* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Susquehanna Raises Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN) Price Target. – Yahoo Finance

    Susquehanna Raises Price Target for Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN)

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Emerging Memory and Storage Technology Market Analysis Report 2025-2034 | AI and HPC Boom Fuels Surging Demand for Fast, Low-Power Memory Devices – Yahoo Finance

    How AI and HPC Are Driving Explosive Growth in Fast, Low-Power Memory Technologies Through 2034

    Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

    Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    Wayve Expands Engineering Leadership to Power Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Technology – Silicon Canals

    Wayve Boosts Engineering Leadership to Accelerate Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Innovation

    Frontdoor Announces Tech Expert Dr. Bala Ganesh as Chief Technology Officer – Business Wire

    Frontdoor Appoints Tech Visionary Dr. Bala Ganesh as New Chief Technology Officer

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Susquehanna Raises Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN) Price Target. – Yahoo Finance

    Susquehanna Raises Price Target for Penn Entertainment Inc. (PENN)

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    George Lopez is coming to Spokane – KXLY.com

    Netflix unveils Dallas immersive venue for fans of hit shows like ‘Squid Game,’ ‘Stranger Things’ – Houston Chronicle

    Step Inside Netflix’s New Dallas Immersive Experience Featuring Hits Like ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Stranger Things

    ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’: Civic Players bring ‘Young Frankenstein’ to life – Yahoo

    Civic Players Deliver a Hilarious and Unforgettable Performance of ‘Young Frankenstein

    ‘Wheel of Fortune’: Amputee Wins $60,000 After Breaking Incredible ‘Curse’ – Hastings Tribune

    Wheel of Fortune’ Amputee Breaks Incredible ‘Curse’ to Win $60,000!

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

    North Star Sports & Entertainment Network: Coming soon – KTTC News

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    Emerging Memory and Storage Technology Market Analysis Report 2025-2034 | AI and HPC Boom Fuels Surging Demand for Fast, Low-Power Memory Devices – Yahoo Finance

    How AI and HPC Are Driving Explosive Growth in Fast, Low-Power Memory Technologies Through 2034

    Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

    Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    St. Francis Medical Center brings advanced robotic surgery technology to Northeast Louisiana – KNOE

    Wayve Expands Engineering Leadership to Power Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Technology – Silicon Canals

    Wayve Boosts Engineering Leadership to Accelerate Next-Gen Autonomous Driving Innovation

    Frontdoor Announces Tech Expert Dr. Bala Ganesh as Chief Technology Officer – Business Wire

    Frontdoor Appoints Tech Visionary Dr. Bala Ganesh as New Chief Technology Officer

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    Defense technology giant Northrop Grumman to host interviews in Iuka to fill technician roles – supertalk.fm

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Meet the Swiss farmers making it possible for hikers to access Alpine trails

May 21, 2024
in Science
Meet the Swiss farmers making it possible for hikers to access Alpine trails
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

As the dusky ‘alpenglow’ blushes the peaks above, Ronnie the cat curls tighter into my lap and we share a contented sigh. Beyond the trickling sound of the trough in the gardens of Berghof Brändlen, the mountain farmstead I’m spending the night at, I can hear the soothing tinkle of cowbells. Suddenly, between timber barns housing hay and scythes, two rows of lights twinkle to life on the ground. They flank a path that slopes down the mountainside to a cable-car, the sole means of transport to the village of Wolfenschiessen, some 2,952ft below.

Brändlen is one of 26 mountain farms without road access around Engelberg. The valley is set in Switzerland’s German-speaking heart, between the cantons of Nidwalden and Obwalden, where much of the landscape is covered by forest, mountains or glaciers. This inaccessibility qualifies places like Brändlen to operate farmers’ cableways, known as Buiräbähnli, which transport people, supplies, equipment and the occasional cow up and down sheer slopes.

A far shot view of a Walenpfad, one of switzerlands most scenic high-altitude routes. A lake can be seen in the foreground, whilst in the far background a mountain can be seen out-of-focus.

The Walenpfad is one of Switzerland’s most scenic high-altitude routes.

