Scaling rusty old ladders on the Niederbauen :)

Coming towards the end of September, my favorite time to go hiking was just around the corner. To be out and about on a sunny autumn day is usually a great experience: it’s not as hot as summer, there aren't as many people on the trails and the wonderful autumn colors are something I can never get enough of. :) Unfortunately, some snow had already fallen in the higher mountains, but there were still plenty of possibilities for a nice day hike on a beautiful Friday off work. Checking my list, I decided to finally visit the one mountain that probably has been on there for the longest: the Niederbauen. Basically, all neighboring peaks I had climbed already, so it was high time to pay that one a visit as well. What held me off for a long time, was the rather long journey by public transport to Seelisberg, but today that simply didn’t matter. :) Not taking the earliest possibility, I got off at a bus station at the beginning of Seelisberg and at first made my way down towards the lake and its campsite. The hiking trail soon turned away from the lake however, which meant that I would have to visit this little gem on another occasion. :)

Having a first look at the lake of Seelisberg and today's goal just behind it :)

While there was a thick fog initially, it was dispersed about 10 minutes later, making room for the sun to take over. :) Heading across several cow fields, the early morning sun, the curious cows and the dew on the grass served for quite some entertainment during that first lovely part. Leaving all of that behind before long, a short walk on the main street ended in a turnoff and there the ascent began. A wide gravel path led the way and as usual it didn’t take too much time and I was surrounded by trees once again. :) Today, there was quite some variety though, as the trees gave way to plateaus with beautiful views more than once and because the gravel path gave way to a concrete road for some short sections, before it eventually ended in a nice hiking trail a bit further upwards.

Just one of those magnificent views during the first major ascent

Overall, the ascent was pretty gentle, just occasionally the slope was that steep that it required a bit more of an effort to conquer it. While a lovely alp had been in the middle of that first ascending slope, there also was one at the end, serving as the perfect spot for a longer break. Having a look up ahead, I was curious where the trail would lead me through, but as I couldn't see very far, the only way to find out was to keep on walking. :) Well, after a short ascent, the path went along the mountainside for quite a while and eventually coming around a bend, there wasn’t only a marvelous view towards the Lake of Lucerne and its surrounding mountains, but also towards the Niederbauen, which brought my curiosity to an end, as I finally was able to see where the trail was going through. :)

In the middle of the picture you can see a ravine and that was exactly where I had to go through :)

Another alp was residing on a plateau at the end of the mountainside and before it went upwards on a blue and white trail, I sat down on a bench to enjoy the stunning view. Having gathered some strength for today's most challenging part, I headed along a narrow path that soon turned into a rocky mountain trail. As usual, the higher I got, the better were the views, not only towards the Lake of Lucerne, but also to the scrambling section up ahead.

The Lake of Lucerne in all its glory! :)

Coming closer to the ravine, I had to use my hands for a first time to climb over a few unimposing rocks. Shortly afterwards, some iron bolts presented a bit more of a challenge, but before I was able to set foot upon them, a movement in the rock wall above let me hold my breath for a moment. Two chamois were climbing around the ravine and once more it was a feast for the eyes, to watch them moving along those steep slopes with an ease and grace that none of us will ever have. :) Eventually overcoming the bolts, the next adventure was just around the corner. A rusty old ladder led through a gap in the rocks and while I didn’t mind scrambling up there at all, some creaky ramshackle steps entertained the thought that a renovation of that ladder should soon become a topic. :)

Looks interesting, right? :)

Reaching the end of the ladder safe and sound, I was facing another challenge right away. In theory, the toughest part was already behind me, as only a steep section with serpentines was left to conquer. But unfortunately, snow was covering a part of the slope and taking a first step in it, it was instantly clear that I should avoid it wherever possible. The snow was soft and slippery, making the ascent on the official trail rather dangerous. Well, luckily, there mostly was the possibility to climb around the white mass and so I got a lot more scrambling in the end than I actually had wished for. :)

Unfortunately, the picture doesn't really do the actual conditions justice. Nevertheless, I hope you get an idea of how the whole thing looked like :)

