I picked the Klausen Pass, as we hadn't been here for over a year. My plan was to hike straight up for an hour to a ridge I had seen on a map, with the hope of being able to look into both valleys (Schächental and Bisisthal). And I was not disappointed! The climb was hot but not hard (I had to strip to tank top and skirt as soon as I started) but popular. I heard a fellow climber call it an "Exodus" and rightly so. (In fact, the bus headed up to the pass had to call in TWO additional buses as reinforcements, although only a few of the people were going my way).
When I looked up at the start of the hike to the ridge I was headed to, on the sunny side of the mountain, there was no way I could anticipate the amount of snow on the North side! It was a surprise and a very cool effect to walk along the ridge with snow to the right of the trail, and none to the left. It was like having one foot in summer and one foot in winter... Only at one point was it slightly difficult to navigate. But the narrow trail winding along magnificent rock formations was exhilirating.
This is a hike I will do again. Probably with a descent into the Bisis Valley, which is on the North side of the ridge. On this Sunday there would have been no point, even if there had been less snow, as the buses don't run out of that valley any more.
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| On the bus ride up to the pass, beautiful morning light and fall colours. |
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| The bus has to navigate steep and narrow roads to get up to the pass |
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| Two ADDITIONAL Buses had to make the drive to the pass, because there were so many people coming up here on this beautiful day. |
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| First part of my hike: one hour uphill to the narrow ridge (Balmer Grätli), from which one can look down into both valleys |
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| It was a hot steep one-hour hike to the ridge, but worth it |
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| In that box on the ridge is a "guest book" that you can sign to show you made the climb! |
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| The ridge was narrow and there were so many people, that I stepped over to the "winter side" to get away and to make some photos. |
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| Fantastic rock formations. |
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| I waited it out till all the people had moved on |
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| Part of the trail was along the ridge, part of it on a narrow trail along the cliffs |
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| Looking back towards the East, below is the hotel where I started my hike |
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| This mountain to the South is one of my favourites, it is called the Schärhorn, which means Scissor Horn. We have also walked below that mountain and right down to the valley bottom. |
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| The ridge was narrow but not dangerous, although you had to tread carefully. |
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| Photo at the top is looking to the East, photo at the bottom is looking West |
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| Heading down from the final ridge back to the Klausen Pass road |
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| Up ahead is a little alpine farm that serves refreshments. A little past that I headed back to the pass road to catch the 4:30 pm bus. |
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| The little alp restaurant was very busy this afternoon |
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| Heading West along the popular "Schächentaler High Road" |
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| Before heading down to the road, a lovely glimpse into the Brunni Valley, a side valley of the Schächentaler Valley. We walked this valley in Spring of 2016. The dark cliff at the back is the largest North Face in the Swiss Alps |
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| As I got back down to the road (steep descent) I had to pass through some pastures. This barn has a typical avalanche protection built on the slope side. |
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| Fall colours against snowy peaks, just superb. |
On a side note: I found out that evening that only one week earlier, a group of three people working on the cliff walk circled below were swept off the face of the cliff by a rock slide. Two of the people have not been found yet, one was able to extricate himself.
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