From Lake Arnisee to Gurtnellen Village and Town in the Reuss Valley

Wednesday Nov.11, 2020 -- More fabulous November weather for hiking, although at this time of year planning hikes becomes difficult, as many cable cars undergo revision for the skiing season, and so we have limited opportunities to get up into the mountains.

But one of our favourite places on a hillside high above the Reuss Valley in the Uri Alps, near a beloved alpine lake called Arnisee (Arni Lake), is accessed by two cable cars which run all year round as there are locals who live here all year. Also, this is the hillside where Urs' Dad grew up, and many members of the extended family still live and farm there, so we come up often and usually run into someone he knows. It is a beautiful area with stunning mountain backdrops, and not a tourist area, so we will often take our visitors here as well. Furthermore, the stretch we walk is not difficult, so even people who are not avid hikers can enjoy this beautiful sojourn into the mountains.

Each time we come here, we try a bit of a different variation to the hike, coming up with one of the two small cable cars, then adding on a side hike into the Intschi Valley, a detour to the North to look at the view down the Reuss Valley, a loop around the lake, or.... once we've reached the tiny hamlet called Gurtnellen Dorf, walking down to the valley bottom along a variety of different trails. 

After 9 times already along the trail from Arnisee to Gurtnellen, one would think there are no new options left, but this time we did find one, a former mule trail through the woods to the site of the water feed from the Gorneren Valley to the power plant in Gurtnellen Town below. A trail which Urs had not even discovered, and even with the loss of sunshine, one which we really enjoyed.

Crossing the Reuss Valley by bus on the way to Amsteg: This view is northwards from where we came, it promises to be a beautiful day!

Our cabin descending to pick us up! We only had to wait for one transfer this time, not like last time we were here on a Sunday. But after us came a group of people, so we were lucky. (The cabin transfers only four people at a time!)

Heading up to the hillside that is called Arni, high above the Reuss Valley. Here the valley is quite narrow, and there is a lot of shade in late fall and winter. (In some spots they only have three hours of sunshine per day in winter).

One of my favourite views from the cable car shelter into the Maderaner Valley on the other side.

VIDEO:

Amsteg-Arni Cable Car

Descending to Amsteg

This cable car connects the valley bottom with the houses at "Mittel Arni" (Middle Arni). From here you can walk northwards to "Vorder Arni" (Fore Arni) (which we did just a few weeks ago), or southwards toward the little lake: Arnisee. There is a second cable car on the South side of the lake.

Heading toward the lake. Some of these houses are occupied year-round.

A look back across Mittel Arni to the cable car station, and the Mountain called "Chli Windgällen". In early July this year, we did a 2-day hike in the region to the left of that mountain.

Across from the lake is this massive ant hill! We have observed many such ant hills on our hikes through the Swiss forests.

Lake Arnisee, a popular spot both in summer and in winter because it can be accessed from two cable cars, and there is a nice picnic area here.

From the Arni cable car, we walked South past the lake and then to Gurtnellen Dorf, where we usually run into some relatives of Urs'. That stretch is only two hours on a relatively easy road, so we usually add a stretch, like a descent to the valley bottom (there is a bus, but not till 15:30). This time we decided to hike along the hillside via the water feeder pipes from the Gorneren Valley to the power plant below.

I always admire this spot as we pass by, a trail that leads into a side valley where I have never been before. 

As we head South, a look back toward the Maderaner Valley (across) and the Reuss Valley below, we are surprised at the sudden emergence of thick fog, for which there had been no indication whatsoever as we came South by train and bus from Lake Urnersee!

This used to be a favourite lunch bench of ours (at Heissigegg), but they changed everything in the past three years since we were here last! The bench used to face the other way. (By the way, we also have walked a couple of times across the hillside with the clearing on the other side of the valley).

A second  bench has been added since we were here last. I guess it was a good idea, since the view South toward the Gotthard region from here is fantastic! (Our walk takes us across the hillside on the right)

Our trail (a wide gravel road) passes above and below those two clearings ahead.

