Roundtour with Fantastic Views on Mount Pilatus

Wednesday June 19th -- Wednesday, usually both of us have a day off... except Urs had to work this week, and if he's not available to go hiking with, it's usually hard to get me out of the apartment. But at 6 a.m. the sky was so clear I figured I could NOT waste the day. So I went up Mount Pilatus (Lucerne's Mountain) with the world's steepest cogwheel train, and walked back down to the middle station. So glad I did, the views were fabulous. 

Mid-week in June and the mountain was already crawling with tourists, almost all English-speaking: Australians, Americans, Asians... and at 10 a.m. the first load was already waiting to head back down the mountain. I followed the crowds, some in flipflops, up the three short trails heading to the look-out spots above the hotel. This was necessary, as those are definitely the best places for the view of the entire world from up here. Stunning. Furthermore, a couple of older Swiss gentlemen entertained the crowd with Alphorns, which was also a special treat, as it definitely works well up here with the echoes off the mountains.

Done with drinking in the views, I headed on my planned hike, a 3-hour tour back to the middle station of the railway, but not the direct route that is used by all those hardy hikers who climb up the mountain (1600+ meters, ouch!). It was exhilirating to be back in the alpine landscape where the snow is almost gone, and I even spied four chamois high on the cliff face! 

Then the clouds moved in with a thunderstorm common in the mountains when it is hot, but strangely enough, only directly on this mountain. The rest of the world remained in full sunshine! As I got to the midstation 20 minutes early for the train, I met a fellow hiker who was actually on his way back DOWN the mountain after having done the full hike up the mountain early in the morning, and he did not want to risk getting caught in the rain on the steep descent, so he also took the train. We both got quite wet before we got to board the train, but it was all good in no time. Plus, we didn't get hit by lightning...

This is what Mount Pilatus looks like when viewed from the East (From Mount Bürgenstock, Fall 2018). 

The world's steepest cogwheel railway takes you in 40 minutes from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm

On the way up with the Pilatus Railway, a good view of the trail that many avid hikers take to climb up Mount Pilatus,
an ascent of about 1700 m !

From the terrace of the hotel up here at Pilatus Kulm, you get this fantastic view of the Bernese Alps

The Eiger North Face is very distinctive. A thrill to have such a sharp, clear view.

A couple of Swiss gentlemen spent the morning playing their alphorns. Even as I descended on my hike they were playing, such a pretty sound in the peaceful mountains.

VIDEO: 

Short Video with Alphorn music, perfect sound for up here on the mountain

Following all the tourists up to the first look-out point

Superb view from here across all of Lake Lucerne. On the right is a cable car which you can ride to access Pilatus Kulm from the North side.

The main look-out spot and highest point of the mountain is called "Esel (Donkey)" and I was pleasantly surprised at how many people walked the rough path up there.

Getting ready to walk up to the highest look-out point called "Esel"

From up here you can really see across the whole world. North to France and Germany. Below is the hotel.

And from here an even more magnificent view to the East over all of Lake Lucerne, Mount Bürgenstock where we were just a week earlier, and even Lake Zug on the left at the back, where we live.

The Alps to the South, and the ever-present Alpine Choughs

Heading back down to the terrace, it's time to start on my hike. (These are random people on their way up).

My planned route for the day, a 3-hour loop which I managed to complete just as it started to rain. There was a storm cloud hanging over just this one single mountain....

Time to head out on my hike before too many clouds gather. Most people hike up and down on the left, my plan is down the couloir on the right.

As I was descending, the next set of five trains made its way up the hill.

And to my surprise, one of the Alphorn Gentlemen hiked down the hill as well to find a better spot on a rocky outcropping, so that I had better accompaniment for my descent!

The snow has just recently melted up here and the grass is full of early meadow flowers. On the far right is the Alphorn Player

A look back up to the Pilatus station and hotel on the saddle, and the Esel lookout on the right.

This is the side where the people walk up when they want to scale Mount Pilatus

So many Gentians

Still a bit of snow to navigate...

 

I studied the caves on the cliff face and thought that one with snow would be a place where one might see some chamois or ibex

Sure enough, through my zoom lens I observed three of them exit the cave and walk across the snow

At the Southernmost part of my loop, heading back to the cogwheel line, this is the view South into the Sarner Valley

And this darling cow blocked my trail. She wasn't full-grown but I wasn't taking any chances trying to squeeze past her back end, so I clambered up and along the steep cliff to get past her.

Last magnificent views of Lake Alpnachersee and Lake Lucerne before reaching mid-station of the cogwheel line. Everywhere else was sunshine, but directly above there was a thunderstorm and it started to rain

After getting quite wet waiting for the train, they let me and the other fellow waiting there (he had already climbed up the mountain early in the morning and was on his way down, but didn't want to risk the steep wet trails) ride in the conductor's cabin on the second to last train down.

The ride up with the steepest cogwheel train in the world, 1700m from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm, and from there a three-hour loop back to mid-station for the ride back down.....