Second Half of the Gommer High Trail (Gommer Höhenweg)

Tuesday September 25, 2018 -- All along the Goms Valley from Oberwald at the exit of the Furka Base Tunnel to Bellwald near the Aletschglacier is a 30-km trail called the Gommer High Trail, which is done in two stages (11 km and 18 km) which you can start or end in the quaint Valais village of Münster, about half-way down the valley.

We did the shorter section in November 2016 and had always planned to do the longer section, but because it's not possible for us to do as a day-trip (the second section takes 6 hours to walk) we made it part of a two-day trip, starting in Münster and ending at a hotel in Bellwald (Day 2 was a mountain hike starting with a cable car in Bellwald).

(Here is a link to my album entry for the first half of this trail: Click Here )


We started with a 45-minute tour of the little village of Münster, where we've been several times already but only this time realized there is an "old" part of this "old village" that we had never seen before! The typical structures here are large houses made of dark wood, and loads of tiny barns on raised "mushroom posts" (prevents the mice from accessing the hay) which are currently being renovated into small homes. Some of these structures date at least as far back as 1500, and everywhere you turn, it is QUAINT. I think this has become my favourite Swiss village.

From here a half-hour uphill hike takes you to the same point where we started last time (heading North) except this time we headed South. The trails are very good, mostly narrow trails through forests with the odd view to the villages below in the valley where the young Rhone River (called Rotten here) makes its way toward Lake Geneva. There are many side valleys, and these were the highlight to walk, although each time one side was in deep shadow. And we noticed that all these side valleys were COVERED in Fireweed, but already finished blooming... what a shame! Too late for the purple fireweed, and too early for the yellow larches.

I was very proud of my achievement, 6 hours (19 km) hiking after an hour of village viewing, but a couple of times I really didn't think I could go on, especially on the last uphill stretch. I was glad for dinner and bed and looking forward to the next day, to starting early with the cable car to the lofty elevation of 2875m to look down on the Fiescher Glacier!

The excursion really starts in Andermatt with the Gotthard Matterhorn train, which first takes you through the Urseren Valley to Realp, then through the Furka Base Tunnel to the Goms Valley

Early morning traveling across the Ursuren Valley between Andermatt and Realp

This is the village of Oberwald, at the very top of the Goms Valley after exiting the Furka Base Tunnel. In the back, on the left, is the Rhone Glacier, the feeder for the Rhone River, called Rotten here.

We spent 45 minutes walking around the REAL main part of Münster, which we had not even noticed existed before!

This quaint village of Münster in the Goms Valley Canton Valais is probably my favourite Swiss Village

The sheep had just been brought down from the higher alpine pastures and were being sorted in the village... they belong to various farmers.

Strolling through the village of Münster before heading on our 19-km, 6-hour hike

From Münster it's a 30-minute uphill walk to the Gommer High Trail. Part 1 is to the NE (only 11 km), Part 2 is to the SW, 19 km. Knowing what I know now, we should have added the first side valley to Part 1

A 30-minute uphill climb from Münster to the start of the Gommer High Trail

In the back is Mount Weisshorn, which we glimpsed several times. This peak is 4506m high

The first side valley with the stream called Minstigerbach was my favourite.

Sitting in a field of fireweed, imagining how beautiful this would look all purple-pink!

Below the villages of Reckingen and Gluringen, and the Rotten River making its way toward Lake Geneva.

This is the second side valley with the stream called Reckingerbach. This is where we had our picnic lunch and a nice long break

Each side valley brought us higher from the Goms Valley

Between Gluringen and Biel in the valley bottom stands this little church all by itself

Third side valley, this stream is called Walibach, and on the other side in the shade is a tiny mountain hut called Walihütte where the owners serve drinks, cake and real raclette over an open fire which they have not been allowed to do all summer because of the fire ban here.

It's always exciting when we catch sight of marmots and other wild animals. We also saw a Golden Eagle.

More evidence of the fireweed that bloomed in August

Even though it was in shadow, we decided to stop at the Walihütte for drinks and cake at 4 p.m and a chat with the lady who is up here every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. She can drive to within 15-minutes walk to the hut

At 5 pm we are walking in shadow, but below us the village of Blitzingen still has lovely sunshine

Finally we get to Bellwald at 6 pm and the sun has just set here

This is the view from our hotel balcony in Bellwald. The peaks still in sunshine are where we want to go up the next day, with the cable car you can see through the swathe in the forest. There are actually two cable cars. The hotel gives you a guest card to ride the cable cars for free, and that was the reason we made a 2-day trip out of it.

