Alpine Panorama Trail from Schwägalp to Stein St.Gallen

Friday August 30th -- Final hike of our week-long hiking vacation (we really had lots of nice weather for this), and final hike of the month. This one was a tough one for me. 

We chose to hike an approx. 14-km stretch of National Trail No.3, the Alpine Panorama Trail, in the eastern part of Switzerland at the foot of Mount Säntis and the Alpstein Massiv. This was marked as a 4-hour hike. The weather played along for the most part, and the first hour was great, but then the ascent started, and I realized I really need to do the ascents at the start, when I am still fresh. Especially long continuous ones. Plus we had done so much hiking this week...

The actual Trail no.3 climbs to the Risipass mostly on a paved road without shade, but luckily our map showed us an alternate though longer trail through the forest on the other side of the gorge. It was pretty muddy but better than the road and the shade from the trees was VERY welcome (you could tell not many people used that trail by the number of spider webs I collected on my legs). By the time we got to the pass, I was exhausted and could barely move my feet. A long rest and feet airing in a shady spot on the other side was a necessity this time, in order to finish the descent to the village of Stein. Still and all, the Toggenburg region is a very pretty pastoral landscape of rolling hills.... 

Side Note: Saturday was also nice weather, but I couldn't take another step. The weekend was for relaxing!

Every once in a while we run into these red frames at particularly popular sites around Switzerland. They are part of the advertising for the "Grand Tour" of Switzerland. If we find one, we take such a photo. Blanked out by the sun above my head is the weather station on the top of Mount Säntis

I thought the sign for the bus stop was pretty cute. Behind it is the Alpstein Massif. 

At Schwägalp, which is an alpine pasture at the foot of Mount Säntis and from where the Säntis cable car ascends to the peak of the mountain, is a cheese dairy where you can observe the production of cheese. (We didn't wait to see the milk curdle).

VIDEO: Milk being stirred for the manufacture of cheese

(Cool but not exciting)

Purchasing our cheese, something we do on almost every hike

The cheese dairy at Schwägalp. This is still in Canton Appenzell, but after less than 100m we crossed into Canton St.Gallen. 

 

Säntis cable car heading up to the top of Mount Säntis to the alien-looking weather station

We headed Southwest along the base of the Alpstein Massif, which was great for the first hour or so, but then we faced the 400m ascent to the Risipass which we chose to do on the muddier forest trail, took us over 90 minutes. The descent to Stein took 1 hour 20 minutes. Total was 4 hours of walking or more. 

(This cow looks like its legs are too short). Heading southwest, ahead of us we can see the Risipass that we are planning to cross (the saddle between the two hills)

Looking back at the Alpstein Massif, we noticed that we were being observed...

It's trails like this one that I really enjoy

We just came across this interesting meadow strewn with boulders. Behind us in the Alpstein Massif. But now the uphill part starts.

Instead of taking the paved road to the East of the Chatzenloch Gorge, we crossed the river and took the smaller, although very muddy trail through the forest on the West side. 

We feel that choosing to go up the West side of the Gorge also gave us some much nicer views over the entire area we had just covered.

This mini suspension bridge was apparently the highlight of a round tour that includes both sides of the Gorge (one hour each way). 

 

After an hour we came to an alp called Langzimmer, where we had our picnic lunch next to a river. Fortunately other hikers informed us that the direct route we wanted to take to the pass was closed due to forest work (the sign was down) so we had no choice but to take the longer route, which took 40 minutes. 

Heading to the Risipass, but first we have to go back to Trail No.3

Zoomed view of the observatory on Mount Säntis

The trail goes right through this farm on the way to the Risipass

One last look to the North to Mount Kronberg on the left and Mount Säntis in the center, both in Canton Appenzell Innerrhoden

On the other side of the pass are several farms. I really liked this barn

And the Silver Thistles are beautiful right now.

Usually a house with a built-up hill behind it like this means that this is an avalanche couloir

These darling babies can only have been a couple of days old. They were still quite wobbly on their legs, but very curious. 

I love the baby cows

Another pretty barn/stable

 

Now it's all the way downhill to the town of Stein in the Thur Valley

It was hot and my feet hurt and we knew we had some time till the next bus, so we stopped in the shade of the bushes ahead for a nice cool rest.

These pastoral landscapes never get boring. The trail took us right through the courtyard in front of the farmhouse

Another interesting farmhouse

More pastoral landscape. This area is called the Toggenburg and it is very pretty.

The Protestant church in Stein

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The Catholic church in Stein, on the river Thur. Near here was our bus stop. 

(This satellite image shows snow, but obviously we had no snow). This almost 14-km hike took us a good four hours to walk. 

We have done a lot of hiking in this area in the past 6 years. 

Hike along the two Mythen Mountains to Mostelberg

Wednesday Aug.28th -- We're back home now, and saw that the weather for Wednesday was supposed to be good only in the morning, with expected storms in the afternoon. So best idea was to do something close to home.

