not sure if i have posted this before on another hiking thread but this website is really useful

http://activityworkshop.net/hiking/s...and/index.html

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!

Huttwil to Willisau - Napf Gebiet – BE/LU – Time – 4 ½ hours, Distance – 16 Km, ca. 600m Uphill, ca. 680m Downhill

The starting and finishing points of this walk can be reached hourly by public transport. We left our car in Willisau, went by train to Huttwil and set off from there.

It’s a good idea to stock up with food and drink in Huttwil if you haven’t already filled the rucksack. At least two of the bakers’ shops in Huttwil are open until 17.00 even on Sundays. The only village we passed en route had a church, a post office, a bank, a school, parish council buildings, a great many parking places, but, as far as we could see, no restaurant open.

This is an up-and-down walk as the Profile shows. No difficulties and the path is, for the most part, well-marked. A few short stretches are on minor roads, some on meadows not very clearly defined. I think maybe the rain (this is one of the wettest areas in Switzerland) may have something to do with the fast-growing vegetation.
The large farmhouses with the low roofs are typical of this region with masses of geraniums at the windows. One has the feeling the farmer’s wives are in competition with each other to see who can produce the best display. Cows are everywhere, a couple of dogs announced our presence as we passed through ‘their’ farmyard, a few goats greeted us in Ufhusen and we met just a couple of hikers.

An unusual sight were the enormous heaps of gravel and chippings, all sorted by size and colour, at Stoss. When I think what one pays for a few handfuls to use in flower arrangements!

On reaching Willisau, famous for the Willisau Ringli, a biscuit speciality, it’s worth making a short detour to go through the old town before making for the station. The centre, between the two archways, has retained much of the old character of these towns. The sign over the shop selling clocks, a large pocket watch, caught my eye. Here, several restaurants line the ‘pavement’ and give the hiker a chance to relax and simply watch the world go by. A satisfying end to the day.

Glarus to Klöntaler Plätz. Time - 4 hours, Distanz - ca. 12 km, ca. 600m uphill, ca. 250m downhill.

Photos and map here.

The hiking trip to the Klöntaler Lake is a great day out. Unfortunately the GPS device didn’t like the fresh mountain air and refused to function. However, as it was such a good hike, I decided to add it to the other GPS hikes anyway. When we do it again, we can add the link.

This would be an ideal trip on which to take visitors to Switzerland who want a magnificent view and like to have earned it but are not too adventurous. Children would love the chance to go swimming in the Lake after the exertion of the walking.

The starting point is easy to reach by public transport. The trains in both directions were a bit crowded but the distances are quite short. IR train from Zürich to Ziegelbrücke, train connection to Glarus, hike to Klöntal Plätz with a Postbus back from Klöntal Plätz to Glarus and rail connections via Ziegelbrücke to Zürich.
However, this is on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer. Check the Postbus timetable before you start off or you may find yourself with a LONG wait - until next spring.

The Route.
After leaving Glarus the track goes over the Allmend. If the wind-sock is up, there is shooting going on and the gate will be closed and you’ll have to take the other signposted route to Klöntalersee.

The path is clearly marked, easy to walk and partly goes through the woods, which is pleasant as the day gets warmer. After passing the Vord. Saggberg we noticed the large 'elderly' building used for holidays camps and owned by the Glarus Schools. This was built well before the days of ‘Cheap holidays for all in the Maldives’..

At the Schwammhöchi the view opens out over the valley with the Klöntaler Lake below. A magnificent sight. The outside tables were already set for lunch when we arrived but the staff were quite happy to move the place-mats to one side to allow us to sit at a table with the best view. After a break we continued; a good path, crossing the road from time to time, leads down to the lake.

Turning left, we went past a camping site, through woods, passing small beaches, one of them being ideal for our mid-day break. Later the track climbs a little, narrows and hugs the cliffs with a steel-rope hand-hold. It is plenty broad enough though and the surface good so it is much more a safety precaution for winter conditions than a necessity in summer.

At the other end of the lake, Klöntal Plätz, there is another restaurant, but we arrived shortly before a bus was due to leave for the return journey, so we postponed refreshments. Unfortunately, the bus had to turn round at Rhodannenberg and after changing to another vehicle we lost our ‘go and bag the back seats’ which had perfectly suited our party of 4 high-spirited EF-ers + one long-suffering husband. Sitting on the steps in the second bus, with our own panoramic window in front of us, was probably just as much fun and we still had time for the ice-cream in Glarus so it hardly mattered.

