Hi folks,

I just returned to Zurich after being in the UK for 10 months. Happy new year to everyone!

I would like to go hiking or walking tomorrow and was wondering if anybody had any suggestions. I have climbed the Uetliberg from Albisgutli and then along to Felsenegg far too many times and was wondering if there was
something else I could do. I have a halb-tax and I'm quite happy sitting on the
train for a couple of hours - just want to get out and do something nice tomorrow. I prefer it to have a couple of quite taxing climbs too

Any suggestions appreciated!

Max

There's the Panoramaweg http://activityworkshop.net/hiking/s...uerichsee.html along the Gold Coast, with the possibility of a detour up the Pfannenstiel if you like to walk uphill (with a restaurant at the top, of course).

Or, if you fancy a really good jaunt, walk from Rapperswil across to Pfaffikon SZ, and on up to Einsiedeln http://www.fernwege.de/ch/jakobsweg/004w/index.html , which is also uphill apart from a nice long flat bit at the beginning.

Not being a hillwalker myself, I like to disappear up to Glarus and walk down the valley from Schwanden to Glarus town - nice and flat, lots of old factories to look at, and you can often have the whole place to yourself as nobody seems to want to visit that canton, for some reason.

Have fun!

http://www.amden.ch/ (about 1.30 h from Zürich by public transport).

Martin

Do you have snowshoes? Would significantly increase your options at this time of year. Pm me if you do, I have a book of snow shoe walks I can send you some details on.

If not Amden is also lovely as above, you can do a low level walk along the north coast of the Wallensee, but make sure your boots are okay as once you've started you can only walk out (unless there's a boat running to the south bank). Start at Wallenstadt and walk to Weesen (or v.v.), starts and ends at 430m, max altitude 833m via Engen and Garadur (where there may be a hut). 6 hours suggested for the walk. I haven't done this route myself, got it from a guidebook, but it is a great area. If you want a map, it's the 1:50,000 sheet 237 which you can get from the book shop under the HB tomorrow morning, I think they open at 9.

I'm often keen to go for a good hike but can't tomorrow, pm me if you want to go at some point in the future.

Wrap up warm

Hi All,

Since tomorrow looks to be a wonderful day I am looking to get out for a hike somewhere around Zurich. Does anyone know a nice place that is within a 45 train ride from Zurich HB and has good access to the local train station?

Thanks,

Chris

somewhere like etzil (pfaffikon sz), or hornli will be great in a few more weeks. not sure now though.

http://www.pfannenstiel.ch/

Try the so-called "Pfannenstiel" between Zurich and Rapperswil. There are masses of hiking tracks, beautiful landscape, easily reachable by public transportation, and restaurants when you need them. Klink on the link "Das Wandergebiet" for a general overview of the area and take your pick

Excellent tip, many thanks!

Thanks buddy, will try that!

Hey I was also gonna say Pfannenstiel, as I am thinking of going there tomorrow

Another idea would be the Zuercher Oberland, although I am not sure whether you'll get there within 45 minutes and I think there's still too much snow at the moment. I'd say it is reccommendable for later this year though, for inspiration check out: http://www.sunneland-oberland.ch/

You might encounter snow remnants (in shady areas near Pfannenstiel) and muddy wet patches. Equip appropriately or postpone another week.

In Zurioberland Bachtel is also a pretty good place for Hiking. The views are amazing and there are loads of paths criss-crossed all over the area.

Train to Hinwil and Bus to Wernetshausen.

I took the hike from Meilen to Forch which is about 2.5 hours long and very enjoyable. Not many people out and great paths. However, as you said Goldtop, there was quite a bit of snow during the last hour. I think this weekend (weather permitting) would be better. I would definitely recommend the route though.

Thanks to everyone for the tips!

I did this route today but the other way round (Forch to Meilen) and it was great: good, well sign-posted paths, not too many other walkers and some absolutely cracking views.

Thanks for the warning regarding the snow: wore a good pair of shoes and all was fine.

Will definitely be back there again as there's loads more paths to wander around in the area.

I know it's not ideal but has anyone gone hiking alone? Is that ok or safe?

Are you new in Switzerland? If you're not placing yourself in physical danger of avalanches, storms, and falling off a cliff, hiking alone here is OK and safe. It might be the safest place on Earth. After a few months living here myself, I'm still amazed at how safe the Swiss themselves feel hiking alone. I have been out with my telescope and camera equipment in local hills at night, and the only people I've met apart from one group of walkers have been women walking alone. At night, in the dark, alone, a woman! I can tell you, until I could see them clearly, I was a lot more frightened than they were... So enjoy yourself, you can go out alone, and you'll always meet people anyway.

Did I sound that bad? I feel the same way about the safety of this place. the reason was that you always hear this stuff about not going alone on hiking not because of safety but rather if you get lost or an emergency happened and you needed someone to take care of stuff.

I may as well give it a go.

Thanks for the good news

Anyone have some recommendations for a nice day hike accessible by train either for one day leaving early in the morning and arriving back in the evening, or alternatively staying one day overnight somewhere?

Preferably somewhere with nice views!

Sure!

Try any of the Panorama Routes ('Weg') around the Walensee, around 1 hour from Zurich.

Arrive Walenstadt, take the Post Bus up to the Klinik (end of the line) and start your hike from there. On a fine day it's magnificent.

Here's a link (in the French and German) to Hikr.org which should prove inspirational. Nice photos to give you an idea, too.

This link, also from Hikr, shows another possibility. Slightly easier on the legs

Here's a suggestion in English, from the same site, travelling from Amden to Quinten (where there's a lady who sells homemade marmelades and condiments - yum!):

"The area on the northern side of the Walensee is blessed with an almost Mediterranean microclimate. Supposedly Quinten is the warmest place in the canton of St. Gallen and sometimes the northern side of the Walensee is referred to as the “Riviera der Ostschweiz”. Our walk started in Amden where the snow was still very close. When we arrived in Quinten, it was definitely almost T-shirt weather and the first signs of spring were quite obvious.

We started the hike in Amden (Post) and first walked down along the marked path towards Betlis. You walk by Geren and then into the interesting gorge of the Fallenbach. I think the bottom of this gorge probably never gets any sun even in the summer, and even though the other slopes below Amden don’t have any snow any more, in this gorge there where lots of icicles hanging from the rocks. There is also a little cave there.

As soon as we got out of this gorge it started to get warmer and warmer by the minute and at Schöpfsack after getting into the southern walls, we could definitely take off the winter clothes. The further we got the more we enjoyed the spring like day. We continued our way to Quinten via Hinter- and Vorderbetlis to Seerenbachfall (the tallest waterfall in Switzerland - which didn’t have much water at this time of the year), then up the Seerenwald above the Steinbruch, then via Platten and Steinlaui to Quinten.

Amden - Geren - Schöpfsack - Hinter- and Vorderbetlis - Seerenbachfall -Seeren - Platten - Steinlaui - Quinten."


My advice is take the Post Bus from Walenstadt with your bikes on the back - there's this facility, isn't Switzerland great? - and free-wheel down after your hike. "Weeeeeee..." for around 20 minutes

thats a great option uncle max, thanks for your time and trouble!