The last couple of times we walked here, we took a detour above this house and into the side valley ahead (Intschialp), but at this time of year it looks too cold and shady

We found a bear! (Urs = bear)

We are glad we are above the fog, but getting worried, as it is rising quickly, and the village of Gurtnellen, where we are headed, is quite a bit lower. Originally, we had planned to walk down to the valley bottom right down there where the fog is, so that plan was scrapped.

From the viewpoint before the descent to Gurtnellen, we can see the village, and are worried that the fog is going to roll up here. As it turns out, it dissipated shortly afterwards.

Heading down to Gurtnellen

The pastures are still so beautifully green here! Behind me is Mt. Bristen.

The farmers were fertilizing their pastures with pig manure as we crossed down the hill... a typical smell in the Swiss countryside!

A look up the Reuss Valley where the fog is still spreading some tendrils

Arriving in Gurtnellen Village, which consists of a church, two restaurants, and a handful of homes! No fog here after all!

There is a bus which runs from here to the valley bottom, but not often, and not between noon and 3:30 p.m. It was now 2:30 p.m. and we hadn't walked enough anyway, so we continued along a trail neither of us had done before, high above the Reuss Valley on a very nice old mule trail.

As we continue southward along the hillside, a look back at Gurtnellen Village

From 300m above the Reuss River, a look at the lower town of Gurtnellen, where we are going to catch the bus (bus stop along the road on the left of the picture).

Walking along the old mule trail about 300m above the Reuss River valley bottom.

We soon lost the afternoon sunshine here as well, but very much enjoyed the extra hour we walked here along the mountainside.

We crossed the pipeline which brings down water from the Gorneren Valley above, and it still has a working funicular rail line!

Descending past the Stäuben Chapel, a popular pilgrim destination, built in 1919.

Near the bottom, one of the buildings connected to the power plant. I had assumed that the funicular railway would surely still transport workers up into the valley, so Urs went to check out the transport wagon.

And sure enough, the transport wagon has seats for the workers... but this is not available to the public!

Final section, crossing the Reuss River to the road on the other side, where we catch a bus back down the valley (northwards). This here is Gurtnellen Town, as opposed to Gurtnellen Village on the hillside.

Our hike mapped out on Google Earth. Without any detours into the side valley, the walk from the cable car to Gurtnellen Village along mostly a wide road, takes about 2.5 hours. Our additional section took another hour.

This is the 10th time we have been here, but the last time was in 2017....

Here is a link to the photos of the last time we were here in May 2017: Click Here.

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Furna Round Tour in the Prättigau Region of Canton Graubünden/Grisons

Saturday November 7, 2020 -- Most of the buses that take us to higher elevations no longer run after mid-October, so on a beautiful late autumn day in November, it's a treat to discover routes where the smaller buses still run part-way up "smaller" mountains to save us some altitude...

We actually decided on our hike for the day as we were already on the train heading in the direction of Chur. There is a populated hillside in the Prättigau Region of Canton Graubünden above Schiers: Furna is the main community there, and the bus runs all year round (every two hours) along narrow winding roads to 700m above the valley bottom. There is a themed round tour there (according to maps) called "Furner Rundweg" or "Furna Loop", approx. 4 hours, so ideal for us, even though it meant ascending on foot almost 600m to the highest spot.

We had phoned ahead to the restaurant at the end of the bus line to make sure the trail was snow-free, and it being such a beautiful Saturday, we were worried that the little bus would be full. But we were the only passengers, and later saw only a few other people on the trail.

Of the four hours, about one hour was on the shady side of the hill with no sunshine, but the rest of the time it was sometimes almost too warm!  As the early snow has just recently melted here, the trails were also very muddy but no problems there, just very dirty shoes!

What was most interesting for us on this hike is that we were actually in the back part of the "Valzeina" Valley which we had visited a few weeks earlier, at that time with very cloudy skies, so it was particularly wonderful to look down at the place where we hiked at the time, and to see the valley on a clear day! (Link to that album is here: VALZEINA)

Heading up to the end of the Furna line by bus, a photo out of the bus window. At this sawmill is where we came off the mountain right at this spot, and caught the bus back down at 4:30 p.m. (right now it's 10:30, but by then this was all in shadow)

Starting at the final bus stop on this line from Schiers to Furna, we first headed up through the forest to the "pass" beneath the Fadeuer peak (took a little over two hours, half of that in the shade of the forest). For the rest of the way we mostly had sunshine, even on the descent, which was great, because by then the entire hillside we had ascended was already in shadow. Actual walking time was more than four hours, because the trail on the West side was pretty muddy.

