First Winter Hike of 2019 from St.Antönien to Pany in the Prättigau

December 31, 2019 -- Our final hike of 2019 (total of 9 hikes in December!!! and about 100 excursions in 2019) and our first "winter" hike of the season. 

This past week has seen some fantastic weather in the mountains (compared to the thick fog we have down here in the Northern areas), although the warm weather means the snow has been melting at elevations where you would usually have some very nice winter trails. So selecting a good trail to hike is a combination of studying various webcams and a good bit of luck.

We were quite lucky with our choice for this last day of 2019: A 10 km hike in the Prättigau region of Grisons, near the Austrian border, from a small village called St.Antönien near the back of the valley, heading out of the valley to the small family skiing area called Pany, which overlooks the Prättigau (Valley from Landquart to Klosters). The start and end of the trail, being on asphalt roads, were clear of snow as the cars still travel those stretches, but after that there were several sections through forested areas, which meant there was shade (brrr....) but also still snow on the trees and a great snow-covered trail.

These winter trails are usually prepared along mountain roads that don't get used in winter, but which we would rarely walk in summer, so this gives us opportunities to cover ground we usually would not do in summer.... 

(PS: The photos for the 2017 winter hike we did further back into the valley are HERE)

Start of our hike is just above the little village of St.Antönien toward the back of this ravine

Close-up view of St.Antönien

The first part of the road for almost two kilometers was unfortunately snow-free because the cars still use it

A couple of years ago we did a winter walk in the opposite direction, starting at St.Antönien and heading even further back into the valley. That was a wonderful hike which we plan to do again.

The weather is warm and so most of the snow is off the trees, except here in the forest where it is shady (and cold!)

Cold in the shade but the snow is perfect like this for winter hiking

Some nice views of the surrounding snow-covered hills

Sunny sections in the forest were perfect

Here was a bench where we stopped for lunch and watched the other people trying to decide if they should go on the snow-shoe trail or continue walking. The mountains in the back form the border to Austria

And ahead of us, lots of sunshine, and not a lot of people. Just how we like it.

Looking behind us in the direction of Austria

Perfect winter walking trail

Below us a little alpine mountain village

Getting closer to the end of this ravine, which opens into the Prättigau Valley 

Looking toward the back of the ravine

This outcropping of rock is called Sulzfluh, and we just discovered that there is a summer trail around it, which takes you into Austria and back into Switzerland. We are planning that hike for summer 2020.

Starting on the descent toward the village of Pany. 

These are South-facing slopes and quite steep. The warm temperatures have cause the snow to slide off already.

Below us is Pany, where we plan to catch the bus back down to Küblis in the valley bottom (where it's really dark and shady!) For most of the descent the path was also clear of snow and we walked on asphalt, sometimes quite icy.

A look down to the city of Klosters (very popular ski region) at the end of the Prättigau Valley

The roads in the village of Pany are clear of snow because the vehicle travel here a lot to the ski area

Very nice house in Pany

Our 10-km winter hike parallel to the Schaniela Ravine, starting in St.Antönien and ending in Pany

On two other occasions we were in St.Antönien: The red trail was a summer hike in 2016, ending at St.Antönien, and the green one was a winter hike in 2017, starting and ending in St.Antönien

A Hike along the "Lake Thun Panorama Trail"

December 28, 2019 -- This was another excursion like a recent one we did, where we took a round-about way to get to the start of our hike, because it's not what we had originally planned!

Our original plan was our first "winter" hike of the season in a narrow valley in the Bernese Alps (Rosenlauital) where there is a 2-hour round-tour trail with a cozy restaurant along the way (we were there earlier this Spring, and the plan was to have lunch there). But we had the bright idea to phone the restaurant before heading into the steep valley, to find out from them that until February, there is basically no sun there. So that idea has been postponed.

Instead we continued to the city of Thun, a trip we could have done directly in 30% less time. Nevertheless, the sun was shining there, and there was a section of the "Lake Thun Panorama Trail" which we wanted to complete, which turned out to be a very nice trail through woods mostly, with nice views; except low clouds unexpectedly moved in over the lake just when it looked like we'd have a very sunny afternoon. Still, a super opportunity for a 10-km hike in the mountains on December 28th...