It was a great hike, with great weather and in great company.

Does anyone know where we can buy a three-tone horn like the post-buses have? One of the hikers, who also cycles, thinks it would be a very useful piece of equipment, guaranteeing him a clear path ahead when he rides over mountain passes…

Like this…

Unfortunately no GPS hiking boots but Photos and Maps to the second and third hike on Flickr.

Menzingen (Canton Zug) to the Hikers Hut Gruemel above Lake Aegeri
If you want to hear only Swiss German and avoid ex-pats, this is the place for you.
Plenty of paths to choose from for this short hike but even the 25.000 maps don’t show the name of the building. Swiss Coordinates: 688886 222675
Bikers and hikers also come from over the Raten Pass so there are sometimes more folk there than expected so be prepared to wait for your food and drink. The view is beautiful though and enjoying the sunshine is pure pleasure. Check the opening days and times!

The whole area is a walker’s paradise and this site has a lot of ideas for shorter walks. (in English)


Toggenburg SG - from Nesslau over the Windenpass to Unterwasser. Time – 5,5 hours, Uphill - 600m, Downhill - 800m.
Photos and Map

In Nesslau we took the bus towards the Schwägalp Pass, getting off at Schiltmoos. We crossed a lovely boggy stretch, then saw several alpine huts as we made our way up towards the pass. Mostly the path was well marked, but on occasion the marking seemed to have been done on the way down, as the familiar white, red, white stripes were not as clear from our direction.

On the higher slopes, traversing the mountain, it was less easy going. Narrow, a bit damp and the path in some places eroded. Not dangerous though, as had one missed ones step one could only fall into the roots and bushes to the right.

The last slope was steep and rocky, and I, for one, needed both hands to get up it. Not my favourite sort of route, but the view coming over the top of the pass was quite something. The Churfirsten, all in a magnificent row. Unexpectedly, from ‘straight behind’ as it were, we saw the ‘valleys’ between them all. From a more usual, diagonal angle, they look closer together.

Coming down was child’s play, even though we had an extra 200m to descend. The Lake (Gräppelensee) gave us a place for a break. Some people were swimming and it must be a ‘secret tip’ for bikers on a warm day.

Some folk doing the Windenpass get off the bus a stop earlier at Luttertannen and go up via the Risi Pass. Perhaps this is slightly easier, as reports of the route imply that ‘our’ way included one of the roughest bits.
An excellent tour but perhaps not ideal for female no-longer-golden Oldies!


Schächentaler Höhenweg UR. Biel to Balm (Klausenpass) Time – 5 hours, Uphill – 500m, Downhill – 300m.
Map and Photos.
Other routes in the region. (Only in German)
We set off from Bürglen (near Altdorf) and took the cableway up to Biel. After the hike we came back down the valley from Balm to Bürglen by Postcar (infrequent service).

The cabin of the cableway from Bürglen only holds eight people. Although the scheduled service would have been a twenty minute wait, we were able to ascend immediately, as a group of six other hikers were right behind us!
The route is a well walked, well marked path with no difficulties anywhere. Part of the way is farm-vehicle track – watch for the turn-offs to the real hiking path which is more interesting walking. Views over the whole valley are magnificent. No restaurants until Balm though so food and drink out of the rucksack.
Another great day out.

3 Words, 8 breathtaking hikes along the Vierwaldstättersee:

Weg der Schweiz:

http://www.weg-der-schweiz.ch/

Steinbach (Lake Sihl) SZ to Alpthal SZ. Time – 5 hours, Distance – 10 Kilometres, Uphill – 930m, Downhill –720m

For this Hike near Einsiedeln, we picked the perfect day and perfect timing.

By train to Einsiedeln (coming from Zürich change in Wädenswil) and then by bus to Steinbach. (Postbus direction Euthal, Unteriberg).
On the return journey, Postbus from Alpthal to Einsiedeln and then the connecting train back to ‘civilisation’. The connections in both directions connect.

In Einsiedeln we could hardly make out the Abbey through the mist but by the time the bus reached Steinbach it had cleared a little, offering beautiful views over the lake. The Restaurant Steinbach is near the bus-stop, but we were keen to get on our way and had well-filled rucksacks so we didn’t go in. No Homepage unfortunately.

