Hohtürli: a steep 8.5 hour hike

What a day! We started at 8.30 and didn’t get back to the apartment until 17.00. Over 16 kilometres (10 miles) hiked, with 1300 metres of ascent, which was very steep in places. I didn’t think I was going to make it at times, but I’m glad I did. Now I’ve forgotten about the times I thought I was dying, it was a fantastic day… and excellent practice for the harder days on the Walkers’ Haute Route, which we start on Monday.

We took the cable car up to Öeschinensee (1680 metres) and followed a higher path above the lake than we took yesterday, enjoying the views of the waterfalls tumbling down the steep cliffs into the turquoise lake below. Then, zigzagging up the hillside through pastures, we passed the cafe at Underbärgli (1767 metres), before reaching Oberbärgli (1973 metres) perched high above the lake, before stopping for a snack by a stream.

The path became narrower and rougher now, and the climb already felt relentless in the heat. The scenery was beautiful though… the rocky meadows, the banks of flowers bordering the path, and the retreating glaciers above us.

A series of nasty switchbacks ended at the crest of a glacial moraine, which provided a short reprieve from the endless climbing. Finally, we could see the Hohtürli pass and the Blüemlisalp Hut, on the horizon, still a long way away. Would I make it? I decided I’d keep going until 13.00 then, even if we hadn’t made it, we’d turn back. The last lift back down to Kandersteg is at 18.00 and I definitely didn’t want to miss that and walk even further!

However, the hardest part of the walk was yet to come, with endless zigzags up grey energy sapping scree slopes. The gradient was really steep now and our calves were screaming at us to stop. I think I was also feeling the effects of the altitude for the first time this trip, but I was determined to get to the top now, pretty sure I’d be there before my self-imposed deadline. I gritted my teeth as we climbed seemingly endless flights of wooden steps and crossed a temporary bridge over a gully. Gradually, the prayer flags on the top slowly drew nearer.

Finally, we popped out on to the col, breathing sighs of relief. No more climbing! Despite doubting myself, I’d made it to the top within 4 hours, well within the time suggested by the guidebooks, just as John had said I would! Low cloud was swirling around and at first there was nothing to see on the other side of the pass. Then it dissipated, revealing views down to the down to the Kiental Valley.

We decided against going to the Blümlisalp hut a short hike above us because we had our own food, and thought we still had too much difficult hiking to do to have a beer. We ate our lunch enjoying fabulous views of the peaks and glaciers making up the Blüemlisalp massif, and back towards Kandersteg and Bunderspitz, which we climbed earlier in the week.

Descending was easier than I expected because the terrain was mostly smooth and regular, despite being steep. My knees didn’t cause me too many problems because I wasn’t climbing down steep rough rocky steps, and each time I looked back, I was surprised how far we’d come and how far away the pass looked.

Going downhill and no longer having aching legs and lungs, it was easier to admire our surroundings. It’s amazing how the flowers grow in such harsh terrain, in rocky crevices and even on the barren scree slopes.

When we eventually arrived back at the stream above Ober Bergli, we took off our boots and socks off and dipped our feet in the wonderfully refreshing stream. We had plenty of time to get back to the lift station, so we decided to take a higher balcony path. But first, there was also time for a beer. We were very lucky because the cafe at Ober Bergli was just opening for the season, and we enjoyed our drinks sitting high on the cliffs above Öeschinensee. Beer stops don’t get any better than this!

The balcony path was a joy to walk, meandering gently around the hillside above the lake, past waterfalls and through trees, with ever-changing but always beautiful views. We could even see all the way back to Hohtürli pass, with the hut now just a speck on the horizon.

Despite it being a fabulous walk, I was glad to get back to the cable car station, and then the apartment. It was a challenging day, but I did it, and I now feel ready for our 2-week trek. Bring it on!