Winter Trail from Ruogig to Ratzi on the Schächental High Trail

Wednesday January 8, 2020 -- Here's a trail we have walked many times, the Schächental High Trail along the section closest to the Reuss Valley. It's one of our favourites to take visitors to, as there are several cable cars on this stretch, and you can adjust the distance of the hike to just how much you feel like walking on any particular day. We have done variations of the trail in winter and in summer, at least a dozen times now, and each time the most important part is a meal at our favourite mountain restaurant called Alpstübli Selez. In fact, we have been there so often that the hosts know us by name. (But they won't give us the recipe to their fabulous creamy macaroni).

Because the past three weeks have been warm and no new snow has fallen, most of the hillside below the winter trail is already snow-free. Just yesterday they had to close the ski hill due to lack of new snow, which was great for us because there were only a couple of dozen people up here this day, and it was very quiet. The trail was good to walk, fairly hard packed, but in a few days it will probably be too slick. The most amazing part was that I was uncomfortably warm walking up there in my black stockings!

Heading up the hill with the first cable car, this view is toward the Klausen Pass. From this vantage point it is hard to imagine that there is still a winter hiking trail up high on the left.

Changing cable cars at the mid-station. This is the view into the Reuss Valley at Altdorf

Heading up toward hopefully some snow, on the second cable car to Ruogig (room for 6 people)

Heading toward the Alp restaurant Selez where we always have lunch when we come up here. It is 15 minutes from the cable car, and 30 minutes detour from the rest of the walk we have planned

Alpstübli Selez. The owners live up here all winter. They told us they bring all the refreshments up in fall before the snow comes (there is a road), and fresh stuff like meat they bring up with the cable car and a small motorized cart

There is room for about 30 people on the sunny terrace, and a small cozy dining room inside. We were the first here for an early lunch at 11:00. 

Our favourite meal here: Grilled pork steak and creamy macaroni. And very reasonably priced. 

The view from the sunny terrace where we had our lunch. After lunch, we head back along the same trail, then eastward (to the left)

 

From the Ruogig cable car station we first walked 15 minutes to the restaurant, then back the same way, and then another two hours along the winter trail to the cable car station at Ratzi. 

Even up here where there is more snow, the warm sun is quickly melting it all. 

Heading back toward the Schächental Valley after lunch

Heading back to the cable car station before starting on the main part of the trail toward Ratzi

 

Heading eastward into the Schächental Valley. The trail was good to walk on, firmly packed, although a bit slippery at times. Lots of snow-free patches on the hillside, though!

Looking down into the Reuss Valley

They had just closed the ski lifts due to lack of new snow

They are building a cheese dairy up here where the public can watch the cheese-making process.

Heading further into the Schächental Valley. Here we lost the warm sunshine and it got a bit cooler

We got to the Ratzi cable car at 14:30 and headed back down to the main road to catch the 3 p.m.bus. This is the first time we have ridden this particular cable car, another one to add to my list!

Heading down into the Schächental Valley with the cable car. This view is westward into the Reuss Valley.

 

In this part of the valley there is shadow at the bottom. Toward the opening of the valley is lots of afternoon sunshine. Past that large open sunny space is where we took the first cable car up.

The village of Spiringen where we got off the cable car and caught the bus back out of the valley.

The winter walk from Ruogig to the restaurant and back, then to Ratzi, took about 2.5 hours. 

We have done lots of walking up here. The many cable cars offer lots of options to cover a lot of the region. There are more paths than can be seen on this photo!

This area is not far from where we live and we don't have to travel far to get here.