Loop Hike around Mt. Gandstock in the Freiberg Kärpf Wilderness Reserve

Sunday September 6, 2026 -- An absolutely stunning day for a mountain hike, and we were up for something a bit longer and more strenuous for a change, as there is another week of free time ahead of us.

In early May of this year (photos HERE), we did a lovely hillside hike on the sunny side of the Sernf Valley near Elm (Weissenberge), with views of the higher peaks which form a kind of confined mountainous area around a reservoir lake in the oldest wilderness refuge in Europe, and one of the largest in Switzerland, called the Freiberg Kärpf. Checking our maps at the time, we could see there was a manageable loop trail around the peaks there, one we hadn't walked before, with surely some great views into the Glarus Alps. (We have done two hikes in that region previously).

Getting there is an experience in itself. On August 29, 2023, a large rock slide destroyed the main road into the Nideren Valley (49 people also lost their homes), a road that can no longer be rebuilt because the hillside there is too unstable. To continue providing access to the Garichti Reservoir lake and the hotel there, a bus service was arranged over narrow roads otherwise used only by locals. Getting to the cable car takes quite a bit longer than it used to!

A short cable-car ride from the back of the valley takes you up to the dam and hotel, and there are lots of hiking options around the lake and the mountains that form this cauldron. A two-hour uphill hike to a small mountain lake, we could then look down at the Weissenberge hillside where we'd walked in May, and then returned to the cable-car station with all the views we had expected. In all it was a 4¼-hour hike, which we completed in 6 hours, with a hefty climb of 550 meters to start, and altogether about 800 meters of uphill....  

Our excursion starts with a trip down the beautiful Linth Valley at 9 a.m. (having left home at just after 7 a.m.)

I love the view of Mt.Tödi as we travel up the Linth Valley. 

In the town of Schwanden, at the junction of the Linth and Sernf Valleys, we get on the bus for the 40-minute trip into the Nideren Valley. 

Views down the Linth Valley as the bus heads up and over the mountain on the now alternate (and quite narrow) road, due to the main road having been destroyed in the August 2023 landslide in Schwanden. 

The bus had been packed full (it had picked up a whole load of people at a large parking lot down in the town of Schwanden) but Urs was out of the bus quickly, and so we made it onto the first run of the cable car at 10:10. But the trip is short (and rather expensive at 18 Fr. for one way), so the other people did not have to wait too long. 

We were at the top of the cable-way at 10:15, and watched the next run heading down (full of hotel guests) at 10:19

Having ridden up on the first cable-car run, we were up at the Mettmenalp Hotel by 10:20. After a bathroom break here, we were headed out to cross the two dams on the Garichti Reservoir lake. 

View down the Nideren Valley from the front of the hotel. In the center is the town of Schwanden where the bus starts. Before the rock slide, the road came straight up this valley. Now the bus comes over the mountain on the left. 

There are two dams on this reservoir lake (Garichtisee). This dam on the north side is made entirely of stone, not of concrete. 

View south down the beautiful lake into the Freiberg Kärpf Region, the oldest Wilderness Reserve in Europe (450 years) and one of the largest in Switzerland. 

The lake was a beautiful turquoise colour. 

Now we are crossing the eastern dam. Our hike will be up to the ridge on the very left. 

We are now headed up the trail here on the east side of the lake at 10:50. The view is northwest along the lake to both dams, and the Glärnisch Massif.

This was a very long hike for us, with a total of over 800 meters of uphill along the way. Starting at about 10:30 at the Mettmen Hotel, we got back to the cable-car station at 4:13 p.m. So we spent just under 6 p.m. for this 4+ hour hike. 

The first 30 minutes of our climb toward the pass (200 meters ascent) was on the same trail where we had started on a similar hike in September 2023. Down below in the clearing is a farmhouse which we passed at the end of the loop hike on the way back to the cable-car station. 

View down to the lake after the first 20 minutes into the climb. 

We started kind of late for a mountain hike, and it did get warmer than expected, but not too uncomfortable. 

After 30 minutes we reach the popular rock-climbing spot called Widerstein. There were quite a few people climbing here this day, especially kids.  From here we headed north, whereas on the September 2023 hike we headed south from here. 

