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Longbyt · #38 06.06.2010, 17:03

Hike –. SwissTrail 2 - Amsteg UR to Göschenen
Time -5 ½ hours, Distance – 16 Km, Uphill – ca.850 m, Downhill – 340 m
Starting point - Amsteg Hydroelectric Powerstation

Link to Track and Photos
This is really a hike with a difference. Not one for the ‘how much time can we clip off the official time’ hikers and no good for those who, above all, want the peace and quiet of the countryside. This is one for those who are interested in the progress in the transport field on the North/South axis in Switzerland.
Over the whole route there are 50 large information panels (in French, German, Italian and English) with a description of particularly interesting things along the path.
The route is well-marked. Follow Transswiss Trail 2. However coming out of Gurtnellen, the path goes under the railway, which is not clear at first glance.

The walking is, for the most part, very easy – farm tracks, narrower paths through woods, hard surface beside the old road, gravel along the railway track, a couple of steeper places with new wooden steps and changes of direction as the path criss-crosses under the railway and the roads. On a hot day the spray from the stream at Rorbach as it plunges from rock to rock down the steep slope is a welcome cold shower. The path between Wassen and Göschenen is narrower and slightly more challenging but nowhere difficult.

The views are fantastic, varying from the majestic kleiner Wildgällen as one looks back down the valley and meadows full of spring flowers beside the path including one field full of orchids; farmers peacefully cutting hay one minute and the roaring motorway a few hundred meters further on. The streams and waterfalls in the side valleys are crossed by ‘interesting’ narrow bridges of various types. Many are new and a map showing hiking paths is not much help as the new route (constructed in 2007) varies quite a lot from the old one.

Between Wassen and Göschenen the path is closed in winter as a couple of bridges are then removed to avoid them being torn away by avalanches. Between Amsteg and Gurtnellen Wiler there are several avalanche ‘hides’ built into the hillside beside the path. Further on though, the strong steel nets which are ‘sprung’ to stop rockfalls onto the motorway are unfortunately on the wrong side of the hiking trail. These precautions give the hiker an idea of the ‘natural forces’ with which the area has to contend. On a sunny summer day however, it’s a very interesting hike with several villages en route. The bus which runs hourly from Göschenen back down to Amsteg stops at plenty of points on the way, which gives the hiker a choice as to where he wants to begin and end the day’s walk.

The official Gotthard Hike page in German.
Trans Swiss Trail 2 Info in English
Info about Göschenen in English

The ‘uphill’ seems a lot more than it felt, so it might be a computer mistake. Sorry guys.