Loop Hike from Schönengrund to Hochhamm Ridge in the Appenzell

(This post created on January 10, 2025)

Sunday December 6, 2015 -- We’re always looking for places to go where we can still do challenging hikes even now in the winter season. In the Appenzell where the mountains are not as high but the views are spectacular, we might still be able to find something like that. Especially because here you can be above the lowland fog as well! 

This 3½-hour round tour was suggested by the Appenzell Tourism Office and that’s why we ended up out here... Other than some chilly winds along the crest, we had the sun and views that we came for. From along this ridge we can see clear across to Lake Constance to the North, to the Alpstein Massif with Mount Säntis to the South, and even to Mounts Rigi and Pilatus past Lake Zurich to the West. 

At about the half-way point of the hike and the ridge itself sits a mountain restaurant called Bergrestaurant Hochhamm, where we had planned to enjoy drinks on the sunny terrace. The restaurant is open weekends in winter, and proved to be popular today… we didn’t stay long to enjoy our coffee because the only spot we could still get was on the windy side of the terrace, so we continued on our hike just 20 minutes after getting there. In all, we spent about five hours on the trail.

Traveling to our starting point of Schönengrund in Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden, we pass many such pretty Appenzell houses. 

We met our friends in Schönengrund and started on our hike at 10:40. Our goal of the restaurant at Hochhamm is 1 hour and 20 minutes of walking along the shortest route, but we took a bit of a longer trail to the crest.  

A look behind us at the houses of Schönengrund as we head up the hill. 

Our 10-kilometer hike was over three hours of walking, with a stop for coffee at the Hochhamm Restaurant. We started at 10:40 in Schönengrund, and got back there at 3:30 p.m. 

A view over the rolling hills of the Appenzell and Toggenburg. 

Typical Appenzell farmhouse, and the only photo where all four of us are on!

There are always streams to cross on the forest trails. 

Above us we can see the Hochhamm Restaurant, but we didn't want to head up there directly, but wanted more time walking along the ridge, so we headed more to the west. 

It took us an hour to reach the ridge, and from here it would be another 30 minutes to walk along the crest to the restaurant. 

Our first glimpse of Mt.Säntis to the southeast. 

Hiking along the Hochhamm Ridge in the Appenzell, with pretty good visibility to the Alps in the southwest. 

Enjoying our walk along the Hochhamm Crest, with a view down into the Necker Valley and Mt.Köbelisberg 

Panorama View of the Toggenburg region. 

It was not a very difficult walk up along the ridge, and even though the wind was a bit chilly, we enjoyed the chance to do this mountain hike in December, without snow!

Fantastic views to the Alpstein Massif and Mt.Säntis as we reach the Hochhamm Mountain Restaurant at 12:45. 

A 20-minute stop for coffee at the Hochhamm Restaurant. This attractive fellow is definitely begging for food!

A final look to the south at 13:15 as we leave the restaurant and continue up to the summit of Mt. Hochhamm before descending back to Schönenberg. 

There is still another uphill section to the summit of Mt. Hochhamm before we start on our descent. 

A look back at the restaurant as we continue to the summit. 

We can see all the way to Lake Zurich (covered in fog) from here. On the hillside directly to the west is the village of Hemberg. 

Final push to the summit of Mt. Hochhamm. In all, we ascended about 550 meters. 

Down below is the town of Schönenberg, which we will descend back to. 

A final look to the south before we make our descent. 

Descending the ridge now on the east side of the summit. Our view extends to Lake Constance to the northeast, also covered in fog!

View from the highest point on Mt. Hochhamm (1275 meters), which we reached at 1:30 p.m. We can see past Lake Zurich to Mounts Rigi and Pilatus!

Half-way down now (at 14:10) and only 45 minutes to get back to Schönengrund!

Enjoying the landscapes on our descent

More beautiful buildings

Final stretch back to the parking lot and bus stop in Schönengrund. 

Looking up, we can see the Hochhamm Restaurant directly above us. We got here at 3:30 p.m., almost five hours after starting on our hike. 

What our loop hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

From Isone to Tesserete in the Ticino

November 25, 2015 – Wow, it suddenly got cold here! While it’s snowing and raining North of the Alps, there is still some nice weather in our South, but COLD! 

Still it’s wonderful that we can still do some nice “fall” hiking and still get a bit of sun. On Wednesday we traveled 3 hours to Isone, a town in a side valley near Lugano (Ticino) which is the military training center for Switzerland’s mountain infantrymen, the toughest level of military training (Urs also did this training when he was 20, with his love of mountains and all!)

San Lorenzo Church in Isone

Our 12 km hike took us up the hillside, through some chesnut, oak and birch forests, with some great views of the Capriasca Valley and Monte Tamaro.

Just about one year ago we hiked that whole ridge over there from Mario Botta's church structure on the right, to the top of Monte Tamaro, all the way to Monte Lema on the left (5 hours, 15 km).

We stopped for a while to watch a helicopter deliver stone slabs for a new roof on one of the many isolated stone houses up here, many of which have no road access.

At the mid-way point of our hike -- i.e. 2 hours of hiking -- (at "Gola di Lago" = "Throat of the Lake") we stopped for lunch. There was a chilly wind blowing but the view was worth it.  

Along the way in the clearings and meadows there are stone houses, or clusters of them, vacation homes or farmsteads. Always interesting to look at.

We always look for the trail markers, to make sure we're on the right track or to see how far we have to go. If the trail marker was attached to a tree, then this often happens! 

Isone in the Capriasca Valley to Tesserete in the Colla Valley. Between Bellinzona and Lugano. 12 km, 4 hours. 

Heading down into the next valley called Val Colla we come first to the monastery of Santa Maria del Bigorio (founded in 1535), and then shortly after to the super cute village of Bigorio. All the villages around here have twisted alleys and archways and always worth exploring. 

At the Santa Maria del Bigorio with the Pilgrim's walk down to Bigorio (or up from!) 

Village of Bigorio in Ticino, Switzerland

 And always with the cats!

As we walk the last 15 minutes from Bigorio to Tesserete (where we are going to catch the bus back to Lugano) we come right down to the superb old church and colorful cemetery, and in the background some great detail of the mountains called Denti della Vecchia ("Old Ladies' Teeth") which we walked across earlier this spring. 

And finally we arrive by bus to the main train station in Lugano, for our 2.5 hour ride home. This church tower is right across from the station. I love how the late fall setting sun emphasizes the landscape features with the sharp shadow/light contrasts....

Walking Down our Local Mountain, Mount Zug

I don't always have to travel 2 or 3 hours to get to my hiking destination, or to enjoy great views from a higher altitude. In only 30 minutes by bus and funicular I can get to the top of our local mountain "Mount Zug". From here there are many directions that we can walk, but for a short outing, it is only an hour to walk back down the mountain through farms and meadows, with far-reaching views of both the flat lands North of the Alps, and the Bernese 4000m mountains, which are over 100 km to the South.

This year I walked down the hill three times, twice in March and once in November, taking a couple of alternate routes.

This first walk was 13th of March, 2015. 5.75 km in 1.5 hours

 (At the arrow is where I live)

The second walk was with Urs on the 19th of March, a different route this time, but about the same length: 6 km in 1.2 hours

This third walk was on November 18th, pretty much the same as the first, with great late afternoon lighting.