From Langnau to Eggiwil in the Emmental

November 1, 2017 -- Not all of our hikes are ideal, and this one wasn't one of my favourites. The weather was good and we had nice views, but I wasn't prepared for about half of the tour to be on paved roads. I can walk a long time on meadow and forest trails, and especially on high alpine trails, but asphalt tires me out within minutes.

It was a cold morning, so our long uphill climb on the shady side of the mountain was actually quite enjoyable. Here the trails were good and interesting and the cows are thrilled to be out in this weather, so we were accompanied by the cowbells, which is always a treat. But there was more forest than views, which I hadn't been expecting. Still, I was able to get some nice photos. We were accompanied by views of the typical rolling hills of the Emmental along the way, and where we stopped for lunch (Blapbach) we saw a few of the snowy peaks of the Bernese Alps. The restaurant is known for its meringue desserts, but it was so busy that our order took a long time coming, so no time for dessert. Instead we bought some meringues when we got back down to the valley, and made our own dessert at home (also WAY cheaper that way!)

The most interesting feature on this tour was that we unexpectedly came upon one of the very oldest tunnels in Switzerland. We all know the Swiss have been building tunnels galore, but this one called the "Hegenloch" was blasted by locals in the mid 1800's using only Bernese black powder as an explosive. The "rock" is what they call "puddingstone", probably easier to blast than other rock, but still it made me think of the difference between cutting down a tree with an axe or a chainsaw....

Another 13 km hike in the Emmental, 4 hours, from Langnau to Eggiwil, about 600 altitude meters both up and down.

Cows are happy to be outside in the crisp weather

This farmer just sent his mamas and babies out to the pasture to enjoy the lovely morning as well

The farmer just sent his mamas and babies out to the pasture to enjoy the lovely morning as well

The Emmental is a pastoral landscape of low rolling hills

Carved from the Siamese Twin Tree

Here in the Emmental they prefer Simmental cows to the Swiss Brown

The Hegenloch tunnel is one of the oldest tunnels in Switzerland 

The Hegenloch tunnel is one of the oldest tunnels in Switzerland 

We walked through a lot of sun-dappled forests. These sections of trail are preferable to the paved roads

As we got close to the restaurant (after 3 hours of walking) we finally got the view I was expecting the whole way

The peaks of Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn and Finsteraarhorn from the Bernese Alps are just visible on the horizon

I could say this one picture made the 4-hour hike worthwhile

Restaurant Blapbach, where we had a very good lunch on the terrace, is a popular restaurant and we had to wait a long time for our food. Any mountain restaurant accessible by car will be bound to be popular on such a beautiful fall day.

On the last hour steep downhill to Eggiwil, the view South was unfortunately quite hazy

In any case, the Emmental farms and houses are always a highlight

On our descent to Eggiwil we passed many interesting Emmental buildings.

On our descent to Eggiwil we passed many interesting Emmental buildings.

Crossing the Emme River before reaching Eggiwil

Hotel feature in Eggiwil

Hoping to "score" some meringues before the bus came. Bakery was open, but there was no one there to serve us. The owner must have gone upstairs for a quick nap.

Hotel in Signau, where we changed from bus to train

Five minutes till the train in Signau, and we found the meringues in a butcher shop!

And here's the made-at-home dessert.... (ice cream, meringue and whipped cream)

Hiking a Glacier Moraine in view of Mount Matterhorn.

October 11, 2017  (This is the third installment of our 3-day trip early October to the Valais, another Glacier experience....)

Day 1: http://swisstravelgirl.blogspot.ch/2017/10/hike-across-aspi-titter-suspension.html
Day 2: http://swisstravelgirl.blogspot.ch/2017/10/hike-around-lake-moiry-in-val-danniviers.html

We waited for the best weather to do this trip to the Matterhorn (Switzerland's most distinctive and probably best-known peak), because we don't go there often (way way way too many people, ALL the time, any time of year) so we wanted to make it a good one.