The first stretch of path through the woods is well marked and well travelled. Tractor-wide and with no ‘drops’ I presume the thick steel cable on the path is there for forestry workers and nothing to do with safety precautions for the hiker. After the 'Upper Cow Meadow' building there is no path for some distance but a marker on the wet field (we were lucky as the ground was partly frozen, so we sank less into the mire) and a couple of marked stones (white/red/white) kept us on track. The signpost on the top of the ridge is visible for a while too. Still gaining height but easy walking we reach the Spital Peak with the obligatory (Peak book) to sign our names. Judging by the domiciles written there, this area is very much an insider hiking region.

The view of the snow capped mountain 180° panorama in one direction and the ‘fog sea’ in the other was quite fantastic. On further to the Regenegg and the Gschwändstock. This is the only part which needs concentration. The path follows the ridge sometimes over the rocky surface with a drop on the right and sometimes away from the cliff on a very narrow path, the surface also sloping. Fine when dry, but probably not as much fun after a fall of snow.

This time we turned right at the Bützifluh signpost and avoided the short steep descent (with steel rope) beside the rocks. The two paths join each other a little further down. It is easy walking on the steady descent to the village. The restaurant has closed down but there is a café at the new post centre in Alpthal. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear on their Homepage yet.

We saw our ‘one-time’ home and once again admired the school our children went to. And if you look at the list of ‘school-free’ days the children in the village have, you’ll see why ours enjoyed their time there.

After our look round, we sat in the sunshine in the garden between the cemetery and the bus stop to drink the last of our tea before returning to the grey world of Lake Zürich.

Weesen to Quinten. Lake Walen (Walensee), Canton SG

Time - 3 ½ hours, Distance - ca. 13 Km, Uphill - ca.350 m, Downhill - 350 ca. m

We left the car near Weesen Railway station. (Now costs Fr.0.50 per hour.)
To get back to Weesen, we crossed the lake from Quinten to Murg and from there by train (hourly) back to Weesen. The winter timetable is valid for the boats at the moment so this is the only route possible (other than walking further of course!) Check this site to see what is on offer. Click on ‘Fahrplan’.

The Weesen>Quinten route is well-marked and well-walked. On a föhniger day in mid November, warm, breezy, with the ‘might become stormy’ lights blinking over the lake the whole day, there were very few people along the path. Quinten has more or less closed down for the winter. One of the restaurants might just be open on a Sunday…
The stretch to Betlis is easy walking. Check the time of the one-way traffic before you start the stretch with narrow tunnels. Then you know whether cars will be coming up behind you, or whether you might meet one head-on. There are plenty of niches though.

It’s well worth the short detour up to see the Rinquelle, which is a sort of overflow from an underwater system below the village of Amden, way up above the trail. The noise of the water crashing down is quite impressive and if the föhn is blowing, you get lightly sprayed with the water too. According to the brochure, this is the highest waterfall in Switzerland.

The track climbs steadily through the woods. It’s not a bad idea to make a short halt at the ‘fire-place’ before following the path above the quarry as from there onwards the path follows the ‘cliff’. More or less straight up on the left and pretty well straight down on the right. However, the powers that be have done a great job with fencing and steel cables so that it is a lot safer than it sounds. The cables are not really necessary but it makes those of us who are not quite so young and folk hiking with their children feel better!

From there on the path goes steadily down to Quinten, famous for its mild climate and the fact that it is ‘car-free’. The Churfirsten protect it from the north-east winds and the fig-trees and the like give it an odd Mediterranean atmosphere. The temperature of the lake brings one back to reality with a bump. Even their own advertising doesn’t actually mention SWIMMING in it!

One can make it a full day’s hike by going further, either to Walenstadtberg where there is a bus connection down to Walenstadt or hike right to the end of the lake, to Walenstadt itself. Both variations involve quite a bit more uphill and in winter at least it would be wise to check the time of the last bus if you go to Walenstadtberg and the number of daylight hours left whichever path you choose.

A good hike and the ‘serve yourself’ apple-juice, sold at the same stall as the walnuts and apple slices was both a pleasant surprise and very refreshing.

Hike –from Meilen to Küsnacht (Zürisee Gold Coast)

Time 4 1/2 hours, Distance 13 1/2 Km, Uphill - ca.430 m, Downhill - ca.430 m

Starting point Meilen ‘Friedhof’ (cemetery)

Link to GPS track and pictures.
This is an easy hike, uphill beside one stream, across the top of the ridge and down another stream on the same side of the Pfannenstil.

