Brüsti Trail: wonderful snowshoe tour above the Uri Reuss Valley

High above the Reuss Valley in Uri, not far from Altdorf train station, the Brüsti recreation area scores with a small, fine ski area and little-frequented marked snowshoe trails. Ideal for those who want to make a few fresh tracks in the feather-light powder snow away from perfectly groomed and well-trodden trails. The snowshoe hike on the marked Brüsti trail definitely inspired us from A to Z.

Get out of the fog into the Brüsti recreation area

The favor of beautiful winter days wants to be used. And that’s why it was clear to us that after the snowfall of the past few days and the announced “high”, we wanted to tackle the first snowshoe tour of the still young winter season. We had actually planned a tour within a radius of just over an hour travel time by public transport around Zurich. For once, it wasn’t the lack of snow that tempted us to spontaneously reschedule – it was there. But the thick layer of high fog down to around 1,200 to 1,300 metres above sea level. We postponed the actual planned tour on the Gottschalkenberg and instead headed for the Brüsti above Attinghausen. A formidable decision! On the Brüsti, not only bright sunshine awaited us, but also absolute peace and seclusion.

From Attinghausen, a small cable car with two sections – typical of the canton of Uri – leads up to the Brüsti. The small local recreation area primarily serves the locals. In the bus from Altdorf train station to the valley station of the cable car, we are the only ones with the destination “Brüsti”. And from the middle station we share the small cabin with three “locals”. But even they can’t help but murmur as we break through the blanket of high fog with the cable car shortly before the mountain station and a white glittering winter wonderland unfolds in front of us. That view – wow!

On the Brüsti Trail through snow-covered fir forests…

Our enthusiasm continues even after the first few hairpin bends and meters of altitude! Between the mountain station of the cable car and Alp Catrina, the snowshoe trail follows a wider path past the holiday chalets scattered here in the forest.

After that, things get more adventurous. In steep hairpin bends, the snowshoe trail climbs through a fir forest towards Chräienhörnli and from there makes the arc to the lower-lying Alp Chulmen. Although we are definitely not “early” for our conditions, the first thing we do here is make fresh tracks in the fresh snow. It’s a wonderful feeling. Above all, because such paths also give you a “real” snowshoe hiking feeling. In the distance we see three ski tourers – but all around it remains almost irritatingly quiet. How can it be that on this wonderful day we feel like we are the only ones trudging through the snow in the middle of this magnificent backdrop?

… and over the sun-drenched high plateau of Chulmen…

But it could do with a little more snow up here. The small streams that cross Alp Chulmen are not yet snowed in and challenge us a bit at one point. But we make the “jump” to the other side, without stopping in the cool water.

On Alp Chulmen, the snowshoe trail curves over the high plateau and then descends a few metres into a ravine. Fortunately, the stream can be easily crossed over a snow-covered bridge.

… back to the starting point

Afterwards, the Brüsti Trail leads us in a steep zigzag through the forest up the slope flanks and then leads us back to Alp Catrina following the contour lines. Alternatively, you could also follow a much less ascending, wide path directly to the Brüsti mountain station. This saves you a few quite strenuous meters of altitude, but also misses the recommended stop at the Alp Catrina restaurant.

ps. If you want to enjoy the well-deserved Älplermagronen on the sun terrace here, you should not tackle the Brüsti Trail in December/early January too late. The sun sets shortly after 1:00 p.m. behind the mighty Geissberg.

Key data of the snowshoe hike on the Brüsti Trail

On the following map you can see the route of the Brüsti Trail. The trail is clearly signposted at all forks in the road. However, since the trail does include some steeper ascents and descents and sometimes leads through rougher terrain, I would classify it as “medium” in terms of difficulty. If you want to try snowshoeing for the first time, then I would rather recommend a detour to the Arnisee. SwitzerlandMobility specifies a time of 2:30 h as the approximate time for the tour. We needed just under 2:00 h for the entire round without a long break.

Starting point	Brüsti mountain station (1,526 m above sea level)
Reachability	accessible by public transport
Length	4.1 kilometres
Elevation gain	↗ 295 m 295 m ↘
Duration	2:00 p.m.
Destination	Brüsti mountain station (1,526 m above sea level)
Catering	On Alp Catrina (weekend operation from 3 December, open continuously from 24 December to 10 April)

Practical tips for your snowshoe tour on the Brüsti Trail

• The Attinghausen-Brüsti cable car leads in two sections from the village centre of Attinghausen (Attinghausen bus stop, cable car) to Brüsti. The valley station is accessible by public transport from Altdorf train station.
• If you arrive by car, you can drive directly to the “Kohlplatz” middle station, where parking spaces are available.
• During the winter timetable (from 1 October to 31 May), the cable car runs between 07:00 – 11:30 and from 13:00 to 18:00 every 30 minutes.
• GA travelcard and Half-Fare travelcard are not valid on this route. From the valley station, adults pay 20 CHF return (children 9:50 CHF). Further information can be found on the website of Attinghausen Tourism.
• On the Brüsti there is also a small, family-friendly ski resort.