Long Hike from Lake Klöntal to Lake Wägital over the Schwialp Pass

 (This item published on June 26, 2023)

Friday June 12, 2015 -- Just returned from a week in Sicily on the 11th of June but the weather is supposed to get bad here in Switzerland in the next few days, so we headed out on another long hike to take advantage of the good weather.

We hiked a pass we've never done before, from just above the gorgeous Klöntalersee (Lake Klöntal), then climbing almost straight up 400 altitude meters to the Schwialppass and then down to the dam on the lake called Wägitalersee (Lake Wägital). We lucked out on the weather and this is totally my favourite kind of hike: No other people, steep mountains all around, cow bells, green pastures, alpine flowers.

But it was long, 17 km and almost 5 hours, plus the hike uphill was pretty steep and hot and the downhill steep and gravelly....

The trip starts with a bus ride from Glarus into the Klöntal (Klön Valley) and along the beautiful Lake Klöntal

VIDEO:

A short stretch along Lake Klöntal with the bus. 

Before reaching the final bus stop, a look behind us at the west end of Lake Klöntal

We started our hike at the restaurant in Richisau, the final bus stop in this stretch. The time provided here to Lake Wägital on the other side of the Schwialp Pass to the North is approximate only. It's about 3 hours to the south end of the lake and 4-1/2 hours to the nearest bus stop at the dam at the north end. We started here at 9:30 a.m.

This was a long hike for us, nearly 5 hours. The section over the pass to the south end of the lake, about 3 hours, was not too bad, but the additional almost two hours along the lakeshore really stretched out too long for me. 

As we head to the start of our hike along the Pragel Pass road, this view is up the Klön Valley (Klöntal). The more popular hike here is over the Pragel Pass, at the back on the left. We are going to ascend near here on the right. 

Lots of very large maple trees here. There are so many nice greens at this time of year. 

Another look behind us to the west as we go up the road. The range of mountains on the south side of Lake Klöntal are called the Glärnisch. 

What is a hike in Switzerland without the cows in the pastures!

A short break before starting on our 400m climb. The climb was very steep and mostly through forest, so not much to photograph

An hour of climbing and then we finally get this first view to the Pragel Pass and the Schwyzer Alps (the snow-covered ones) in the Muotatal region of Switzerland. 

Finally, a relatively level stretch of road with this panorama view of the range of mountains that separates this valley from the Sihltal (Sihl Valley). The tallest peak in about the center is called the Fläschenspitz

Very happy to have the first long climb behind us!

The first alpine roses

The view toward the Pragel Pass, across this upper plateau with several farms makes me want to walk here instead of toward the north!

Heading north along an easy wide mountain road toward the Schwialp Pass

This farm is called Brüschalp

Such a beautiful landscape with so many meadow flowers

Here we are at the Schwialp Pass

We arrived at the pass shortly before noon. The village of Au is the first one you come to when you reach lake level, another 1 hour 40 minutes from here! (And from there, another 1 hour 15 minutes to the bus stop!)

Several of the pretty flowers in the meadows!

A whole "Rock Garden" of yellow buttercups!

Our first view of the Wägi Valley (Wägital) and Lake Wägitalersee as we round a corner near the pass, on the north side now. There is still snow in the avalanche couloirs. 

Another look at the mountain range separating us from the Sihl Valley to the west. This range is called the Firsten. This is just north of the Schwialp Pass

We spotted a marmot!

We found a spot here a little off the path, where we had our picnic lunch and enjoyed this fantastic view, before heading down the wide mountain road below. 

Ah, these flowers were so pretty! I just had to take a photo among them. Another "Rock Garden"

Babies resting in the tall meadow grass on the way down from the pass

Here we are at the south end of Lake Wägital, at about the level of the village of Au. It is now 14:30, 2.5 hours since getting to the pass. We spent a long time up there, we liked it so much

Heading north along the west side of the lake, this look is across the lake to the small village called Innerthal. 

On the road along the lake

And now we've made it to the dam, it's now 15:40, an hour and 15 minutes from the back of the lake. 

Along the dam on the north side of Lake Wägital

There is a bus stop here at the dam on the route from Lake Zurich (Siebnen-Wangen) to Innerthal, the main village here on the East side of the lake. We had walked enough by now (5 hours or more) and were catching the bus right here!

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps, including the bus ride along the north shore of Lake Klöntal, and the bus ride back down to Lake Zurich. 

Location of the two lakes Klöntalersee and Wägitalersee in Switzerland, in relation to where we live.