Public Transport at both ends. Excellent for non-hiking newcomers to Switzerland to try-out a new sport. If you don’t want to get your brand new hiking boots a bit muddy, it could easily be done in decent ‘gym shoes’. A snack in the rucksack is not a bad idea as there are no restaurants en route.

Net gain: one hiker, two llamas, several horses plus riders, about a dozen well-behaved dogs with their owners, a couple of bikers, one photographer; wild-life - no flowers in the woods except butterbur just poking through the soil, one pair of mandarin ducks, lots of frogs, masses of frogspawn and four dippers. (Very dark ‘blackbird sized’ birds with a brownish head and white ‘bib’ which sit on stones in the middle of fast-flowing streams and bob up and down)

We started just above the cemetery in Meilen (parking places Fr.0.50 per hour) and set off up the hill following the ‘Grüetzi Route’. It’s a good path for getting used to Swiss maps and learning to look out for the yellow rhombus of the walking trails as there is no real chance of getting lost. Steady uphill and the rushing stream is fascinating to watch. Turn left at the top of the hill (Güldener Höhe) and then follow the signs down the other stream towards Küsnacht.

In a couple of weeks there will be masses of spring flowers about so it will be more attractive, but it was a lovely peaceful hike and the number of man-made waterfalls was quite impressive.

Hike –from Rüti (ZH)- Güntisberg - Rüti (ZH)
Time - 3 ½ hours, Distance -12 Km, Uphill – ca. 250m, Downhill - ca. 250m
Starting point – 'Park and Ride' near the Railway Station.
Link to GPS track and pictures.
This hike might have been better done in the other direction as after the attractive deep valley of the stream one walks through an industrial area (lots of Motorbikes) which is a bit of a let down.

This is another easy trip. Well marked, no map really needed, but using one helps you to get the lie of the land for future hikes. Quite a bit is through woods. Plenty of wood anemones at the moment, one bank covered in violets and a few stray specimens of coltsfoot.
I instantly recognised the school out at Mettlen from a hike several years ago – practically in the middle of nowhere. One sees the same thing in the Emmental and in the Jura– a school without a village. The children come from the surrounding farms and hamlets. It’s perhaps a good thing that children are not normally impressed by views. Adults surely wouldn’t get a stroke of work done as they would spend their time looking at the panoramic view from the window of the schoolroom.
One restaurant, on the Güntisbergstrasse (on the map you can see the slight detour we made and came back the same way). They had delicious ‘Nussgipfeli’ – ‘nut croissants’ which kept the wolf from the door successfully.

A pleasant afternoon.

Hike – from Tufertschwil SG > Winzenberg > Hori > Haslen > Tufertschwil
Time – 4 hours, Distance – ca.12½ Km, Uphill – ca. 500m, Downhill – ca.500m
Starting point – Tufertschwil SG - Grosser Parkplatz near the Restaurant Rössli

Link to GPS track and pictures

This circular route took us over the hills near Will SG in Lower Toggenburg. The paths were good and well marked. As it had snowed the previous day, we were glad that we were wearing our hiking boots and not just shoes.
We stopped for a short break on the Wildberg, after the steepest part of the hike. The zig-zag path upwards was quite narrow but clearly visible and in spite of the covering of leaves on the damp surface was not too slippery. Short stretches follow the road.

Near a quarry, there was a most unusual sight, in fine sand, of flower patterns. They looked just like the ice flowers which, in winter in our childhood, we had found on our bedroom windows each morning.
We presumed that these ‘mud flowers’ had formed the previous night in the thin layer of water over the surface. As the ice melted, the shapes of the ‘flowers’ remained. They looked almost like petrified leaves.

Part of this walk followed the ‘Wind Wheel Path’. At intervals there are small wind wheels which drive parts of models depicting various trades. Beneath the model there is a short description of the work done by the artisan, the training required plus a list of possibilities of further education in similar fields. It would be quite interesting for children beginning to think of apprenticeships and learning German at school. They could translate for their expat parents! Looking for the next model would also have a ‘jollying along’ effect for children not too keen on ‘boring walks’.

There are restaurants in Tufertschwil, Winzenberg, Oberrindal, on the Wildberg and near Mühlau. The Landgasthof Rössli in Tufertschwil has a large playground complete with train as a bonus for youngsters. And there's a pleasant chap just up the road will might tell you the history of the village if you understand Swiss German.