Popular site for rock climbing. 

Now we are 45 minutes into the hike above the lake, now reaching the Widerstein Wildlife Lookout tower. 

We took a small break here at the Widerstein Wildlife Lookout station. (We did not see any wildlife. It is too hot right now for the larger animals such as stags, chamois and ibex. There are also apparently eagles here). 

View to the west from the look-out tower, past the Nideren Valley below (where we came up by cable car) to the Glärnisch Massif on the west side of the Linth Valley. 

Also from here we can see the entire region of the wilderness reserve where we had walked the first time we had been in this region in July 2018. 

A very close-up view of the lovely Mt.Tödi, the most prominant mountain here in the Linth Valley.The crest at the very front is the one we walked the first time we were here in the Freiberg Kärpf Winderness Refuge when we walked to the back of the valley and back out to the lake via the natural bridge and caves in July 2018.  

Moving on now for the final stretch up to the pass where we are going to have lunch at the little lake. 

Getting closer to the pass now. 

Up ahead is the saddle which will be the highest point of our hike. It is called the Gandfurggele, at the base of the mountain called Gandstock. From here it's just another 15 minutes. 

A close-up view far to the West to the main peak above the town of Linthal, i.e. Mt.Ortstock, and a saddle which we crossed on July 2, 2022. (The other side down to Glattalp was a whole hillside of gravel, and we basically slid down..)

Along the way, Urs discovered this source of water, which looks like a natural spring, so we filled our bottles with the most wonderful mountain water. 

Final look down at Lake Garichti as we reach the pass at 12:40, just under two hours after starting our climb from the south side of the lake. 

All proud at the top now! And it wasn't an overly strenuous, nor too hot climb, even though it was 550 meters of elevation gain to get here. There are two "passes" here. The one behind me goes down into the Sernf Valley where you can descend all the way to the village of Matt, where we had taken the cable car to the Weissenberge on our May 2026 hike. 

Our first look at the little lake called Berglimattsee, in the direction we will continue after lunch break over the "Vordere Gandfurggele", the other pass up here. 

In the background, great visibility into the Glarus Alps. According to the way-marker, it should only be another two hours to return via the loop trail to the cable-car station at Mettmenalp, but it turned out to be quite a bit longer. For now, though, we are looking for a place to have our lunch, as it is 12:45!

To the east, we even get a good look at the Tschingelhorn peaks and "Martinsloch" (Martin Hole), the dominant mountains above the town of Elm below. (Side note: We were so intent on finding a good spot for our picnic lunch, that it never even occurred to me that we should have gone the few steps here to see what the view was down on that side of the saddle! I only thought about it as we were already making our descent on the north side, and it bothered me all day...)

So this is the place we picked for our picnic lunch! Even in the sun, it wasn't too hot. (No shade up here at 2150 meters above sea level.)

Trying out some barefoot walking, but it didn't last long! (Brown legs and white feet!)

Instead of returning to the signpost and main trail, we walked around the west side of the lake to the pass. (Had we returned to the signpost, we might have thought to do the detour to the other saddle/pass). 

A final look south across the little mountain lake. 

Now we are headed down the other side of the "Vordere Gandfurggele" saddle, for the second half of the hike, i.e. heading back to the cable car station. Ahead of us is the Sernf Valley.

The rugged peaks on our left as we head down the mountainside are part of the Gandstock Range. We spotted people at the very top and wondered how they got there, as there is no trail marked on our map to that summit. We did later see several people descend the couloir in the center, in this direction, so perhaps there is a trail from the other side. 

A nice descent on the north side here, with our sights set on the flags at the arrow, which is where we are headed. 

A lot of the terrain here was rocky like this, which is not difficult to walk but does take a lot longer to navigate than what the map and trailmarkers claim!

A single building up here on an alp called "Ober Laueli", that might have been an accommodation or simply being currently used by the owners, as we saw and heard people here. The farm is accessed by a private cable-way to get their goods up here. We are headed toward the cable-way mast at the arrow, where we are hoping to get that view down into the Sernf Valley. 

A look behind us to where we descended from the "Vordere Gandfurggele" pass. 