Photograph by Engelberg-Titlis Tourism

The density of Buiräbähnli in Engelberg is unparalleled, lending it the moniker of ‘valley of the cable-cars’. And despite their number having more than halved in 15 years — as roads replace them and new generations choose not to invest in maintaining them — these lifts remain a lifeline for many. The farmsteads at their top, in the folds of pastures or atop lofty ridges, are rarely glimpsed by Swiss residents, let alone non-natives. But a 29-mile circular route, the Buiräbähnli Safari, enables walkers to hike to nine such lodges.

It’s part of this trail I’m exploring as I set off from the historic town of Engelberg to Brändlen. For the first seven or so miles, the path follows the Walenpfad, one of Switzerland’s most scenic high-altitude routes. It meanders through wildflower pastures, zigzags up grassy peaks and hugs precipitous cliffs, the narrow stone path washed away at times by small waterfalls.

Dotting the route are eight gondolas, some dating to the early 1960s and designated as cultural assets. “Caring for the lifts is part of life,” says Ueli Schmitter, a third-generation farmer with a shrug. He works with local Buiräbähnli owners to ensure the lifts pass annual inspections and a complete safety assessment each five years. “I whisper sweet nothings to mine each night.”

I meet him and his wife Isabelle at Chrüzhütte, where they serve brotkas (home-baked bread and cheese) and Älplermagronen (macaroni cheese). As I plunge a sprig of mountain mint into an elderflower cordial, chickens peck at my feet and Isabelle hums, kneading dough for the next loaf to be baked in her centuries-old oven.

Walks of life

Leaving the Schmitters and the well-trodden Walenpfad behind, I find myself entirely alone on the narrow path to my first Buiräbähnli. While each cableway functions on an on-demand basis, some are self-operated while others involve dialling up the farmer. The two-stage, vintage Sinsgäubahn falls into the latter category.

I find a steel box nailed onto the timber wall of the top station. Inside is a Bakelite-style telephone, which I use to call the owner, farmer Josef Durrer. After a brief conversation down the crackling line, he sends up a lift. It’s reminiscent of an American truck, with an enclosed gondola daubed in sun-bleached green paint and an open flatbed fashioned from timber slats.

A close view of a cable car docked in a village in Switzerland. In the distance, mountains can be seen with the suggestion of snow.

The sole means of transport from Brändlen to the village of Wolfenschiessen is by cable-car.

Photograph by Engelberg-Titlis Tourism

I clamber in and float slowly down the valley. The cable-car inches into the mid station, a small timber hut near a geranium-bestrewn farmhouse, and I see Josef. “How was the ride?” he asks with a smile on his sun-worn face. Josef’s raised cows on these pastures his entire life; these days, he rarely even rides the lower section of his gondola. “No one can remember the last time I went to the valley. It’s too much for me down there. I just ask the hiking guides to bring me what I need when they pass through.” Currently, he tells me, he spends his days on wildheuen, the time-honoured Alpine tradition of harvesting late-summer, wildflower-rich grass to dry into nutritious hay for livestock. 

When the telephone jangles with another request, I hop into the second stage to continue my descent to the hamlet of Oberrickenbach. Even its quiet roads make for a jarring contrast after the tranquillity of the hiking trail, and I’m happy to soon board my next gondola, complete with hand-embroidered cushions and a sticker reading: ‘Don’t honk, driver dreaming of Swiss cows’.

My hike resumes with knee-breaking hairpin bends, following hard-to-spot trail markers. I lose the path a couple of times, and once I’m set straight by a young female farmer using a leaf blower — a modern approach to wildheuen. I spend two hours climbing through dense forest, the air pungent with mushrooms. By the time I reach Brändlen, eight hours after setting off, it’s dusk and I’ve covered — with the help of the cable-cars — 6,680ft of ascent and 6,050ft of descent.

