When I was a child, we climbed Napf in pouring rain during a school race. It was raining “cats and dogs” as they used to say. We did not enjoy the view, because once we reached the mountain inn, we took shelter until the rain had stopped. That was a deceiving experience.
In fall 2024, I saw an advertisement on the BLS trains some time before the day we did this hike. It was about a “hiking bus” that would take you to some starting hiking points that are difficult to reach by public transport. The Mettlenalp is difficult to reach by public transport. So, we thought it would be interesting to make use of this offer, especially since the season would be over soon.
The trail from the bus stop leads up to Napf, following a small stream at first and then making many turns. After 300m of elevation gain, you reach a small meadow where the Napf restaurant is located. The view from the top is panoramic and you can see the Jura as well as the Alps. The Central Swiss Prealps are not far away either.
Instead of going back down to the Mettlenalp, we decided to walk to Schüpfheim in the Entlebuch. The reason for this was that we could expect better connections with the trains. So, we followed the horseshoe-shaped ridge and then turned off towards Hofarni. This gave us the opportunity to go down to Fontanne. From there, we had to climb a little more to reach the small Oberstaldenegg pass.
The descent to Schüpfheim is through gentle meadows and forests. When you drive through the Entlebuch, you get the impression that the slopes are much steeper than they are.
Route: Mettlenalp – Napf – Trimle – Hofarni – Fontanne – Oberstaldenegg – Geissmatte – Schüpfheim
Distance: 15.2km
Elevation gain: 700m
Duration: 5h30
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