Hike –from Sattel SZ > Halsegg > Wildspitz > Sattel SZ
Time – 3½ -4 hours, Distance – 12.7 Km, Uphill - ca.800 m, Downhill - ca.800 m
Starting point: Free Parking Area in Sattel

This is a great hike with fantastic views over the mountains and hills of Central Switzerland. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau were a bit lost in the mist though.

We parked the car at the large free car-park in Sattel and made our way in the direction of the railway station. From there, the path is signposted.

Link to GPS track and pictures
The path is well-walked and well marked going steadily uphill, sometimes through woods beside a stream, near the top across meadows. Some snow is still about in the shadows and the grass where it has just melted is a bit slippery. Otherwise there is nothing difficult about the route. After strengthening ourselves at the new hut at Halsegg at we found more snow waiting for us. At one point the path across the slope was narrow there were a couple of icy patches but one couldn’t slip more than about twenty meters down, even if one had lost ones footing. After this patch, and one very short bit through some rocks with a steel rope handhold, it was all straightforward again.

The view from the Wildspitz is really something. There is a restaurant there too, and just above it, a panorama chart to tell you the names of all the mountains you can see (and a couple which, because of the haze, we couldn’t). After a short break we set off on another route down. A bit longer, a bit more hard surface but as compensation a couple of steel ropes and steps in one of the ‘short-cuts’ between the serpentines of the road.

Towards the bottom, the path was less well marked and we had to keep our eyes open for the slightly ‘weather-worn’ red and white markings of the ‘mountain hiking’ path. Lower, the markings are yellow (hiking) as the going is much easier.
With the parking lot in sight the first couple of raindrops fell. Perfect Swiss Timing.

Among the flowers we saw were coltsfoot, wood anemones, cowslips, white butterbur, marsh marigolds and, where the snow has just melted, masses of crocuses. You have to earn the right to view them though, 500m uphill first!

Just above Sattel, on our downward route, we passed the tipizelt (Tipi ‘tents’ for holidays) and the lamahof. The tipizelt homepage gives more details. There are also ‘proper’ rooms for those who are not quite as adventurous.. It might be something different which one could do with children.

All in all, a great region for outdoor folk.

Six days of hiking in Tessin (Ticino) - the southern end of the Trans Swiss Trail 2 - Airolo to Serpiano

We did it the easy way and booked with Swiss Trails who arrange the hotels and the luggage transfer. This means that only a one-day rucksack has to be carried. A real plus for the not-quite-so-young-and-fit.

Strada Alta - we did this stretch from Airolo to Poleggio in three days. Can also be done in two.


Day 1 –from Airolo TI to Osco TI
Time – 5½ - 6 hours, Distance – 17.5 Km, Uphill - ca.760 m, Downhill - ca.750 m
Starting point – Railway Station Airolo

Link to GPS track and pictures
This hike is the first part of the Strada Alta the ‘high road’ on the sunny side of the Leventina Valley. The views are impressive and going early in the year (while practically everything was still closed for the winter) we had wonderful snowy mountains against the blue sky.

No problems for us on this stretch though the 4-wheel-drive chap who found himself confronted with a rather large amount of snow on the single track ‘road’ probably wasn’t as happy about the conditions as we were. Most of the route was snow-free though the crocuses still in tight buds were a sure sign that the snow hadn’t been gone for more than about four days.

The track is very well marked and well walked. One has to keep ones eyes open for the red and white markings though as the path sometimes follows the tarred road and then turns off again through woods, across fields or across rocky areas. Especially coming down the Bosco d'Öss it’s quite easy to wander off the prescribed route as there are ‘paths’ everywhere. Although this Hike is so well known, we saw no other hikers at all on this first day and only a couple of folk in the hamlets we went through. Peace, perfect peace.

The only slight disadvantages were a complete lack of restaurants or shops (not even one in Osco) and when we arrived at our goal for the day the hotel we had been booked into by Swiss Trails had a cheerful notice saying that they would be open at 16.00 on Friday, and this was Tuesday! However, the chap arrived at around 16.00 (on Tuesday) and we were able to relax and enjoy a well-earned shower.

Day 2 –from Osco TI to Anzonico TI
Time – 4 hours, Distance – 14 Km, Uphill - ca.665 m, Downhill - ca.830 m
Starting point - Hotel Marti in Osco

Link to GPS track and pictures
The first picture shows the restaurant where we had our first evening meal as the hotel was, in theory, still closed. The landlady seemed to have an excellent idea of how hungry we were after the day’s hike.
Again this the second day the path is very well marked and well walked.

