That's what you call putting the cart before the horse: you're standing on this wide, sun-drenched sun terrace in Engelberg, looking out over the mountain arena towering all around you and all you have to do now is get on the lift and gondola up to the Joch Pass - but our guide says no. "That's exactly the mistake that most bike tourists make," says Claudia Müller-Amstutz. "Just get on the lift and thunder back down the trail - you can do that anywhere." What's more, this not only deprives you of half the fun of the trail, but also of the scenic dramaturgy of this truly spectacular tour. Of course, with Claudia as our guide, this mistake won't happen tomorrow. We will get up early, circle the entire mountain massif west of Engelberg and then tackle the Joch Pass from the other side. With a total of 43 kilometres, this super trail loop will be a good day's work.
The GPS data for the Engelberg Supertrail in BIKE 2/2020 can be downloaded free of charge below. The link leads to the Delius Klasing online shop. Once registered, you can add the GPS data (free of charge) to your shopping basket and then receive it for download or as an e-mail.
The first thing Claudia does the next morning is guide us out of the valley. Not on the road we came up by car yesterday, however, but on a parallel hiking trail that cuts even deeper through the gorge. At eye level with the bubbling torrent, the Engelberger Aa, it washes us back down towards Lake Lucerne for 22 kilometres. First on a fun, winding forest path, which occasionally changes banks via small bridges, and then on asphalt for the last ten kilometres to the town of Stans. Claudia has organised a shuttle bus for us here. Over the next 25 minutes, the idyllic Melchtal valley flies past us outside the car window. "Yes, the scenery is beautiful too," says Claudia, not even looking out. "But compared to what's to come, it's a waste of energy."
At Stöckalp, it's finally time to change: out of the shuttle and into the gondola to Obere Frutt. Minutes later, we enter a high alpine fairytale landscape at an altitude of almost 2000 metres. A humpbacked alpine meadow landscape flanked by majestic rock giants. We follow the alpine path, which now rolls up and down across the plateau. Past the Melchsee lake and on to the Tannsee lake. The Titlis glacier is even reflected in its waters. From Tannalp, a rough trail soon curves down the edge of the terrain to Engstlensee. Lulled by these twelve kilometres of Canadian ambience, we gladly take the chairlift for the last 270 metres up to the Joch Pass. Then we are at the top, at 2207 metres above sea level, looking down to Engelberg. You could now surf the freshly created flow trail bends down to Trübsee, but: "Only the bike tourists do that too," says Claudia. She waves us onto the old rollercoaster trail. It also briefly joins the new one, but then leaves again to throw roots, rough scree and steep sections in front of our forks. But the last 250 metres down to Engelberg fly by again on velvety forest soil.
You can find this article in BIKE 2/2020. You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
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Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