We left our apartment for the last time early in the morning for our walk to the cable car station, and within 30 minutes boarded the train to Zermatt (in Visp). We were lucky to be early, because there was "standing room only" for those who came later for the 1 hour ride in the little red train.

Once in the shadowy, motor-vehicle-free city of Zermatt, an 8-minute funicular ride THROUGH the mountain took us up to the sunny Sunegga terrace ("Sunny Corner") in the Findelbach Valley, from where we had a decent uphill hike to the first lake of what we had planned to be a "five-lake hike". But having gotten there, we realized the rest of the hike was not only along monotonous wide roads, but partly on the shady side of the valley, which had received snow recently.

So we decided to concentrate on the other more important plan for the day: walk all the way to the back of the valley and return along the ridge of the Findel Glacier's northern moraine, an exciting way to round off our three-day glacier-themed vacation. And exciting it was! Not for people who suffer from vertigo, the ridge trail was narrow and at places patchy with recent snow, and in many more places missing altogether where the sides of the moraine had already collapsed. So much better than a boring 5-lake hike on wide roads. It is an overwhelming sensation to know you are walking on trash left behind by a moving mass of ice....

And along the way, we still got to see all five of the lakes, mostly from the narrow trail higher up on the slope on the way back to the funicular station. A very successful and memorable Plan B....

*** Interesting note: The North side of the Matterhorn is in Switzerland. Seen from Italy on the South side, the peak is much less distinctive.

Leaving Eischoll for the last time, early morning. It was a great place to spend two nights, even though we had to get there by cable car.

Once in Zermatt, we took the Funicular to Sunegga, then walked an hour to the first lake on the "5-Lakes Trail", the Stellisee. After a pleasant picnic at the lake, another hour uphill and we were on the moraine ridge, to head back down again.

We could hardly have gotten a more beautiful day for this hike. This is the summit station of the Sunegga funicular, the start of our hike.

No wonder Zermatt is a favourite tourist destination: this stunning distinctive rock is definitely a must-see.

Down below is one of the other lakes on the 5-Lake Trail

Such a fascinating mountain: Mount Matterhorn

Up ahead are the moraines from the Findel Glacier. It's the nearer one that we walked back on.

The first of the lakes on the popular 5-Lake Hike: Stellisee. At the back, the black ridge is the moraine we want to walk on.

Great place for our picnic lunch

Instead of heading down into the larch forest to the other lakes, we walked to the back of the valley, to the Findel Glacier. Below is the Stellisee Lake where we had our picnic lunch.

An unusual view of Mount Matterhorn. This was a the Berghauf Flühalp (which was closed). 

There were several places we could have ascended the moraine, but we went as far up as possible.

This is where we ascended the moraine. It was steeper than it looks and there was snow on the trail.

It never stops taking your breath away, being so close to such magnificence. This is the Findel Glacier.

150m below us to the left is the glacier tongue, and this is the ridge we are walking back on.

Along the way we had to navigate around sections of the ridge that have already crumbled.

Every once in a while, a glance backward at the tongue of ice.

Once we got off the moraine, we decided on a higher trail back to the funicular station, instead of heading down to the lakes, to the Five-Lake Trail. This way we saw all the lakes from above, instead of walking past them on the wide road.

This lake, the Grindjesee, was particularly pretty, with the yellowing larches.

The four additional lakes which form part of the Five-Lake Trail. We saw them all from above.

 

Farewell to Mount Matterhorn, we might not see you again for a long time!

The Matterhorn belongs half to Switzerland and half to Italy. From Zermatt, most people travel up to the Gornergrat Ridge to see the Gorner Glacier and the Dufour Peak, which is the highest peak in the Swiss Alps.

Only 10 km, but it took us 4 hours 30 minutes for the hike, because we had to be very careful on the moraine ridge. Also, it was a total 500m ascent.