The views looking back along the trail are very satisfying – Osco getting smaller as the distance increases. Crossing the various streams is ‘interesting’, some ‘bridges’ looking a little more stable than others. Sometimes it’s simply a case of choosing your own stepping stones. The footpath over one of the streams is sometimes impassable. When it is carrying a lot of water, a detour has to be made, crossing lower down the hillside.

There was quite a variety in the types of buildings we saw. Some attractive, some very much in need of repair. The frescos in the church in Rossura have been uncovered and it is time well spent to have a look at them. The old wash-house is obviously the basis for the communal laundry found in so many Swiss blocks of flats!

The mill in Calonico, which has recently been restored, was not clearly visible through the slats of the door, but the camera made a good job of the picture. During a short break, we were passed by two hikers who were doing the middle stretch of the Strada Alta in one day. Rather them than us. They were the only walkers we saw on the route at all. Unbelievable. We reached our goal in Anzonico safely and were quickly made welcome by our ‘innkeeper’. Another rewarding day.

Day 3 – from Anzonico TI to Pollegio TI
Time 4 1/2 hours, Distance 15 Km, Uphill - ca.425 m, Downhill - ca.1110 m
Starting point. - Osteria Anzonico.

Link to GPS track and pictures.
Once again, we were the only guests at the inn. Very convenient, as it meant that once again we were the sole occupants of our six-bed room and had two shower rooms at our disposal! The previous evening we had eaten at the Bellavista (the only restaurant as the hotel kitchen was closed for its ‘half-day). In Anzonico we found a tiny shop which enabled us to add some variety to our diet – though GrumpyGrapefruit would be surprised at the size of the ‘200 gramme’ piece of cheese we requested! Possibly no-one there asks for less than a pound.

The weather was not quite as sunny as the previous two days but the path, once again, was good. It says something for the rockiness of the region though, that a chamois crossed the path just in front of us.
Reaching Cavagnago we were slowly returning to ‘civilisation’ and the village was much more ‘alive’ than most other places we had passed through. In Sobrio we managed, at last, to find a restaurant which was open. We enjoyed a short break and caught up with a little of the news of the outside world.

The last part of the stretch, the descent to Pollegio, is steep with many steps but we reached the valley floor without difficulty.
Unfortunately, the Postbus from Pollegio was running about two minutes late and we didn’t have time to buy our tickets and get on the next train from Bellinzona to Rivera-Bironico. As the Postbus only goes up from there to Isone once an hour (last run around 6) this cost us an extra hour in the end and we were not quite as early as we would have liked. The pizza we ate later was enough compensation.


We had now fulfilled an old dream of Mr L – ‘doing the Strada Alta’.

Hike 4 –from Isone TI to Tesserete TI
Time 4 hours, Distance 13.5 Km, Uphill - ca.600 m, Downhill - ca.800 m
Starting point. - Isone
This was a continuing part of our hike after the 3-day Strada Alta
Link to GPS track and pictures.

Overnight stopping place in Isone was the Hotel Camorghè. It was by far the most modern hotel we had stayed in thus far. The village itself profits from the presence of the Swiss Army, which has a centre further up the valley. Not long after setting off, we made an involuntary detour cheerfully following the main track and missing the turn-off for hikers. The route is not quite as clearly marked as the Strada Alta. After three days on the latter we had become a little less careful.

The many silver birch trees were a great contrast to the vegetation of the other paths. As there are several routes from the (dry) Gola di Lago to Tesserete we were surprised to find ourselves getting further from our goal, timewise, at one point. In this area we began to meet other walkers out enjoying the countryside – no ‘long-distance’ hikers though. The ruined ‘rusticos’ reminded us of holidays in the Malcantone TI, where we had seen many of them in earlier years. The impressive view of Graddicioli, which we hiked up several times with our very young children, was a ‘plus’ I hadn’t really expected.

The pilgrim’s path down from the Santa Maria Convent was ‘practice for the knees’ again – it was easier walking at the side of the steps (see photo) as the going was smoother there. The church in Tesserete looks ‘odder’ on the outside than on the inside where the different height of the choir is not so obvious. Although the ‘town’ is quite small, we didn’t find the hotel at first try, the frontage with the name on is not visible from the road given as the address. And for the first time we actually put our waterproof jackets on – a waste of time though. By the time we had them on (underneath a restaurant awning) and had studied the map again, it had stopped raining.
Luck with the weather continued to accompany us.

