From the Isenthal Valley to Bauen on Lake Uri (Urnersee)

Wednesday June 26th -- This was one of the hottest days this summer, but we didn't want to go too far, so we picked an interesting ridge hike near Flüelen where there was a lot of forest to walk through. And even though we started very early in the morning (left home at 6 a.m, started the hike at 8:00 a.m.) it was still too hot, and the heat made the air hazy so what should have been some pretty stunning views southwards into the Reuss Valley left us a bit disappointed.

BUT there were some highlights. We saw chamois again in a clearing, and I almost stepped on a snake (not the first time), I managed to photograph a hummingbird hawk-moth (not easy), but best of all, we got to ride two of those cargo cable cars again! We have a list of all these cable cars in Canton Uri, and our goal is to have ridden on each one of them.

The excursion started with the ever-exciting bus ride into the Isenthal Valley (a zigzag street cut into the sheer cliff face, where the bus JUST fits under the overhang -- until 1901 the only way to access this valley was on foot), then a ride on the cargo cable car with breathtaking views into the back of the Isenthal Valley (you have to take a little detour to a nearby farm to pay for the ride, which only costs 5 SFr. per person), then a hike over the ridge with views South into the Chlital Valley and Reuss Valley, and back down through freshly-mowed hay (we had trouble finding the trail), and another ride down with the only cable car that is still activated manually....

After that it was a pretty long and tiring downhill hike to the village of Bauen, a little village on the West side of Lake Uri, which until 1956 was also only accessible on foot or by boat, and the only public transport there is still by boat. So we got on the boat back to Flüelen, and enjoyed 20 minutes of lovely cool wind on this very very hot day.

Before this road was built in 1901, the only way into the Isenthal Valley was on foot.

It is always a thrill to ride these cable cars. There is a phone on the wall in the shed, you call up to the farmhouse, they tell you to sit in the car, and then they start the motor.

Here's the onther one on its way down. It has mailboxes at the back!

It is also a peaceful slow ride in this cable car. Everything quiet around you, and this beautiful view to the back of the Isenthal Valley

The hike over the ridge was pretty nice, but the descent was long and never-ending. The short additional cable-car ride at Oberbärchi saved us 150m of descent.

On the left is the farm where you first have to pay for the cable car ride before hiking up to the ridge. Obviously, they trust that you will come to pay. If people don't pay, eventually the rides won't be offered to the public.

Looking directly southwards from the village of Isenthal is a valley called Chlital, where we also want to go some time.

This is a hummingbird hawk moth. It was flitting around so quickly that I had a hard time finding its location to photograph it!

At one point we had to descend a ladder. That was fun!

This view into the Reuss Valley (and the side valley is called the Schächental Valley) is very hazy. Possibly because of the heat, or maybe the position of the sun this early in the morning

Some more interesting ground to cover up here

Along this trail were a series of stones with words written on them. This is the Swiss dialect of Canton Uri, where we are hiking. In regular German, these words read "Feuchtigkeit / Trockenheit" which mean "Humidity / Aridity" but in a dialect hard to understand

The entire hillside had just been mowed, and we couldn't find the trail anymore. We walked clear across the field and at one point I slipped, and started sliding...

This weather is perfect for drying the hay, so the farmers are hard at work with their special mowers. Some of it is also done by hand with a scythe

Such a beautiful view North across Lake Uri toward Brunnen. Below is the farmhouse at Oberbärchi where we are going to use their cable car to save us some of the descent.

This is the only remaining cable car in Canton Uri (possibly in Switzerland? Or maybe the ones for public use?) that is still operated manually. The lady told us her kids go down the hill in this transport to go to school in the village of Isenthal

I am totally enjoying riding in these contraptions

The bottom "station" of the cable car. The trail continues below this and it is a long descent to the town of Bauen on the lake, but at least mostly through the forest, so slightly cooler.

Heading down to Lake Uri

Approaching the town of Bauen. The location of this town gives it a special Mediterranean microclimate

The only public transport to this town is by boat

We got to the lake with about 10 minutes to spare for the boat

Fortunately it was quite cool on the 20-minute boat ride back to Flüelen, where we caught the train back to Zug

From across the lake in Sisikon you get a clear look at the village of Bauen, which until 1956 was only accessible by boat or on foot from Seelisberg on the right. Now there is a nice tunnel blasted through the section where we did our hike.

Hike across the Scheidegg Ridge from back in the Isenthal Valley, then down to Bauen and by boat back to Flüelen

Fantastic Hike from Grindelwald First to Schwarzwaldalp in the Reichenbach Valley

Sunday June 23, 2019 -- Another well-planned and executed excursion to Grindelwald on this superlative day! Grindelwald is a favourite destination of Asian tour groups, and we feel like a minority there at any time of year, but the hope was to run into fewer tourists up at Grindelwald First, the start of the popular hike to Lake Bachsee. (Here at the restaurant is also a newly completed cliff walk which we also had to try out... didn't make it out to the end of the platform, though, because it was a regular traffic jam out there...  And there is also a popular zipline up here). 

Our plan was to walk in the opposite direction from the lake, i.e. toward the Reichenbach Valley which connects Meiringen in the North (near the Brünig Pass) to Grindelwald in the South. There were definitely fewer people on this trail, although still surprisingly many. And more snow than we had expected, with a couple of spots of slow-melting avalanche snow. But to say the view was magnificent (with the towering rock walls of the Eiger North Face and Mount Wetterhorn) is an understatement, and the thousands of blue gentians along the trail were a real treat, as were the crocuses where the snow had just melted, and the meadows of yellow globeflowers (apparently poisonous). We even saw a few rare white gentians, and marmots playing on the hillside. 

