Even though we had already hiked the Sun Trail several times, we wanted to hike it again. This is because each time the experience is different, as the conditions are never the same. This is especially true in this case, since we usually hiked this trail in the spring and here, we were in early August.
We took the train on the Lötchberg line and as usual, we were surprised that almost all the passengers got off at Kandersteg. This is because most of them are going to the Oeschinensee or the Blausee. I don’t even want to think about what these places must look like with all the people there.
From the Hohntenn station, you can follow the railway line directly. This way, you pass by the impressive Lüegilchiviadukt. However, you are not on the Sun Trail. To get to the Sun Trail, you must go back a little and then go down to the top of the village of Hohntenn. From there, you follow the Stägeru Süe up to the intake of the Jolibach. A cleverly arranged series of stairs and bridges allows you to gain altitude and cross over to the other side. The noise in this gorge is deafening.
After this section and a slight climb, you cross the hillside in a rather barren environment until you reach a flat area where the small Chrüterbeizli restaurant is located. The official trail then follows a mud road to the Bietschbach Viaduct. However, for the sake of the landscape, it is worth going up a little to Ritzibodo and following a bit of the Kummera. The name Kummera means something like “the bisse of the Rarnerchumma”. On the way back up the valley, you pass under the impressive Bietschbach Viaduct.
After the bend in of the valley at Riedgarto, the trail goes down a bit before going up the hillside along the Manera bisse. You then pass over the village of St. German before having to go up steeply to reach the Wolfbiel (which could be translated as “wolf hill”). After joining a small pass near the Wolfbiel and passing under an old bisse (a branch of the Mittla), you finally reach Ausserberg station.
Route: Hohtenn (station) – Hohtenn (village) – Stägeru Süe – Ritzibodo – Naturbrücke Bietschbach – Ausserberg (station)
Distance: 11.6km
Elevation gain: 450m
Duration: 4h
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