018, when we first walked along the ridge and then headed down into the Bisis Valley on the other side. 

A look behind us now toward the Klausen Pass (you can see the cars in the parking lot). 

After only about 20 minutes along the trail, we spotted our favourite view bench, so we took a detour that way, to sit for a while to enjoy this fantastic view.....  

Spectacular Schächen Valley, one of our favourite places in Switzerland. 

Continuing along, we were alerted to some marmots through their warning whistles. It's always fun to spot them in the mountains. 

Up here is a large region of limestone rock, with lots of furrows and crevasses. 

This first part of the trail was an easy, level road, with views of the Griess Glacier on Mt.Schärhorn.

The landscape is never boring here, it changes at every curve of the trail. 

Up ahead is a large field of gravel and debris left behind by the retreating glacier. 

Some very nice lighting on the rocky landscape. 

The trail has now narrowed to a typical mountain footpath, the kind we love to hike on. 

Making our way along a familiar mountain trail, which we have walked several times before. And it never gets boring. 

A fantastic landscape for a fall hike. 

Here is the steep drop where the Griess River flows from the Griess Glacier down into the valley bottom, forming the popular Stäuben Falls, which we are going to see later. And across the valley, the fabulous Klausen Pass Road which we traveled by bus to get up to the pass. 

Crossing the Griess River, which flows from the Griess Glacier. We were here most recently in June 2025 on another similarly fantastic hike. 

At 1 p.m. we found another bench, which was an ideal place for our picnic lunch!

As we continue westward, we see more and more of the fantastic vertical cliffs that form the back of the Schächen Valley. 

Jeff loves photos where someone is pointing! 

This hike never gets boring for us, even though this is the fourth time I am walking this stretch.  

Final stretch is downhill, and here the walking poles got some use!

Up ahead at the arrow is the goal of this first part of our hike: The cargo cable-car station of the Oberalp/Äsch cable-way. 

On this "exciting" stretch, cable hand-holds help with the descent!

A look behind us. 

And the trail up ahead. 

Another look at the fantastic vertical cliff face. 

Urs had promised Mr. Siedler, the cable-car operator, that we would call about half an hour before we reached the station, so that he could walk over from his home in the valley bottom and operate the cable-car for us when we got there. 

This photo shows the magnitude of the trail we followed to get here to the Oberalp pastures. 

Side note: The very first time we walked this trail from the Klausen Pass to here in July 2016, we descended from this spot along the second stream that ultimately forms the Stäuben Falls, and along the base of those vertical cliffs, to the little hamlet at Äsch (instead of taking the cargo cable car down, as we did this day). Those photos are HERE. 

PART III: Another Fun Ride with a Cargo Cable-Car, from Oberalp to Äsch

By 2 p.m. we reached the little shed for the Äsch-Oberalp cable-car. Before calling for the operator, we took some photos in the little "car", that holds maximum three people at a time. We then decided who was going to travel down with whom!

As it turns out, some of the farmers were still up here getting ready for the winter, so a lady walked over and set the cable-car in operation for us. 

Urs and Carrie get the first ride down at 2:20 p.m.! This cable-car, by the way, is the life-line for the four farms and a vacation home up here, as there are no roads up to this alpine pasture. 

VIDEO:

The Äsch-Oberalp cable-car heads off with Urs and Carrie

(First half of the video is Jeff's, second half is mine). 

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While we waited for the opposite car to make its way up (a 12-minute run), we chatted with the lady who operated the cable-car for us.     

This little cable-car is a life-line for the four farms up here at Oberalp. It has been in operation since 1959, and with a cable of 1200 meters, is one of the longest mast-free runs for a cable-car in Canton Uri. (More details HERE). 

At 2:30 p.m., the other "car" arrives from below, so that Jeff and I can now ride down together. 

I introduced our guests to this mode of transportation three years ago, and since then they hope to ride this way every time they come visit us!

View down the Schächen Valley as we start on our descent. 