Hike 5 –from San Salvatore TI to Morcote TI
Time 4 hours, Distance 12.6 Km, Uphill - ca.380 m, Downhill - ca.1010 m
Starting point. – San Salvatore
Link to GPS track and pictures.
From Tesserete to the top of San Salvatore, Lugano – Paradiso, we used public transport. Whether by bus or by train to Paradiso, one seems to arrive just in time to see the funicular leaving.
The hike took us from San Salvatore via Carona to Morcote. From Morcote we took the boat over to Brusino-Arsizio (only a couple of trips per day – so check times first!) and then the Aerial cablecar up to Serpiano.

It was pleasant walking through the woods at the beginning of the walk and the further we got, the fewer folk we saw. We soon reached Carona and left the main path to go down into the village itself. The wash-house still had the old sloping stones at the sides. We had just made a short break in front of the church when the postauto came up. It passes through the round gateway by the church. There are about 10 centimetres spare on each side of the bus. Precision is called for. For the first time in this whole week we saw ‚tourists’ piling out of the bus to enjoy the spring sunshine and southern atmosphere of the region. Some of them, with us, made their way to the Botanical Gardens in Grato.. It was a bit early for most things, but one could see spring approaching rapidly. In general, the more advanced growth of the vegetation reminded us that we were losing altitude and working our way south. This was a complete contrast to the bare trees and brown grass at the beginning of our trip.

On the steep descent to Morcote we disturbed masses of lizards that had been enjoying a nap in the sun. After five days hiking, but still to my surprise, the downhill hadn’t bothered either of us at all. The boat trip across the lake, the cableway trip up to the plateau, and a short walk brought us to the hotel. The hotel swimming pool was a welcome extra and the fact that bathing robes, bathing towels and towelling slippers were provided was a pleasant surprise. A very good, but rather expensive meal rounded off the day.

Hike 6 – from Serpiano TI to Serpiano TI
Time 2¾ hours, Distance 5.5 Km
Link to GPS track and pictures.
The official Swiss Trail in the 2002 version goes as far as Chiasso but the new book only goes as far as Lugano. We opted to change the overnight stop from Morcote to Serpiano, dropped the idea of the hike to Mendrisio and planned to go up the Monte San Giorgio. We hadn’t realised that this region is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
For the first time in the week, the weather let us down a little. We went by Postbus (it stops right outside the hotel) down to Meride and planned to walk up to the Monte San Giorgio from there, afterwards walking back down to Serpiano. After getting off the bus, we really enjoyed walking around the village of Meride which was rather different from other Tessiner Villages we had visited. One side of the main street was made up of a more or less continuous wall, with large arches in it at intervals. Most of the arches had wooden doors in them, but we were able to sneak in through one and have a look round. Seems that behind the wall is an open area and behind that, the house.
We left the village and made our way on a flat stoned path up the hill. The stones were damp although it wasn’t raining and it wasn’t such easy walking as we would have liked. We managed to find a fire salamander though and after making the poor beastie walk the same stretch of path about four times to give Mr L the chance to get a really good photo, I put him back where he came from. He slowly made his way across the stones again. A bit later, after a short break, we saw that the mist was getting thicker as we climbed and as we had no particular wish to take photos of fog (and we were sure than there would be pictures on the internet to show us what we had missed) we cut the exercise short and following a narrow trail along the hillside, with boards saying more about the flora and fauna of this area we made our way back to the hotel. We paddled a bit in the stream to get some of the mud off our boots and went inside for another swim in the pool.
The next morning was wonderful weather again which enabled us to take a couple of photos before we left.
Thus ended our week covering the southern end of the Swiss Trail. 2

Hike from Seelisberg UR to Flüelen – Flüelen to Treib by paddle-steamer – Treib to Seelisberg by funicular railway.–
Hiking Time - 4 hours, Distance - 15 Km, Uphill - 0 ca. m, Downhill - 430 ca. m Total Time 6 ¼ hours
Starting point - Seelisberg Oberdorf.

Link to GPS Track and Pictures
This walk is part of the ‘Weg der Schweiz’ which was put together along 35 kilometres on the southern part of Lake Lucerne marking 700 years of the Swiss Eidgenossenschaft.