And now, at the corner where our trail now heads northwest, we actually see right to the bottom of the Sernf Valley, to the village of Engi where we ended our hike along the Weissenberge hillside in May of this year. It is always interesting for us to see the route we have taken on previous hikes, seen from a different viewpoint. (Approximately where the red line is). At the very back are the peaks of the Sardona Tectonic Arena. 

The hillside here was such a lovely red, as the wild blueberry bushes now turn autumn colours. 

This lake, or pond of very brown water, was not on our map, so came as a surprise when we rounded the corner!

And now up ahead, we can again see the Glarus Alps on the west side of the Linth Valley. 

Those cows observing us were at the summit of a small hill, and we wondered if they were stuck up there!

A view down into the Linth Valley now (with the Nideren Valley just below), with the fantastic Glärnisch Massif as a backdrop. 

Now we have again rounded a corner and are heading south again, the final (but long) stretch back to the cable-car station. Down below is the Nideren Valley, past that the Linth Valley. We now first have to walk toward the buildings below but slightly to the left of them, and then continue along that trail we can see from here. 

This site here is called Seebödeli, which means "little surface with a lake", but there was no lake, it was all dried up here. We were here at 14:50. It should take have taken only 30 minutes (???) to walk to here, apparently, but it took us more than 90 minutes after leaving the upper lake, with only a small break! So now still another 90 minutes should get us to the cable-car station at 16:20.... we got there at 16:13 just in time for the 16:15 cable-car. (So three hours for the full return, instead of two hours as per the sign at the lake).  

More fantastic views now down into the Linth Valley, looking north toward the main city of Glarus, and far in the back to Lake Zurich. 

Lovely trail before the descent. 

And from here, quite in the distance, we can see the dam and the cable car station, which is the end of our hike. 

Down below we spot a group of very cute cows on our hiking trail! I had only seen this breed once before, and found out they are called Belted Galloways, a native Scottish breed. 

VIDEO:

The little Galloways run off as we approach them on the hiking trail.

We had to pass through this herd of cows. 

It's now 15:13, and we have 50 minutes from here, so we've made good time. Our goal is to catch the 14:15 ride down with the cable car, and at the very latest the 14:30 run. But this is enough time. 

Another convenient place to fill up our water bottles!

The last stretch now, as we head down to that farm we saw at the start of our hike, past that and then a bit of an uphill stretch to the cable-car station. 

Just walked down above this very steep cliff!

Cute little farm house

And a final look down the Nideren Valley toward the city of Schwanden where we will catch the train out of the Linth Valley (after another 40-minute bus ride over the hill on the left, instead of straight down the valley!)

It would be tough for the owners of the hotel here if the valley would be completely cut off due to the rock slide that destroyed the main road. (There is actually a new road being built into the valley, at great cost). 

And now we pass the northern dam of the Garichti Lake. This dam is made entirely of stone, no concrete. 

A final look at the cliffs on the east side of the Nideren Valley, where we just descended. 

When we got to the cable car at 16:13, it was already quite full, but with still room for us for the 16:15 run down to the parking lot at the bottom. The cabin holds 20 people, and the ride is pretty short, just a few minutes. 

We were down at the bottom by 16:20, and still had to wait for 20 minutes for the bus, for the altogether 2½-hour trip home. While waiting for the bus, two more cable-cars full arrived at the bottom!

The 16:43 bus back to Schwanden arrives at 16:34. In the meantime, two more runs of full cable cars came down, so the bus was full, but we got on first and didn't have to stand!

Along the way, the bus stopped for a couple of minutes for some reason, and these little girls were very intrigued!

View down to the town of Nidfurn (and Schwanden further back) as the bus comes down off the mountain. We were back at the train station in Schwanden at 17:20, for the 17:34 train out of the valley. 

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps, walking counterclockwise from the back of the lake, up to the little Berglimatt Lake and back down to the the dam. 

All the hikes we have done in the two valleys on either side of the Mettmenalp: Linth Valley in the west, Sernf Valley in the east. 

Location of the Freiberg Kärpf within Switzerland (between the Sernf and Linth Valleys).