We got to our destination at Schwarzwaldalp earlier than expected because we took a shorter route than originally planned, but because the day was so wonderful we decided to skip a bus and continue northward along the river for another 3 km... that is, after having our standard icecream dessert and purchasing cheese.


FIRST: The ride up in the cable car:

On the way up by Cable Car to Grindelwald First: You get a good look into the valley of the Lower Grindelwald Glacier. Thirty years ago the glacier came all the way down, and there was an ice cave you could visit. No longer...

To the left, the valley of the upper Grindelwald Glacier. In the back is one of my favourite peaks, Mount Schrekhorn

Zoomed view of the beautiful peak called Mount Schreckhorn

It is a 20-minute cable car ride from Grindelwald to First, from where most people walk to Lake Bachsee (currently still lots of snow up there). We walked to the right across Alp Grindel

Second: The Cliff Walk, opened in 2015 (The crazy Swiss... imagine the work it took to build this -- and an investment of 1.5 Mio SFr --, just so the tourists have something more to do...) 

The suspension bridge, first section of the Cliff Walk. In the background, the stunning Eiger North Face (popular with rock climbers)

The observation point (or "Selfie Platform"): We didn't even bother trying to get out there

Everyone wants their photo taken at the very end of the look-out platform

There is even a suspension bridge in the middle section. 

A couple of tight spots for a big guy. At the back is the popular trail up to Lake Bachsee. Still a lot of snow up there.

Stunning geology and a view down to Grindelwald in the valley below

This photo I took in October 2017 when I was up here last. From here you can see the entire cliff walk. 

THIRD: The hike from Grindelwald First to Schwarzwaldalp, especially the flowers!

Our original plan was to stay at altitude for longer before descending to Schwarzwaldalp, but we weren't sure about the snow. So we descended sooner, which was great because the trail was better and the flowers were fabulous. Instead of catching the bus at Schwarzwaldalp, we decided to continue the next 3 km along the river.

Near Grindelwald First, at the start of our hike, there are still several large snow patches to cross

My favourite kind of trails

The weather was absolutely perfect for this hike: Warm with a slight breeze, and clear skies. 

The entire hillsides were covered in gentians. 

These white gentians are very rare: For every 5000 blue ones, there might be one white one. They are actually albino gentians. Folklore has it that there was treasure buried beneath these flowers.

The beautiful panorama of the Central Bernese Alps

Random hikers also walking this beautiful trail

Behind Urs, the mighty Mount Wetterhorn.

Way up high on the hill the marmots are coming out.

This was also way up the hill

Under this large patch of snow (probably from an avalanche) is a bridge crossing a stream. 

The mighty North Face of Mount Eiger

The crocuses are just peeking out where the snow has just melted. And everywhere else a magnificence of alpine blooms.

Shortly before Grosse Scheidegg we turned a corner and headed North into the Reichenbach Valley. The valley opens up at the town of Meiringen in the Haslital Valley.

A beautiful field of crocuses. The snow only just recently melted here. 

This is an avalanche couloir. If there hadn't been a collection of alpine farms at the end of this road, there surely would not have been a passage cut out of here

Still lots of avalanche snow up here. Local farmers cut the path through the snow to access their farm.

As we descended into the Reichenbach Valley, we had a glimpse of the peaks of Mounts Eiger and Mönch.

Incomparably beautiful weather for this hike.

There were so many of these globe flowers everywhere (apparently they are poisonous)

Meadows and meadows of globe flowers

Mount Wetterhorn on the right, Mount Wellhorn on the left. Descent to Schwarzwaldalp

A look North into the Gental Valley, northeast of Meiringen. There the weather isn't as great as it is here!

FOURTH: We could have caught the bus to Meiringen when we were at Schwarzwaldalp (after our ice cream) but the day was so beautiful, we continued 3 km down the river, past the entrance to the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge (an outing for another day), past the historical Rosenlaui Hotel, and on to Gschwantenmad, from where the trail continues along the paved road, so a good place to stop anyway...

We bought a large chunk of cheese here. In the back is the Schwarzwaldalp restaurant.

Ice cream sundaes, our treat after long hikes!

From here a final view of Mount Wetterhorn

As we continued down river, this strange looking mountain is Mount Wellhorn

Historical Hotel Rosenlaui. Had a very nice garden with tables. We will stop there another time.

Pleasant final 3 km along the Rychenbach River

Across the river at this wide flat alpine meadow is the bus stop where we ended our hike.

The cows are waiting for unsuspecting hikers like us to open the gate so they can rush out!

Such an unusual-looking mountain. There is a gorge below that mountain which we will visit on a separate trip. Apparently you can also hike up closer to the Rosenlaui Glacier.

The alp at Gschwantenmad, the end of our 13-km hike

The common way to get to Grindelwald is by train from Interlaken to the West, but there is also a bus that connects Grindelwald with Meiringen along a one-lane road through the beautiful Reichenbach Valley. Also, most of the tourists that come to Grindelwald walk to Lake Bachsee

Our 13-km hike from Grindelwald First to Schwarzwaldalp and further.