Heading up to higher elevations to try to beat this heat wave, we discovered that an altitude of 1800m and a steep 1-hour climb of 300m is not high enough yet (hot hot hot)! But luckily, after the steep climb, we had cool winds for the rest of this 4.5-hour round-tour we did. It was magnificent.
Being a wilderness reserve, we had hoped to see many animals, but they don't like the heat much either. One would probably have to be here very early in the morning, or after sundown. Nevertheless, with some patience and concentration we caught a movement of brown on a patch of snow high up, and with the zoom lens (not great resolution, though) captured a chamois who had found some tufts of grass in among the rocky cliffs.
The main attraction on this round tour is the 50-m wide natural bridge carved by the river out of a soft layer of what is called flysch geology. This bridge is one of the more spectacular landforms created by the Glarus Thrust. At low water levels you can walk through the cave-like passage, which I tried from above but couldn't descend one short piece or cross the river in the cave. I should have tried it from below, but it was fun anyway.
And considering how yellow the rest of Switzerland has gotten, we were pleasantly surprised at the large amount of green up here....
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| The excursion starts with a cable-car ride up the narrow gorge from Kies (20-person car) and a walk across the dam, which incidentally is made entirely of stone, and not concrete |
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| Actually, before starting on the hike, we got to look down the valley where we'd come up by bus from Schwanden in the Linth Valley (this is right in front of the Mettmen Hotel) |
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| On the steep 1-hour ascent, here's a view of the lake-side trail which we plan to walk on the way back to the cable car |
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| The Garichti Lake actually has two dams. There's one on the East side as well. |
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| Another look North into the Linth Valley, with the quaint Mettmen Hotel right on the edge of the gorge. |
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| At the top of the first uphill section, we get our only views West, but there were a lot of clouds. In the back is an alpine hostel (Leglerhütte) which one can also access from here, but it would have been an additional hour. |
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| Upper moor lake. There were a couple of these along the way. |
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| Another uphill section to the back of the valley before we turn around and head back along the "canyon" |
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| This is at the back of the valley where we had our picnic lunch. |
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| Heading East into the "canyon" |
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| Back here at the back of the valley is where we spotted the chamois on that piece of snow way up there. |
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| I don't have a professional zoom lens, but what I could photograph was definitely a chamois! |
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| Lots of pretty flowers of course |
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| Heading North back down the valley toward the Kärpf Bridge |
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| We were surprised to find snow up here, but at least didn't have to walk across it this time! |
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| Finally arrived at the Kärpf Bridge, a 50-m natural bridge hollowed out by the Niederenbach River |
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| I entered the cave from the top but could not cross at the last piece where the kids are standing. They managed to cross by starting at the bottom. |
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| From the bottom side, the Kärpf bridge is much more stunning |
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| A stunning hole in the middle of the landscape, created by Tectonic thrusts and the power of water |
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| Last section is this upper wetland where all kinds of ecology-specific species thrive |
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| Crossing to the West side of the lake for the final stretch back to the dam |
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| The water was so wonderfully clear and turquoise |
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| This dam is constructed entirely of stone instead of concrete |
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| And the final section, back down to Kies with the cable-car, to wait for the bus back to Schwanden |
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| This round tour took us 4.5 hours, but there is a shorter 2.5-hour option if you don't go all the way to the back of the valley |
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| 10-km round tour in the Kärpf Wilderness Reserve. Took us 4.5 hours to walk. |
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