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).