From the Reuss Valley into the Maderaner Valley

Wednesday August 2, 2017 -- Another wonderful hike close to home, high above the Reuss Valley on the East Side this time. The 7½-km trail offered so much variety, starting in Silenen with a cable-car ride in an old open transport car, to lush grassy trails and mystical forests, and steep rocky sections with stunning views into the busy Reuss valley. There was even an old Tibetan-Style suspension bridge, with maximum capacity of ONE (in winter, but who comes up here in winter?)

The first part of the trail basically followed the path of the Gotthard Basis Tunnel 900m below. Then we turned eastward into the equally stunning Maderaner Valley with some nice views into the Etzli Valley, as the trail continued high above the valley across some interesting cliff faces. Our goal was the little mountain hamlet of Seewen in the Golzern Valley, with a little lake of the same name. Having started early because the day promised to be hot, we reached the hamlet at 12:30, just in time for a lunch of Rösti on a terrace with a view of the lake.

The Maderaner Valley is known for its bounty of quartz crystals, and the locals know where to find them. Instead of lemonade stands, the kids set up crystal stands and price the crystals based on size and formation. You can pick out your crystal and pay into the little cash box. I got a good deal on a pretty smoky quartz for just 2 Francs!

From here, another cable car takes you down the vertical hill to Bristen, from where you can ride a bus down the steep and winding road back into the Reuss Valley. (This is the road that was washed out this spring, leaving the residents of the Maderaner Valley cut off for a few days.)

Side Note: After getting home and looking at my pictures, I tend to forget that part of the pleasure of hiking as we do is the ever-present scent of fresh damp forests after the rain, and newly-mown hay. Everywhere on these steep slopes the farmers mow every possible inch of grass, with special equipment, or by hand with scythes, and sometimes the hay even gets transported out by helicopter....

Heading through the village of Silenen to the cable car station.

Canton Uri has most of Switzerland's cable cars, I think... at least the funnest anyway!

To ride the cable car, you have to phone up to the operator, who lives just a few meters from the upper station. This cable car actually has space for two people and two bikes!

Some other early birds, already heading down the hill!

How great is this view, to the North along the Reuss Valley.

The cable car operator lives in this house just a few meters from the station. He has been operating the cable car for 40 years along with farming up on these steep slopes. He hopes to continue operating the cable car for a few more years....

This helicopter is removing wild hay that has been harvested in the particularly hard-to-reach areas.

In all we walked 7.5km, but there were several steep rocky uphill sections so we went slowly. It took us about 3.5 hours, although the trail markers claimed 2.5 hours.

On the Tibetan-style suspension bridge. Max. capacity = 5, or in winter just ONE person at a time.

Crossing a slide area on the Tibetan-Style suspension bridge.

From up here we get a good view of Arni on the opposite side of the valley, a place we go often with our visitors.

The trail is narrow and rocky but the views are wonderful.

A pleasant trail to walk on, even on the steeper sections!

A large part of this hike is through forests. But we selected the trail on purpose for that reason because the day was going to be hot.

Coffee break on one of the few benches up here.

At this spot called Eisten, we are directly above the Gotthard Basis Tunnel, 900m below us.

View down to Bristen in the Maderaner Valley.

Another view to Arni and Gurtnellen on the opposite side of the Reuss Valley

There was such a great variety along this trail, including this steep cliff area.

 

I believe this bird is a Wallcreeper. This zoom photo was taken from quite a distance, so the red feathers are not visible, but it might be a female.

Another interesting section with an overhanging rock ledge

Looking across the Maderaner Valley into the Etzli Valley to the South

Looking across the Maderaner Valley into the Etzli Valley to the South

The first glimpse of the Golzeren Valley, high above the Maderaner Valley.

When the weather is nice, the slopes are mown and the hay is dried for winter

 

Mowing the steep slopes is a lot of work

In some places where there are lots of boulders, the grass is cut by hand with scythes

This is the cable car which we will take back down to Bristen in the Maderaner Valley.

That's a lot of wood in preparation for a cold winter up here!

Buying the quartz crystals is a matter of honesty. But what's a couple of Francs? And I got myself a nice smoky quartz (upper right) for only 2 Francs.

In the hamlet of Seewen we enjoyed a nice lunch with a view of the lake.

In the hamlet of Seewen we enjoyed a nice lunch with a view of the lake.

Heading back to the cable car station to go down into the Maderaner Valley

 

One last look back into the upper Golzern Valley

The road out of the Maderaner Valley is steep and curvy and was washed out this spring, cutting the entire valley off for a few days, until they resuscitated an old funicular from the power plant at Amsteg in the Reuss Valley below.

What our hike looks like, starting at the summit station of the Chilcherberg cable-way, and walking into the Golzern high plateau, then back to the Golzern cable-car station. 

From the Riemenstalder Valley to the Muota Valley (Muotathal)

July 30, 2017 -- There are so many beautiful spots within two hours of home and one of these is the Riemenstalder Valley off Lake Lucerne (or rather, Lake Uri). If you don't have a car, you phone ahead for a ride and they come pick you up in the Post Van at the train station in Sisikon, and drive you up the steep and narrow windy road to the back of the valley.

Usually from there we take the cable car up higher to the lovely Spilauer Lake, but for this Sunday's hike (which was supposed to be an easy 10-km walk) we decided to walk up and over to the Muota Valley. Usually walking downhill is no issue for me, but after a 15-km downhill hike the day before, I was feeling it in my calves, and could barely manage the final steep descent, 4 km along a paved road.

But besides the fact that I can barely walk anymore, it was a beautiful sunny and cow-filled day.

The day starts in Sisikon on lake Uri, where a nice lady picked us and five other people up for the ride into the Riemenstalden Valley.

Heading East into the Riemenstalden Valley with the sun in our eyes because it was quite early.

Across the valley high up on the ridge to the South are some pretty cool rock formations.

Our 10-km hike from Käppeliberg (Riemenstalden) to Muotathal took us 4 hours because I had to walk slowly

Looking westward along the Riemenstalden Valley

The cows had just been sent out of the barn, they know where they are heading

Joining the cows on their march to the meadows

Hiking trails in Switzerland are often shared with the cows.

Hiking trails in Switzerland are often shared with the cows.

This area is Karst topography.

This area is Karst topography. In fact, the Hölloch Caves in Muotathal form the largest cave system in Europe.

I like the colors on this picture

Heading toward the Muota Valley

Typical Central Switzerland landscape

What a cutie!

As we approach the Muota Valley, we get some more clear views of the red peak of the Greater Mythen

Muota Valley (Muotathal) and the village of Muotathal below.

To the East is the Pragel Pass which we hiked over last year, and at the back is the Silberen Mountain, a large karstic plateau. Just this side of the plateau is the Bödmeren Primeval Forest, an ancient woodland which came into being 7000 years ago after the ice age. It is home to the oldest spruce trees in Europe, and at 450 hectares is the largest spruce forest in Western Europe. Right below the forest are the 200 km of karstic caves.

Our final 4 km were steep downhill along this paved road.

Finally arriving in Muotathal, up in the center is where we came down from, that's 450m altitude.

We finished early, it was only 12:45, so we rewarded ourselves with Whisky Torte

These are all the hikes we have done so far in this small area