In any case, I was happy once the snow was left behind and I had overcome the blue and white section without any major difficulties. Turning to the right at the end of the slope, the peak of the Niederbauen was a mere five minutes away. Nevertheless, it took me quite a bit longer, as the views were already that gorgeous that they kept me from speeding up to the summit. :) The panorama from there was even better however, as I found out a few moments later. Everything was in sight, from the Lake of Lucerne to the most popular mountains of Central Switzerland. It was about time for lunch, the mandatory summit beer and an hour long break. :)

Gorgeous Switzerland! :) Looking towards Lucerne and its surrounding mountains

Knowing that the Niederbauen is a well frequented peak, I had expected some other hikers on the top, but the longer I stayed, the more people arrived. In the end, it seemed pretty crowded for a Friday at the end of September, so I don't want to know how it looks like on a beautiful summer day. :) Although the amount of people surprised me, it actually shouldn’t have, bearing in mind that the closest cable car was just an hour and a half away.

The view towards the Alps of Central Switzerland. I guess it's understandable why the Niederbauen is so popular :)

Well, it didn’t diminish my high spirits and when I left the summit at about a quarter past one, I soon was alone on the trail again. Deciding to take a short detour to the Hundschopf, the descent that followed was absolutely stunning. The mountains of Central Switzerland and the Lake of Lucerne in full sight, I headed slowly down the steep slope, enjoying the scenery to the fullest.

One of those rare moments when descending a mountain actually means real pleasure :)

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end and at the bottom of the slope I turned left to pay the Hundschopf a visit. The outlook was just a couple minutes away and boasted some more fantastic views towards the Lake of Lucerne as well as back to the impressive Niederbauen.

Taking one last look... So long, Lake of Lucerne! :)

There was enough time for another break, but as the journey home was almost as long as the one in the morning, I was back on the trail before long. Following a wider path, a turnoff soon led me onto a gravel road and towards the cable car station of Niederbauen. Approaching the station, I knew already that I wanted to walk down, but made the mistake not to take one more break to enjoy the scenery a little bit longer. So instead of sitting down on one of the many benches, I took the designated turnoff towards Emmetten and about 10 minutes later entered the woods for the last time today. The descent that followed was rather dull, an hour long of walking down some serpentines without having any view or sunshine at all. Well, I could only blame myself. :) Fortunately, all arduous things have an end too and arriving in the village of Sagendorf, I was glad that the descent was eventually behind me. Following the main road for a while, Emmetten made its appearance and as I just had missed the hourly bus, I took the chance to take a well deserved rest on a bench in the sun. :) As a first autumn hike, this had been perfect, now let’s see what else will be possible in the upcoming couple of months. :)

Highlight of the day: the stunning views form the top of the Niederbauen

This hike is for you if:

- you’re looking for a 360° panoramic view over Central Switzerland

- you don’t mind many other people on the trail

- you want the chance to shorten your hike with a cable car ride

- you’re looking for a mountain that can be visited in autumn or spring

This hike is not for you if:

- you mind a scramble or heading up an old rusty ladder :)

- you have never done a blue and white trail before

- you want to escape civilization

The only difficulties I had in finding my way was in the very beginning on the cow fields. A couple more markings there would have been perfect, but then it's also never wrong to practice your GPS and map reading skills. :) The route I took along the blue and white trail, is recommended for experienced hikers only and is definitely not an option if you're suffering from vertigo. If there is any snow on the trail, I strongly suggest to try it another time, as the slope just after the ladder certainly isn't made for a snowy ascent (or descent for that matter). As mentioned above already, the descent from the cable car station to Emmetten was rather boring, so don't feel guilty if you take the cable car down from the mountain. :) As the Niederbauen is a popular peak and pretty easy to reach, there most certainly will be quite some people around. If you want to avoid the masses, then don't go on weekends and attempt a hike in spring or autumn, rather than in summer. That being said, the views from the top are simply magnificent and the Niederbauen is worth a visit of yours anyway. :)