Kandersteg is a funny place. Most people travel through Kandersteg on their way to Valais because it offers a shortcut through the mountain on a train. To be honest, the first time I heard that somebody was planning a weekend in Kandersteg I thought they were crazy! I had a terrible impression of the town and the valley didn't seem to really offer much...I couldn't have been more wrong!
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| One of the first views to meet you as you walk down from the top of the gondola. Straight up the valley is the Blumlisalphutte and to the right up the steep rocks is the Frundenhutte |
Fortunately, Kandersteg is not more than 2 hours away from Basel by train which makes this a very easy place to access. The train station is in the heart of the small town and the lift station is not more than a 10 minute walk from there. This means that you can leave Basel early on a Saturday morning and still make it to most of the mountain hut in time for lunch.
From the valley, this town has very little to offer. However, after you climb out of the valley, it become immediately apparent why the locals want to keep this place to themselves. A short descent from the top of the gondola station brings you to one of the most beautiful alpine lakes that I have ever seen.
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| We were extremely lucky to have great weather on both weekends in Kandersteg. This shot actually reminds me a lot of the Canadian Rockies! Here you're looking back towards the Doldenhutte which is situated on the middle rock ledge in the centre of this photo |
The lake itself is left over from glaciation (and continues to be fed by the multiple glaciers) and supports some of the tastiest, and easily accessible, fishing in Switzerland. Moreover, after quickly surveying the map and discovering that this area offered three high alpine huts, the purpose for the next two weekends became clear. We must climb and eat at each one of them!
The lowest hut was the Doldenhornhutte which was an easy climb from the valley. As such, it was decided to cross that one off the list quickly. Little did we know but the climb up to the hut was actually quite steep and demanding offering a few places with quite high exposure. The views from the top were stunning looking back towards the lake and the valley below.
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| This is the Doldenhornhutte which, of the three, was the easiest to access. It's much lower down than the other two huts but still has some interesting exposure on the walk up |
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| This is the view from the Doldenhornhutte looking back towards the Lake. On the horizon at the far end of this photo is where the Blumlisalphutte is located (hence the long walk!) |
We reserved the more difficult climb for day two. The Frundenhutte is situated more than a kilometre up overlooking the lake. As we quickly learned, this trail was also extremely steep and offered some quite substantial exposure. However, what was impressive was how quickly the lake began to shrink into the background the higher we got. The rosti in the Frundenhutte was quite delicious making the trip to the top that much more enjoyable. The location of this hut is really impressive as it looks out, not only on the valley from where we'd come, but also up a very impressive glacier. It's clear that this valley offers some spectacular mountaineering!
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| The Frundenhutte is surrounded by rugged peaks and glaciers. It was quite an effort to get up here for lunch. The trail is in great condition but there are some sections with a bit of exposure. We ate lunch on a sun splashed terrace on the back of the hut overlooking the glacier. |
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| A view over the lake and back down the Kandersteg valley. This photo was taken maybe one third of the way up to the Frundenhutte |
Unfortunately, we ran out of time this weekend in knocking off the third and final hut however, we made plans to come back the following weekend to finish off the task. The last hut was the Blumlisalphutte which was by far the most demanding to access. In fact, from the valley, it is known to be one of the longest ascents to reach an alpine hut (ie most remote) that there is in Switzerland. I was not aware of this fact when setting out. In total, the climb is just under 1700 vertical metres to reach the hut. This can be made shorter by using the gondola to knock approximately 400 vertical metres off of the climb.
The first section of the trail offers incredible views of the Oeshinensee.
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| We were really lucky to get great weather two weekends in a row. I couldn't resist taking this picture with the people enjoying a snack break overlooking the lake |
However, these are quickly lost as you climb over the first major uphill section. For the next 4 hours you essentially gradually ascend towards the top. This was quite a popular route so we had a chance to meet a number of fellow hikers on the way.
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| The lake you see here is a smaller glacial lake that is located further up the valley. This hike essentially walks up a number of old glacier moraines. |
The final section of this walk is quite demanding. Not only are you quite fatigued but the altitude has an additive effect. Lastly, the trail becomes quite steep so you're faced with the daunting task of climbing a few flights of stairs. Needless to say, the rosti at the top absolutely hit the spot.
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| I love this shot because you can clearly see the trail that we've followed to get here. Moreover, it gives a sense of how steep the trail got towards the top. Here you can see the GF making her way up a few flights of stairs |
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| This is the view almost from the top looking back towards the Kandersteg valley. By this point it became obvious why this is considered one of the most remote huts to access. The trail is still visible under the rock cliff on the right |
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| This is the view from the sun splashed terrace at the Blumlisalphutte. Although it was a demanding walk to get here the scenery and food made it all worth while! |
The descent from this hut was quite uneventful. We met a super friendly swiss women at one of the huts on the way down and she recommended the "high route" back to the gondola station. This was an incredible walk with fantastic panoramic views of the lake and valley. Unfortunately my memory card was full on the camera so will need to go back to snap a few shots!
Without question, the best reward of a trip to Kandersteg is a swim in the lake once you get back. This is possibly the most scenic swim you will ever experience. The water is emerald blue, the lake is bookended by a glorious rock cliff and the mountains that surround it are tipped with white glaciers. What's even more enjoyable is the fresh fish that is served at the local restaurants.
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| Provided you swim in the afternoon the water is quite lovely. Certainly one of the most scenic swimming holes that I've ever been in. |
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