Urs' Uncle Tobias likes to come hiking with us, and he had once suggested doing the "Alter Schwyzer Weg" ("Old Schwyz Trail") from the Great Mythen to Mostelberg, a two-and-a-half to three-hour hike starting with a cable car ride in the fairly recently-reopened Rothenflue cable-way (Dec.2014), and passing behind the amazing geological wonder which is the two Mythen mountains that dominate the countryside in Canton Schwyz. (The Grosse Mythen is a very popular mountain to ascend, but there is nothing more to it than a 500m straight up hike to a restaurant at the top, and a splendid view on a nice day. We did this hike several years ago, but it was foggy so we didn't see much for our efforts).

The area around this singular mountain is Switzerland's oldest game reserve, and chamois can often be spotted close to the trail here. We did see some, but only because Tobias knew about them and pointed them out. Also, we bought cheese and sausage from an alp dairy, which is something we like to do. 

Unfortunately the air was VERY hazy, and so the normally fabulous view over Lake Lucerne was not as I might have hoped, and it was a hot day for hiking as well, but we finished the hike just as the dark clouds moved in, so you could say we were successful with that!

Side Note: We were in this area very recently, had started further East and hiked the "Ybriger 7-Egg Trail", ending our hike at the base of the Grosse Mythen, approximately at the same place that we started this hike. Pictures of that hike are here: 7-Egg Trail

From the town of Schwyz to Rothenflue with the recently reopened Rothenflue cable car. In the background is Lake Lucerne

View down on Lake Lauerzersee, and behind that, although not visible, is the South end of Lake Zug

At the summit of the Rothenflue Cableway. The sky was still covered with clouds, so we had a coffee at the restaurant until the clouds cleared out shortly afterwards

The clouds are thinning out and the air is getting warmer but the day remained hazy. This is the View eastward over the Hoch Ybrig region of Canton Schwyz (where we recently walked from)

Looking North right onto the Grosse Mythen. The trail up to the summit is very visible, but there is not much up there except a restaurant and view terrace. We are walking down to that house below (Holzegg) then following the base of the mountains to Mostelberg at the back

Here at this creative little "shop" you can purchase cheese and jams etc. This time we didn't purchase anything here, later then at the dairy along the way. 

View to Brunnen and Lake Lucerne looking directly westward

A couple of weeks ago we walked the "Ybriger 7-Egg-Weg" and this time we are doing a piece of Trail no.63: The "Schwyzer Höhenweg"

A chamois in Switzerland's oldest Game Reserve

A chamois in Switzerland's oldest Game Reserve

Between the two Mythen mountains is an alpine dairy where we bought half a kilo of cheese and two dried sausages, which were completely eaten by three days later

Cheese Dairy at "Zwüschet Mythen" (literally translates to "Between the Mythen")

A look down at the town of Brunni in the Alptal Valley. This was the destination of the recent hike we did here, when we walked the "Ybriger 7-Egg-Weg"

The Large Mythen on the left, the Small Mythen on the right, from an angle you don't really see them (back side // NE side)

On a hot day it's always a relief to have nice paths through the forest. By the way, Kudos to Uncle Tobias who is 86 and still walks like a young buck. 

Restaurant at Hagenegg, heading around to the front of the Mythen mountains, although seen from the North now

This is the Pilgrim's Chapel in Hagenegg, we decided to have our picnic lunch here, on the shade side of the chapel

Picnic in the cool shade of the Hagenegg Pilgrim's chapel

Lovely wood decor inside the chapel 

Benches for outdoor services, or picnics. The two Mythen mountains very much dominate this landscape!

The best part of this hike, a short section on a high trail with a view of the Schwyz Region

Last glimpse of the Mythen (larger one = Grosser Mythen) with the restaurant at the peak is now at the back. 

Last section to Mostelberg was along a paved road, so not too thrilling. But a view of one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in Europe is always a thrill (we've walked across this before, so didn't go this time). This bridge is 374m long and hangs 58m above the gorge.

Last stretch to Mostelberg. There were too many people up here, especially kids, as there was a large "Bouncy Castle" play park set up, so we descended right away with the Sattel-Hochstuckli Gondola cableway.

A view of Lake Aegerisee on our way down to Sattel

These gondola cars usually rotate on the trip up or down, but on a day as hot as this one, the rotation is put on hold because air flows better in the cabins when they don't rotate. 

Another cable car ride to cross off the list (although we rode this one once in winter). From here you walk 10 minutes to the train station, and as usual, we got there with just a few minutes to spare

The actual Route no.63 "Schwyzer Höhenweg" would actually have been around the left of Mount Engelstock, but that would be 30 minutes longer, and it was pretty hot to walk, so we took the shorter way. 

Almost 10 km to walk from the summit station of the Rothenflue cable-way, around the back of the Large and Small Mythen Mountains to Mostelberg, where you once again descend with a cable-way (or on foot if it works into the schedule).