We had heard about this trail on a hike the previous year in the Gantrisch. We had met the same people in Erlenbach im Simmental who had taken the bus with us to Gurnigel, and they had told us about their hike. This is how we got the idea of hiking the High Alpine Trail, but with a difference: we did not really want to go up to the Stockhorn, as it is too crowded. So, we went up to the Cheibehore instead.
From Gurnigel, you first must hike up to Leiterepass. To do this, you first take the alpine road to Obernünene. You must be a bit careful about this ascent, as you are still a bit cold, but it is steep. Up to the Leiterepass, you will still meet a lot of people, as the Via Ferrata of the Gantrisch starts not far from there, and a lot of people are hiking up to the Gantrisch summit.
On the other side of the pass, you follow the trail that runs along the entire side of the mountain to the Oberi Walalp. The distance from the Leiterepass to the Walalp can seem intimidating, but if you take it slowly, it is not a problem. In addition, the views change as you hike along. You pass under the peaks of the Grossi Nüneneflue and the Homad, as well as the two small peaks of Chatz u Mus (the cat and the mouse).
From the Oberi Walalp, you then follow the Bättelwägli trail. This starts with a traverse, then descends into a series of switchbacks to pass under a rocky outcrop. After this, you traverse along the hillside to reach a small valley leading to the Oberstockesee. Here, the contrast is striking. If you were relatively quiet up to this point, you will suddenly find yourself surrounded by a lot of people at the lake: there is shouting and music playing.
From the Oberstockesee, we then hiked up to the Cheibehore, a peak that overlooks the Hinterstockesee. Here, you have a magnificent view of the Bernese Alps and the neighbouring Stockhorn, without being bothered by the crowds. The ascent is sometimes a bit unpleasant, as you must hike through the pines. The descent is along a steep trail down a slope strewn with rocks. It is interesting to note that the descent trail from Cheibehore to Chrindi is only recently marked on the map. It was not there in 2023.
At Chrindi, we took the cable car down to Erlenbach im Simmental. It is quite surprising to see that there are also fishermen and people who are not necessarily equipped for the mountains in the cable car. It should be said that the Hinterstockesee loop or even the Stockhorn ascent are at the level of a walk.
Route: Gurnigel Wasserscheidi (bus) – Obernünene – Leiterepass – Schiterwang – Oberi Walalp – Bättelwägli – Oberstockesee – Cheibehore – Chrindi (cable car)
Distance: 15.2km
Elevation gain: 1010m
Duration: 5h30
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