Stockhorn breakfast – breakfast above the clouds

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When Bergwelten Magazine asked me about “my” local mountain in spring 2017 on the occasion of the series “my local mountain”, the answer was on the tip of my tongue without hesitation: “The Stockhorn!”. The striking rock head at the entrance to the Bernese Oberland accompanied me as a fixed point in front of my room window for a good twenty years. And if there’s one thing I really miss here in Zurich today, it’s the phenomenal panoramic view from the Gürbetal valley towards the Stockhorn chain. The Stockhorn not only accompanied me visually through my childhood, but also shaped one of my first hiking experiences. The four-hour tightrope walk from the Gurnigel to the Stockhorn was quite challenging for my short children’s legs. This year, the Stockhorn celebrates its 50th anniversary as an excursion mountain. To mark the occasion, Stockhornbahn AG has put new cable car cabins into operation between Erlenbach and the Chrindi middle station at the beginning of this summer season. So it’s a good time to pay a visit to my local mountain.

Stockhorn breakfast: above the clouds zmörgälä

The Stockhorn scores not only with a panoramic view from the Jura over the Swiss Plateau to the Valais four-thousand-metre peaks as well as a variety of hiking trails, but also with a wide range of culinary delights. This includes the Stockhorn breakfast, which is served during the week (with the exception of Sunday, when brunch takes place) until 11 a.m. in the Stockhorn panorama restaurant. A wonderful, relaxed start to the day – now in autumn it is particularly appealing on high fog days.

We also start our excursion in Erlenbach in the Simmental on a cloudy Saturday morning under a thick blanket of clouds. The view of the webcam in the valley station of the Stockhornbahn is anything but promising. On the summit, a dull “grey” also seems to dominate. We buy the train ticket including breakfast voucher and go to the new panorama cabin. “Is working with the new cabin fun?” a passenger wants to know from the cable car operator. He smiles and says “already”. The teething problems that come with such a new addition have now been resolved. We glide gently uphill and look down on the deeply incised Wildbach ravine. We change trains at the Chrindi middle station. On the upper section of the route, older cabins are still in use. On the shores of the Hinderstockensee, a few fishermen can already be spotted. The Stockhorn, on the other hand, continues to hide behind thick clouds. But as if we had ordered it, the top layer of clouds loosens at the same time as we arrive at the summit and reveals the summit peaks behind it.

Nothing stands in the way of a promising breakfast. We are escorted to our reserved table and are then allowed to help ourselves to the buffet as we wish. From juice, coffee, muesli and Züpfe to freshly fried rösti, the buffet contains everything that belongs to a hearty mountain breakfast.

Panorama par excellence

While we eat our way through the breakfast buffet, the clouds retreat further and further. Perfect timing to tackle the actual summit directly after the Stockhorn breakfast. While the ascent to the summit is via a narrow, steep path with steps, the panoramic viewing platform on the north face of the Stockhorn can be reached via a rock gallery at ground level. This means that even people who are no longer so good on foot can enjoy the magnificent panoramic view over the Swiss Plateau to the Jura. For everyone else, I recommend the short ascent to the summit. What a magnificent view! Particularly photogenic this morning is the Oberstockensee.

Burn calories on the Stockhorn Panorama Trail

Back down at the panorama restaurant, the many signs on the signpost are an indication of how diverse the hiking possibilities are. If you want to get rid of the calories you have eaten completely, I recommend the classic via the ladder pass to the Gurnigel Berghaus; a fantastic five-hour mountain tour along the Stockhorn chain. On this day, we opt for the more leisurely option via the Stockhorn Panorama Trail back to the middle station and follow the signpost towards Oberstockenalp. The path leads through alpine meadows first steeply down into the valley and then leads through a sparse fir forest to the Hinterstockensee. On the way we enjoy the warming rays of the sun, breathe in and out deeply of the fresh mountain air and enjoy the ever-changing panoramic views; Moments of happiness that fill me with new energy.

About an hour later, we take the gondola from the valley station back down to Erlenbach. In the meantime, the fog has completely dissipated and Erlenbach shows its best side. On the 10-minute walk from the valley station of the Stockhorn cable car to the Erlenbach train station, there are one or two magnificent Simmental farmhouses to admire. Afterwards we take the train back to Zurich. But the Stockhorn and I will definitely see each other again soon.

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The Stockhorn breakfast costs CHF 24 for adults.

At the valley station of the Stockhornbahn there are combined tickets for 66 CHF (53 CHF with Half-Fare travelcard/GA), which include the return train ride from Erlenbach-Stockhorn and the Stockhorn breakfast. The Stockhorn breakfast takes place from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, brunch is served for 30 CHF (72 CHF with combined ticket). All further information can be found at BLS.

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Practical tips for your trip to the Stockhorn

The valley station of the Stockhornbahn is located in Erlenbach in the Simmental. You can reach them directly from Bern / Thun / Spiez with the BLS RegioExpress Lötschberger. Attention – the Lötschberger is divided into two compositions and is separated in Spiez – one part goes in the direction of Brig/Domodossola and one part in the direction of Zweisimmen. Make sure you get on the right part of the train. From Erlenbach train station to the valley station of the Stockhornbahn, the 10-minute walk is signposted.

Until 11 November 2018, the Stockhornbahn runs daily according to the summer timetable. From 14 November 2018, the winter timetable will apply. According to the winter timetable, the Stockhornbahn is in operation from Wednesday to Sunday, with the exception of Christmas (19 December – 6 January). The current timetable information can be found on the website of the Stockhornbahn.

The route of the entertaining Stockhorn Panorama Trail can be found on the map below. The distance from the mountain station via Alp Oberstocke to the Chrindi middle station is three kilometres. With a hiking time of just over an hour, 540 meters of altitude have to be mastered downhill. From Alp Oberstocke, the hiking trail runs parallel to the “Habitats on the Stockhorn” adventure trail, which provides interesting information about the local geology, flora and fauna, mountain agriculture and natural phenomena by means of display boards. The family-friendly adventure trail leads as a circular route in just under three hours from Chrindi via Vorderstocke, Oberstockensee, Oberstocke back to Chrindi.