This is the lower Goms Valley. The 19 km trail from Münster to Bellwald, took us 6 hours. The plan for the next day is to hike to the top of Mount Risihorn for a look at the Fiescher Glacier

Lesser Known Trail in Engelberg Valley: Rugisbalm and Lake Lutersee

Sunday September 24, 2018 -- Most hikers who go to Engelberg in Central Switzerland either walk the very popular Walenpfad Trail on the East side of the Valley, or they take the cable car up to Lake Trübsee to the South, where they start on the Five-Lakes Hike to Melchsee Frutt (both of which we have done before).

On the West side of the valley is a lesser-known trail which starts at a mountain pasture high above the valley, and passes via a pretty alpine lake called Lake Lutersee before descending along a sometimes steep but not-at-all-boring trail to Engelberg. To get to the starting point of the hike, though, we had to walk two kilometers from the train station at Grafenort, and then take two private cable cars of which there are very many in this particular valley, and one which we specifically wanted to try out on this tour. The first part of the cable car connects a typical old Swiss farmstead with the valley bottom, and the second part, which leaves at practically right angles to the first, connects the farm with its alpine meadow far above the valley, where the cows are brought up each Spring to graze, and we were lucky that they were still in pasture up here, so that once again, we could hike with the always soothing familiar sound of their bells. 

A local man who rode up with us informed us that this was one of the very first cable cars built in two sections, i.e. with a bend in it. At first the association for cable cars was wary to provide certification for public use, but upon inspection found out it was very well built and is in fact something rather unique. As with all these private cable cars, the farmer is kept busy answering the phone, collecting the cash, and running the motor...

As almost to be expected in the last while, the first part of our hike was accompanied by the usual cloud cover, but this turned out to be an advantage for our 300m ascent, and as we had lunch at the little lake (where we also espied marmots and a chamois on the steep rough flanks), the clouds parted enough to offer some very satisfying vistas, not only of the little lake with Mount Titlis reflected in it, but also of the entire Engelberg Valley both to the North and East. 

To get to the Lutersee Cable Car we first had a pleasant 2-km walk along the Engelberg Aa River

Up ahead is the lower cable car "shelter", where the first part takes you to the plateau in the middle where there is a farm. There you pay the farmer and go for the second ride to the right. Our goal is Lake Lutersee on the upper plateau on the left, before descending to Engelberg

 

Another unique and adventurous ride on a private farmer's cable car: Lutersee Bahn, one of the first private lines built in two parts at right angles.

At the switch point, you pay the farmer, while she is busy fielding phone calls from the next group below who wants a ride up

View North down the Engelberg Valley as we ride up to the start of our hike

 

This was our route: 2 km from Grafenort to the lower cable car station, 10 km from the upper cable car station via Lake Lutersee and down to Engelberg

Although we had to ascend 300m to the lake (plateau far left) it was a comfortable wide road and we were accompanied by the beloved sound of cowbells

The cows are still grazing on this high alpine pasture, but we were told they were coming down in about a week

 

As we approached the plateau with the Lutersee Lake, we were greeted by this view of Mount Titlis, which is a ski area all year round, but currently looking as if it doesn't have enough snow.

At this spot was a lovely cabin with a bench in front of it where we had our picnic lunch and enjoyed the view as the clouds made their rapid way across the sky, everchanging the reflection on the lake

 

Below the cliffs at the back on the right we saw marmots and chamois

A slight movement below the cliffs alerted us to a wild animal, which turned out to be a chamois

Last view of this upper plateau before making the steep descent to the East to Engelberg

After the first steep descent we came across this mule who took a liking to Luzia

This mule took a liking to Luzia (or maybe her walking sticks?) and followed us for a long while down the hill until we could escape across his fence

On our descent toward Engelberg

View to the North along the Engelberger Aa River

Final approach to Engelberg after almost 5 hours of walking

 

Our excursion for the day: Including the section at the valley bottom, it was 12 km of walking in 4 hours, 45 minutes.