Any stretch of this would be a great walk for folk wanting to show relatives or friends the ‘centre’ and ‘original three cantons’ of the country. The walking is easy, there are plenty of places for a picnic, several restaurants en route and thanks to the boats which stop at various points, one can shorten the hike or simply enjoy a boat trip as part of the excursion.

On the part which we walked, apart from the drop (850 steps/350 metres) down to Bauen, the path is mostly flat following the shore of Lake Lucerne. Near Wissig, before the descent had properly started, we found a couple of children with selling small portions of goats’ cheese, with drinks and homemade cake for the hungry or thirsty wanderer.
The views on this hike are really spectacular. The terrain alternates between sunny areas and, down by the lakeside, short tunnels and stretches in the shadow of the tall rock faces. Part of the way there is no alternative to walking along the side of the road, (very little traffic though) but at a couple of spots interest is added by fixed hooks in the rock face for those who fancy going straight up, presumably having found walking on the flat too boring. A couple of spots would be suitable for bathing too when the water warms up a bit.

From a wildlife point of view, in the Reuss delta we saw various varieties of duck, including mallards with their young, and, right beside the path, a profusion of orchids.

After the boat trip (on a sunny Sunday it is worth going first class on the paddle steamer) and having ascended to Seelisberg again by cable railway, we strolled up towards Oberdorf, taking a last look down over the Rütli Wiese – ‘the birthplace of the Eidgenossenschaft’.

Hi

Am I totally blind? I can't seem to find a way of retrieving the GPS coordinates from the website. Is there a way to download the walks as either a GPX or a CSV file?

Thanks

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.

Hike Bürgenstock NW – Oberbürgen > Oberbürgen
Time 3-3 ½ hours, Distance 12 Km, Uphill - ca. 300 m, Downhill - ca. 300 m
Starting point Free parking places in Oberbürgen

Photos and GPS Track
Short walk over the Bürgenstock. Well walked and clearly defined paths. Follow the signposts – maybe they ran out of paint but we found none of the usual yellow markings.

Pleasant walking all the way. The outstanding attractions of this easy hike are the fantastic views of the 'Lake of the Four Cantons' from the rock/cliff path between Bürgenstock along to the Hammetschwand lift and the lift itself.
Restaurants: Bürgenstock, Hammetschwand und Trogen.

Another possibility for ‚elderly visitors’ would be to do the trip by boat from Luzern to Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock, then take the funicular to Bürgenstock, followed by a 25 minute stroll (almost all flat) to the lift.

Hike: Ebnat-Kappel SG > Tanzboden > Ebnat-Kappel
Time 4 1/2 hours, Distance 14.8 Km, Uphill - ca. 850 m, Downhill - ca. 850 m


Starting point: Ebnat-Kappel Railway Station
GPS Track and Fotos here.

This hike in the Toggenburg region of Eastern Switzerland can be done using public transport. From Zürich one will have to change trains at least once but as the path starts from the station in Ebnat-Kappel no time is lost on arriving there.

It is easy walking. On the way up, the path is well walked and well marked. Nothing difficult, just steadily uphill through woods and across meadows. There are great views back down into the valley and over to Säntis. At Unterbächen and Oberbächen there are alpine restaurants. At the first, we saw quite a number of cars parked but few people, so I presume several hikers started off from there shortening the hike by quite a bit.

When we reached the Tanzboden, our goal for the day, we realized that, it being the Swiss National Day, an alpine church service was to be held in front of the restaurant. Perhaps 30 or 40 people and about twenty cows! One could actually hear the music, and also what was being said, much better up near the bonfire which had been made ready for the evening celebration. The cow bells drowned everything out lower down.

At this highest point the panoramic vlew was complete. Lake Zurich, Toggenburg and Appenzellerland, Säntis, Churfirsten, the two Mythens, the Great and Lesser Aubrlg, Pilatus, the Rigi and other snow capped peaks behind all stood out against the blue sky.

Following our route down, one must keep ones eyes open for the yellow markings. The signposts show the direction across meadows but in some places the narrow path, simply a strip of tramped down blades of grass is only visible when actually following it. It is important to stay on it though as farmers do not appreciate having their crop flattened by careless hikers.
Taking the path to Abschlagen, there is yet another restaurant (good ice-creams and reasonable in price) at Nestel. It is only open Thursday to Sunday though.

This is another good hike for those who like to take their time and enjoy the scenery en route. The views are well worth the effort required to see them!