Route: Kandertal Valley
Area: Bernese Oberland, Switzerland
Date of walk: 17th June 2019
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 12.1 miles
Ascent: 1,000 feet
Weather: Sunshine and blue skies, hot
Having spent 3 nights in Kandersteg on our walking holiday in the Bernese Oberland, booked through Inntravel, it was time to move on to pastures new. Our next destination was the village of Adelboden. There are 2 possible ways of walking there. One of these involves a high altitude climb over a mountain pass. We were quite early in the season, and the pass was still off limits to walkers on account of lingering snow. This left us with the other option – a lower level walk along the Kandertal Valley to the town of Frutigen. From there we could take the bus to Adelboden
Having said our goodbyes to the friendly staff at the excellent Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria, we set off on our linear walk, initially through some beautiful wild flower meadows which were at their peak. A little further along we climbed up into the woods and followed a narrow path, quite airy at times as it weaved its way in and out of several steep gullies
We emerged from the wood into more wild flower meadows. By this time we’d gained height and were walking at mid valley level at an altitude of around 4,000 feet above sea level, giving us some lovely views along the valley. We left the path to descend into the valley in order to visit Blausee (Blue Lake), which is renowned for its crystal clear blue waters. When we arrived at the entrance, it was obvious that this is a commercial enterprise, geared up to attracting tourists. Having come this far, curiosity had to be satisfied, and we paid the entrance fee. The lake is small and its waters are blue and crystal clear, but there is a lot of tourist infrastructure – including a cinema screen strung halfway across the lake, and tiered seating for spectators. The place was also crammed with tourists taking selfies and having walked around the circumference of the lake we left as fast as we could. Blausee to us was a Disneyfied version of Switzerland
The diversion to see the lake meant that we’d have to climb back up to rejoin the mid-valley path which we’d left earlier and equilibrium was restored as we followed deserted paths through woodland and wild flower meadows in the direction of Frutigen. Eventually Frutigen came into view, and we made the long and easy descent into the town, arriving at the main station just in time to catch the bus to Adelboden, the springboard for our next walk. It had been a wonderful journey but in retrospect we wished we’d ignored the diversion to Blausee
Click on the icon below for the route map
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
The start of today's walk as we leave Kandersteg, which had been our base for the last 3 nights
Farewell to the Hotel Victoria and its friendly staff
We follow a path beside wild flower meadows
Left to right: Blumlisalphorn, Oeschinjenhorn, Frundenhorn, Doldenhorn, Doldenstock and Ussere Fisistock. Doldenhorn, the snow capped peak right of centre is the highest of the group at 3,638 metres (nearly 12,000 feet)
The Kandertal Valley, with the River Kander on our right...
We cross the river via this bridge, a horse free zone
Looking back along the River Kander to Doldenhorn, Doldenstock and Ussere Fisistock...
Our final view back to Kandersteg as we turn north along the valley
On reading this sign we decide to postpone our picnic for a while
Looking along the Kandertal Valley
The narrow path weaves in and out of a series of gullies...
We arrive at a track which contours around the side of the valley
Looking back in the direction of Kandersteg...
Wildflowers as we descend into the valley towards Blausee
We arrive at the Mitholtz Blausee station...
We descend to the valley road...
We walk through an underpass beneath the railway line
The art of log stacking...
We arrive at Blausee, a well known attraction. The entrance gives rise to misgivings, but we'd made a detour to descend here, so reluctantly we paid the fee purely out of curiousity
Blausee, superficially attractive from this photo but it’s packed with tourists and tourist traps...
...such as this - a cinema screen strung across the small lake. We left as fast as we could, irritated that we'd wasted time and money on this over commercialised place
We continued along the valley road
Equanimity is restored as we pass this small church
We climb up to the mid level valley path which we'd been following earlier (there's no need to leave it unless you wish to visit Blausee for some reason)
Alpine meadows...
Frutigen comes into view...
...Frutigen will be journey's end as far as the walk is concerned, and from there we'll take the bus to Adelboden in the next valley far left of picture
We follow a narrow path around the mountainside
Looking down into the valley as we start our descent...
Frutigen
We cross over the River Kander
Heading into Frutigen
A final look back along the Kandertal Valley before we catch the bus to our next destination - Adelboden