VIDEO:

...of the ride down from Oberalp into the Schächen Valley

Passing the other cabin at the half-way point!

Now futher down we can see the Schächen River which we will follow later on the four-kilometer walk out of the valley to the town of Unterschächen in the center of the photo. 

And we can even see the road which we will be walking along. 

And the view of the small community of Äsch at the base of those vertical cliffs. 

Now we also get the first look at the Stäuben Waterfall (also known as the Stäubifälle). 

Nearing the bottom station of the cable-car at 14:43. 

It's Carrie's and Urs' turn to make photos and videos of us coming down from the Oberalp .

VIDEO:

Carrie's attempt at a video as we arrive at the bottom of the cable-car line.

PART IV: Äsch and the Stäuben Falls at the back of the Schächen Valley

This view is what very many foreign tourists walk the four kilometers up the road from Unterschächen to photograph, for posting on social media sites!

We are headed to the little bridge over the Schächen River for a closer look at the waterfall. 

Magnificent Stäuben Waterfall. We crossed both streams that form this waterfall on our hike higher up. (Urs' Photo). 

Although not "forbidden", it's not advisable to get that close to the waterfalls, as the rocks can be pretty slippery! But anything for that special photo.... 

Additionally, we now get a really good look at the trail we descended earlier this year on our July hike down to the waterfalls directly from the pass (a very steep trail). Photos HERE. 

Before heading out of the valley, we decided to go to the little restaurant (Gasthöfli Alp Aesch) for something to drink. 

Final look behind us at the waterfall as we start on the hour-long walk out of the valley at just after 4 p.m. 

PART V:  Four-Kilometer Walk along the Schächen Valley Bottom to Unterschächen

We pass by the valley station of the cable-car again, and are impressed at the long cable without masts. The cable is 1200 meters long and one of the longest with fewest masts (just the one in line with the little shed at the top) in Canton Uri. 

The second part of our hike is an easy four-kilometer stretch along the Schächen River to Unterschächen village at the junction of the Brunni Valley. Altogether this was an almost 10-kilometer, three-hour walk this day. (We made it 6-1/2 hours!)

The Schächen Valley stretches out ahead of us. It has become overcast now, which is not a bad thing, so that our walk was not too hot. 

An easy road down the Schächen Valley along the Schächen River. This is the same trail that all the tourists take who come up to photograph the waterfall for Social Media Sites. 

Along the trail we spotted a tiny mole, which was totally oblivious to our presence. 

Schächen River

At Ribi is another cable car to the upper alpine meadows further west from Oberalp. Also here starts a nice soft trail for the final stretch to Unterschächen. (Photo on the left is Jeff's). 

We're being watched again? Also, the farmer was getting the cows into the barn, a couple at a time!

Now we are at the junction of the beautiful Brunni Valley. The mountain at the back is called the Gross Ruchen, and is the largest north face in the Swiss Alps. (Also, it was here just a week later that 2000 m3 of rock broke off that mountain. More info HERE). 

A final look behind us up the Schächen Valley toward the Klausen Pass

Unterschächen church on the hill above the bus stop, which we reached at 5:30 p.m., in plenty of time for the 17:44 bus to Altdorf, and ultimately a 2-hour trip back home. 

Final look into the Brunni Valley where the late afternoon sunshine lights up the hillside, where we also walked on two separate occasions. 

PART VI: A Short Stop in Altdorf on the Way back Home

When we got to Altdorf center at the William Tell Monument at 18:10, we skipped a bus and spent 20 minutes here, to climb into the tower for a view over the town, and to walk a couple of alleyways. 

View from the tower at the William Tell monument in Altdorf. 

View from the tower at the William Tell monument in Altdorf. 

A little walk around a couple of alleys in Altdorf before taking the next bus to the train station and home, only an hour from here.  

What our full hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. We started at 11 a.m. at the pass, and caught the 17:44 bus back out of the valley at Unterschächen. 

Location of the Schächen Valley and Klausen Pass within Switzerland