Starting up the hill through the forest, with a wonderful view to the North of Sulzfluh and Drusenfluh, which form the border with Austria

Yay! Always happy to come to a sunny clearing! Behind Urs are the Silvretta Alps (also shared by Switzerland and Austria) above the popular ski village of Klosters.

Close-up view of the Silvretta Alps and the Silvretta Glacier.

We reached Alp Sattel in 50 minutes (230m ascent) and had a break here. 

Continuing uphill (also in the shade of the forest) above Alp Sattel with a fabulous view over the Prättigau Region. (Note the U-shaped cleft in the mountains at the back, that is called the Schweizer Tor, i.e. Swiss Gate, where you can cross into Austria)

Zoomed View of the Schweizer Tor (Swiss Gate). There is actually a trail from this side to cross here into Austria. And a building there (probably the old Tollhouse)

After the first 90 minutes and 440m uphill climb, we finally had loads of sunshine. Looking down into what is called the Wallisitentobel, probably a landslide at one time.

Earth pyramids formed by erosion

A long easy stretch before the final and steep 80m climb this side of the little hill 

Final climb! 80m steep uphill, still some snow here, and no path (we just had to beeline from stake to stake). This was tough!

Made it to the top! Now we can also see the mountains to the West, specifically the Calanda Mountains near Chur on the left and the Sardona Region at the back. It took a little over two hours and an ascent of almost 600m to get here, but the next half of the hike was "easy"!

And behind me is the back of the Valzeina Valley... A few weeks ago we were further at the mouth of this valley, and had overcast skies so couldn't see these mountains so well. Nice to get up close like this!

Although there were a few people at the summit of the hill here (Fadeuer), we crossed paths with no one! And this little cabin, far and wide the only building, was the perfect place for a long lunch break!

Enjoying a long, warm lunch break with a wonderful view of the Calanca Mountains, but  also to the back of the Valzeina Valley

Continuing on with our hike around the mountain and looking down into the Valzeina Valley. The trail was pretty wet and muddy, so took longer than normal to walk.

Around the corner, the first magnificent views up the Rhine Valley (which continues East bordering Liechtenstein) and the Seez Valley to the West bordered by the beautiful Churfirsten Range. 

Our trail takes us past the building in the middle. Fantastic view!

For most of the western flank of this hill, the trail was ruined by water and cows, but the corrugated "ridges" were perfectly distanced to walk across their tops.

Down below is a little hamlet called Stams, which you can access by car from Trimmis in the Rhine Valley below it. The snow-covered peaks to the West are most likely the Sardona Region

Magnificent snow-covered peaks, most likely in the Sardona Region (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Before heading back eastward again, we can look down at the village of Valzeina, where we started a hike a few weeks ago, climbing to the ridge and walking down through the forested hill on the right.

Panorama view, including our trail this day

Another section through the mountain's shadow as we head eastward, but a good view over the farmland to the North.

Zoomed view of a lovely barn. The hills behind form the border with Austria and Liechtenstein.

Another lovely barn/farmhouse

Heading eastward before the descent to Furna, thinking this was the last bit of sunshine we were going to have.

Although the valley bottom is in shadow, we were very surprised that we had so much sunshine still for our descent!

Long shadows but surprisingly still lots of sunshine for this time of day! (3:30 p.m.)

Another look down to the valley bottom about 800m below (Fideris) with the beautiful Silvretta Alps above Klosters in the background.

Last bit of sunshine here, but looking across the mountainside to where we ascended, we were very glad we chose to start there and end here!

This is the second hike we have done here in the Furna Mountains. In 2016 we walked into the canyon that is called "Valdavos" and back, to go look at some Earth pyramids. At that time it was extremely hot, the trail was a wide forest road without shade. Not one of our favourite walks. This one (yellow) was better!