Melchsee-Frutt Blausee Snowshoe Hike (plus exciting 8 km sled run!)

This beautiful snowshoe trail in the Melchsee-Frutt mountain resort is not only gorgeous but a great choice for beginners because it’s quite short and doesn’t have much elevation gain. I loved that after only a couple minutes on the trail you can’t see the ski resort at all. You feel like you are in a remote wilderness even though you are so close to civilization. You have wide open mountain views the whole time, no forest here – best for a sunny calm day.

But maybe the best part is that after your hike you can sled 8 km down the mountain, a fun reward for your (not so) hard work on the trail. Our boys loved it, laughing the whole way down. I normally feel stressed on sled runs, worried I’ll get injured. But I loved it too, maybe the best one I’ve ever done in Switzerland. The trail is super fun with lots of twists and turns, a few steep sections, and great views. We all want to go back soon and sled all day.

Note: Please check snow conditions before heading out. If avalanche warnings are high, this trail may be closed. 

Overview

This snowshoe trail is located at the Melchsee-Frutt mountain resort in central Switzerland south of Luzern.

We did the #792 Blausee snowshoe trail, an easy 4 km loop on the west side of the resort.

For context, here is the winter map of the Melchsee-Frutt area. After the snowshoe hike, we sledded down on the 8 km sledding trail to Stöckalp.

This map shows other other snowshoe trails in this area and a winter walking trail that is groomed.

Getting Here

By car: Drive to Stöckalp, 6067 Melchtal, 46°48’16.7″N 8°16’45.0″E. Just before you reach the gondola, you’ll pass through a gate where you pick up your parking ticket. You’ll need to pay for this at a machine before you leave, CHF 5 for the day.

By transit: Take a train to Sarnen, then bus 343 to Melchtal, Stöckalp. The bus drops off directly at the gondola station. 

Gondola tickets & operating times

You’ll need a return ticket on the gondola from Stöckalp to Melchsee-Frutt. In 2021, this ticket costs CHF 33/adult. You get a 50% discount for those with SBB Halbtax / GA / Swiss Travel Pass and children aged 6-16. Children under 6 and those with a SBB Junior card ride free. The ticket is free with the Tell Pass. See current prices.

If you plan to sled down after your snowshoe hike, you only need a one-way ticket. If you want to sled multiple times, then buy a sledding day pass instead, which costs CHF 41/day or CHF 33 for half-day after 13:00 (see current prices).  

The gondola generally runs from 8:00 to 17:00 every 30 mins. It’s often closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Check their website for detailed operating times.

Snowshoe & Sled Rental

Next to the gondola station, there is a Stöckli sports rental store (041 669 09 60 , frutt@stoeckli.ch), where you can rent snowshoes and sleds. For snowshoes, I’d probably call ahead to reserve your equipment. 

If you are sledding, it’s best to rent sleds at the top of the gondola after your snowshoe hike. They cost CHF 10 for one ride or CHF 18/day if you plan to ride multiple times. 

Obviously, we didn’t want to carry our snowshoes on the sleds. So we used their “Gepäck” service to send our snowshoes down in the gondola while we sled down. We brought a big bag that fit all our snowshoes and gave this to person who rented us the sleds at the top gondola station. He put our name on the bag and sent it down to wait for us. This “Gepäck” service costs CHF 3/bag but they didn’t charge us. After you finish sledding, you walk around the side of the gondola station (not where you bought your tickets earlier), past the bus stop to the “Gepäck” (aka luggage) station. You return your sleds here and pick up your bag.   

See also How to snowshoe in Switzerland for beginners and What to pack & wear on a winter hike

On the trail

The parking lot, walking over to the gondola station.

The gondola pod.

Looking back down to the valley station.

Here’s the sled run as seen from the gondola.

The first pink pole pointing the way to the snowshoe trail.

This is the only sign with the official 792 trail number that I saw.

Just keep following the pink poles over the rolling hills.

Happy family on the trail.

Looking back at the Melchsee village and ski resort.

A couple small hills, nothing too steep or long.

Such a pretty, fun trail.

So little in this big world.

Looping back

Last flat bit before the ski hill comes back into view.

A little downhill.

Finishing back up where we started at the ski hill.

Walking back up to the gondola station to get our sleds. This was the hardest part of the hike, but still not that hard.

Sled run

After the hike, it’s time for the reward, speed sledding down the mountain a long 8 km. We dropped off our snowshoes at the gondola station to be sent down to the valley. Then we rented our sleds and we’re ready to go. These sleds are fantastic! Really easy to control and smooth to ride.

A couple steep bits but not too bad, even for this timid mama. The boys thought it was awesome.

Lots of curves.

Lost of the trail is on a narrow trail shared with skiers and no barrier on the side. So careful not fly off the edge.

Epic views on this sled run!