Unterschächen, the village furthest up the valley called Schächental, lies on the route to the Klausen pass, which connects the cantons of Uri and Glarus. Surrounded by impressive three-thousand metre peaks, like the Gross Ruchen, the Schärhorn and the Clariden, the village tends to be in shadow in winter. This does have its advantages: due to its location, the region is virtually guaranteed to have snow, which makes it an insider's tip among cross-country skiers.

Unterschächen's first cross-country ski trail dates back to 1970; a short trail, it was prepared and maintained with the simplest of equipment. It has been lengthened over the years to more than 6 kilometres. A demandingly contoured section that invites skiers to practice endurance training plus a flat section allowing them to hone their techniques make the circuit along the village and the Schächenbach stream a highly varied route.

The cross-country trail plays an important role for the town and the ski region of Central Switzerland: for years, Ski Club Unterschächen has hosted the Christmas Cross-Country ski run (Weihnachtslanglauf), one of Switzerland's best-attended regional cross-country ski events. The regional championships of Central Switzerland's ski federation (ZSSV) have also been held in the tributary valley of the Reuss.