Chli Aubrig – Canton Schwyz – 3 hours. Distance – 9km, Uphill - 400m, Downhill - 400m

The only negative thing about this hike up the Chli Aubrig is that the starting point, the Sattelegg Pass, so beloved by cyclists and motor-bike fans, cannot be reached by the public transport network. Large free cark park though.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone wanting a good panoramic view without too much effort and without the risk of meeting hoards of ‘bandbox fresh’ types already at the summit having reached it by mechanical means. This one is only for hikers.

Comparatively young children who are decent walkers will be able to manage it and will relish the thought of putting their names in the ‘Summit book’ at the top even if they don’t appreciate views at that age. If one has visitors over here whose fitness level perhaps isn’t too high, it’s a wonderful chance to show them ‘real’ as opposed to ‘tourist’ Switzerland.

Mr and Mrs Longbyt, together with another EFer whose anonymity we shall preserve, set off from the pass at 8.15. It was going to be a warm day. Steady going, nothing difficult. There is a ‘restaurant’ at the foot of the last upward slope. Definitely basic farming style - the large sun umbrellas fastened to the solid tables with workshop clamps!

On reaching the summit there is a 360° panorama. Below, lake Zürich and the Sihlsee, a circle of pre-alpine hills, behind them Hoch Ybrig, the two Mythens, Glärnisch etc and in the background the snow-covered ranges. The path goes down the same slope again, then, instead of turning right and retracing our footsteps, we opted to risk the wet and muddy path around the other side of the mountain. It was definitely the right decision, as from the other side we could look up at the near vertical cliffs up towards the summit. We had seen this from the top, but it is more impressive (and much less scary) looking up from below. We knew roughly what we were letting ourselves in for, having done this route before, but the group we met coming in the opposite direction, Germans with quite a few very small children, were perhaps not quite as happy about it – the children’s boots were sinking in an awful long way… Probably the beginning of the path, a farm track, broad and hard-surfaced had misled them.

After completely the hike, we treated ourselves to an excellent ice-cream sundae at the Sattelegg Restaurant, watching the cyclists, red-faced and breathing heavily, reach the head of the pass. A most satisfying end to the hike!