 “You must be Gabriella,” calls Rita Schmitter, guardian of Brändlen and daughter of Ueli and Isabelle, while painting the shutters in an outbuilding. “Grab a seat in the garden, I’m nearly done.” Soon, she brings me a beer and home-cooked rösti, served with a homegrown salad topped with mountain clover. She mentions I’m her second English-speaking guest of the year, and I tell her about my day. She raises her eyebrows at my anti-clockwise direction of travel; the trail’s official direction goes the opposite way. “I prefer hiking that way, towards Engelberg,” she says. “It means I can always see Titlis.” I had, indeed, found myself pausing regularly to look back upon the snow-topped, 3,239m mountain, which towers above the town. It seems the beauty of the valley isn’t lost on those accustomed to seeing it every day.

How to do it:
Fly direct from the UK to Zürich with Swiss in around 1h45m, then travel by train to Engelberg in 2h.

The full Buiräbähnli Safari route is best broken up with two overnight stays.

Gondola rides cost about CHF 7 (£6) each way, paid to the farmers in cash. 

Doubles at Ski Lodge Engelberg from CHF 200 (£180), B&B.

This story was created with the support of Switzerland Tourism and the Engelberg Tourist Office.

Published in the Alps guide 2024, distributed with the May 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : National Geographic – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/hiking-engelberg-switzerland-cable-cars

Tags: farmersscienceSwiss
Previous Post

Where to eat in Mumbai, the Indian megacity that’s obsessed with food

Next Post

Our favorite Cotopaxi apparel from the REI Anniversary Sale

Emerging Memory and Storage Technology Market Analysis Report 2025-2034 | AI and HPC Boom Fuels Surging Demand for Fast, Low-Power Memory Devices – Yahoo Finance

How AI and HPC Are Driving Explosive Growth in Fast, Low-Power Memory Technologies Through 2034

June 28, 2025
Axios Event: Media execs are betting big on women’s sports – Axios

Axios Event: Media execs are betting big on women’s sports – Axios

June 28, 2025
Tellus Science Museum astronomer discusses meteorite landing in metro Atlanta – WSB-TV

Meteorite Crash-Lands in Metro Atlanta: Expert Insights from a Tellus Science Museum Astronomer

June 28, 2025
With pride and honor: How this queer couple achieved academic success – ABS-CBN

Triumph and Pride: The Inspiring Journey of a Queer Couple in Academia

June 28, 2025
Bidding process for 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships launches – worldathletics.org

Excitement Builds as Bidding Opens for 2029 and 2031 World Athletics Championships

June 28, 2025
If something is going to break in the U.S. economy, it will probably happen this summer, BofA Global says – MarketWatch

This Summer May Be the Critical Turning Point for the U.S. Economy, Experts Warn

June 28, 2025

Audit Uncovers Shocking Shortfall in State Health Plan Funding

June 28, 2025
Boulder attack suspect charged with federal hate crimes – CNN

Boulder attack suspect charged with federal hate crimes – CNN

June 28, 2025
Ostin Technology (OST): Volatility’s Warning or Contrarian Opportunity? – AInvest

Ostin Technology (OST): Navigating Market Volatility – Red Flag or Hidden Opportunity?

June 27, 2025
Vote for the Blue Water Area’s top high school sports moment from the 2025 spring season – Times Herald

Cast Your Vote for the Blue Water Area’s Most Unforgettable High School Sports Moment of Spring 2025!

June 27, 2025

Categories

Archives

June 2025
MTWTFSS
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 
« May    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (699)
  • Economy (721)
  • Entertainment (21,613)
  • General (15,603)
  • Health (9,760)
  • Lifestyle (726)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (722)
  • Politics (728)
  • Science (15,938)
  • Sports (21,218)
  • Technology (15,706)
  • World (701)

Recent News

Emerging Memory and Storage Technology Market Analysis Report 2025-2034 | AI and HPC Boom Fuels Surging Demand for Fast, Low-Power Memory Devices – Yahoo Finance

How AI and HPC Are Driving Explosive Growth in Fast, Low-Power Memory Technologies Through 2034

June 28, 2025
Axios Event: Media execs are betting big on women’s sports – Axios

Axios Event: Media execs are betting big on women’s sports – Axios

June 28, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version