These are the hikes we have done in the past five years in the Engelberg Valley area, including the cable cars

Afternoon Hike in the Maderaner Valley / Reuss Valley

Wednesday September 19, 2018 -- Wednesday, usually a day off for both of us where we leave early in the morning and do one of our long journeys to some remote part of Switzerland.... but today there were other commitments in the morning, so no long trip. Still, including commitments, then going out for lunch, then losing an hour because I-JUST-CAN'T-READ-THE-SCHEDULES-RIGHT-AND-THE-CABLE-CAR-RUNS-ONLY-ON-WEEKENDS which meant another change in plans, we STILL managed a three-hour hike in the mountains, with a view, loads of variety, and with this extra special warm weather even work up a sweat, AND be back home before sundown. Spectacular.

There are so many wonderful hiking opportunities in Canton Uri just South of where we live, and so as we sat in Erstfeld at the Oberschwandi cable car shed -- the cable car that wasn't going to take us up the mountain -- we quickly decided to do a nearby hike that we had done before, but in the opposite direction.

After a narrow, curvy bus ride from Amsteg into the Maderaner Valley we took the Golzern cable car up the mountain and started our 7-km walk at 2 p.m. The trail is so wonderfully varied: Meadow trails, cliff trails, woodsy trails, a suspension bridge and a sunny terrace at the junction of the Reuss and Maderaner Valleys, as well as an exciting descent with one of those open cargo cars (which had just sent up a large load of cheeses for storage at the mountain alp)...  another successful outing even with the original delay. And for 10 SFr. you can get a combi-ticket for the cable cars, ride both for 10 SFr. That's an insider secret....

After ascending the winding road by bus into the Maderaner Valley, we got on the cable-car straightaway for a quick ride up to the sunny terrace we know well: Golzern

This is the Bristen-Golzern cable-car. It is a quick ride up the hill. On Sundays though you might have to wait a few turns...

Looking eastward from the Golzern summit station, there is a lake and a couple of restaurants behind the chapel, a popular destination especially in summer. We have been there several times, but not today. We are heading West.

We are heading westward to Chilcherberge, which you can get to directly in 2 hours, but we want to do a detour via Waldiberg, which was our destination for our original plan. That took three hours.

 

This is not a boring trail, but neither a dangerous one.

A short part of the trail goes along this cliff

At a couple of places you can look down to Bristen, where we started with the cable car

Continuing westward....

 

Last time we were here we saw a Wallcreeper on this wall, an elusive bird usually only seen by hikers in difficult territory

Most of the trail goes through mossy, sun-dappled forests. A good hike for a hot day!

At this place called Eisten we stopped for a coffee break. Here we are directly over the Gotthard Base Tunnel (one km vertically below us) and the trail heads North from here. South of us the mighty Mount Bristen.

Before heading North we descended to Waldiberg, a sunny terrace right at the junction of the Reuss and Maderaner Valleys. We wanted to have a look at the cable car here, which was the original plan for our descent.

 

What a great view of the road that goes from Amsteg in the Reuss Valley below, up the the side Valley called the Maderanertal.

This view is South down the Reuss Valley toward the Gotthard Pass

One last look into the Maderaner Valley before heading North along the Reuss Valley

Ah yes, and this is the Waldiberg cable car, which we had wanted to use to go back to Bristen. This will be for a future excurstion, ON A WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY when the Oberschwandi cable car is in operation!!!

Heading North high above the Reuss Valley. Ahead of us is Erstfeld where we had lunch and originally wanted to go up the mountain there.

Instead of meadow flowers, it's fungus time....

This was a very wobbly suspension bridge. The sign says maximum 5 people at a time allowed on this bridge.

One of many features that make this trail so interesting.

One last meadow to cross to get to Chilcherbergen, where we get to ride another open cargo cable car back down to the Reuss Valley

 

The car had just come up with a load of cheese wheels, so we go to descend right away. Below us is Silenen, and to the South the Reuss Valley.

Reuss Valley to the North

Silenen below

 

It's great fun riding these private open air cable cars!

 

Plan A was to ascend at Erstfeld and descend at Waldiberg, two cable cars we have not yet tried out. Plan B was just as good, ascent with the Golzern Cable Car, descent with the Chilcherberg Cargo Car (10 Fr. for the combi-ticket!)

And this would have been our ascent in Erstfeld. It was only when we got here and saw the poster on the wall, that we realized we weren't getting up the mountain here on a Wednesday!