Weird story: As we sat on a bench having coffee, an old local farmer sauntered over and asked us if he could tell us a story. We said, "well, it depends on how long it is". His answer: "Until it's finished!" What could we do then, but listen? Then he proceeded with what sounded like the longest joke ever, a story I thought had reached the punchline several times, until I couldn't understand him anymore... and then suddenly he was finished and walked back the same way he had come from. Still don't know what the point of the story was.

Original plan had been to do a hike in a side valley of the Bernese Alps (at the back on the left, near Meiringen) but it would have been too shady. So here we are on the way to Thun by train, traveling along the South side of Lake Thun. On the right is the highest peak in the Bernese Alps: Mount Finsteraarhorn (next to the North Face of Mount Eiger)

First we walked along the Aare Canal where the boats come in to dock after the Lake Thun round trips. This boat has to manoever in backwards as it cannot turn around in the canal. This was a beautiful steamship. If it hadn't been such a nice day for walking, we might have taken a boat ride on this one instead

 

VIDEO:  

Steam Boat on the Aare Canal on Lake Thun

(It comes in backwards so it can leave again facing the front)

To start the planned hike, we first had to cross the beautiful wooden bridge and then walk along the promenade, with the lovely skyline of Thun behind us

 

With the castle, church and wooden bridge, Thun is a very pretty city

Actually, the low bank of fog above the city should have been a sign that the fog was going to move over the lake soon

 

As we head along the promenade on the left, we watched the steamboat head out to the lake for the next round tour. For now, the Bernese Alps are looking quite wonderful.

Along the lake in this area are lots of castles.

 

And a surprise to see flowering gentians in the gardens! The climate is fairly mild on this sunny exposed side of Lake Thun

Our plan B for the day: Walk from Thun to Oberhofen on a section of Trail no. 26: "Panorama Round Tour Lake Thun". We have already done the section bottom right, but still have to walk along the South side of the lake.

We had to walk through some residential neighbourhoods away from the lake to head up the hillside for our walk (eastward) along the panorama trail. In the mountain range at the back is a very distinctive peak called Mount Stockhorn.

 

Close-up view of the unusual peak called Mount Stockhorn. There is a panorama restaurant up there and a cable car you can take to get there. 

 

Here we had our coffee break, and the man in the back is the one who had walked over to us to "tell us a story" for about 10 minutes, before heading back the way he came.

By this time, the clouds had unfortunately already moved in, so we didn't get the fabulous mountain view I had hoped to from up here.

Low clouds covering the peaks, but the sun rays looked pretty

Below is Oberhofen with its castle, this is the goal of our hike

Just before our descent we found a farm selling cheese produced in the next valley over, the Justistal Valley, where the farmer's cows graze in the summer. This time we didn't like the cheese very much. Usually they are quite good.

 

And on a small rise above the city of Oberhofen was a castle ruins we wanted to look at before the final descent.....

 

.... but we could not find the ruins at all. Funny, considering the very long description of it on the information panel

Heading down to Oberhofen. 

Old historical farmhouse in Oberhofen built in 1800.

 

Formerly an Augustine Monastery with the inscription "1627" on the door lintel.

Some pretty fancy apartments? Or maybe a hotel? Not sure

The castle in Oberhofen. 

 

We had 15 minutes before the bus, and the clouds were clearing, so we did a quick round tour of the lake promenade for a final look at the Bernese Alps. This group is called the Blümlisalp Massif.

Last view of Mounts Mönch and Jungfrau on the left. This was at 3:30 p.m. In winter, we need to end our hikes by 4 p.m.

 

And to the South, the low clouds are still hanging over the lake.

Castle wall in Oberhofen

Castle in Oberhofen. Unfortunately closed to visitors in winter.

10-km hike from train station in Thun, to the hills above the city, and down to Oberhofen. In 2015 we did another section of this panorama trail, starting above Oberhofen and walking East to Sigriswil, from where we still have a small section that needs completing

We could have been in Thun in just over 2 hours. Instead, we went to Meiringen first, and changed our plans from there, which meant it took us about 3 and a half hours to get to Thun!