59: Allmenalp – Ueschinen – Gallihorn – Sunnbuel

A variation on the Ueschinental that starts from the Allmenalp cable car and climbs the Gällihorn, returning via the Sunnbüel cable car.

The view from the Gällihorn down into the Gasterntal:

A walk of medium strenuousness. Start by taking the Allmenalp cable car up to the Allmenalp - you may find lamas grazing here! Follow the path up from the cable car, veering left for the Ueschinental. There are magnificent views across to the Oeschinensee and the Blümlisalp range - it is a particularly good path for feeling you are high in the Alps, without having to invest much effort at all, so far! The path reaches a fairly gentle summit at Ryharts before descending into the Ueschinental. Restaurant Lohner is at Ueschinen where you can either take the path (or road) back down to Kandersteg or continue up the Ueschinental valley.

To reach the Gällihorn, continue along the Ueschinental for about 15 minutes until a path turns left and crosses the river. It is all up-hill from here to Gratsattel at the base of the Gällihorn where the path joins the one coming from Sunnbüel and continues along the Ueschinengrat. The alpine flowers along this climb are magnificent in July. It is about another 15 minutes to the top of the Gällihorn - well worth the effort. You may find people arriving "the hard way"! It is a favourite place for climbers to come up the rock face of the Gällihorn.

Look out for Edelweiss at the top; these shy flowers can often be found there.

The path down to Sunnbüel is fairly steep in places but is an excellent zigzag path.

The various signed parts of the walk add up to about 4 hours 45 minutes but you will want to spend extra time admiring the view from the top of the Gällihorn after a steep climb to reach it.

-- JaneCurry - 2009-06-04 - 20:06