Panorama Hike on the Eastern Flank of Mount Pilatus

Thursday August 10, 2023 -- It's weird that we traveled about four hours each way the day before, looking for a place where we might have some sunshine after many days of no real good hiking weather, and then suddenly this Thursday (and Friday, as it turns out) were the most fantastic cloudless skies, and since Urs had to work, I took advantage of what looks like only a few nice days this August to do a couple of hikes on my own.

Mount Pilatus, Luzern's house mountain, is not far from here, accessible by cable car from Kriens on the north side, and by the Pilatus cogwheel train from the east, the steepest cogwheel railway in the world (in operation since 1889), and thus a very popular tourist attraction.

To start my hike at the summit of Mount Pilatus, I rode the cable car up (lots of tourists and locals waiting in line here, since it was really a day to take advantage of), and then walked to a nearby summit called Matthorn where we had not yet been, a really good decision for this day as it got me away from the crowds and offered a nearly equally stupendous panoramic view as that which you get from the three main look-out points which all the tourists can access from the summit of the cable car and train stations in a short amount of time.

From the summit of the Matthorn (NOT Matterhorn!) I descended to the middle station of the Pilatus cogwheel railway, from where I rode the train DOWN (it wasn't full at that time of day, about 3 p.m.) and boy what a surprise to get to the bottom where hundreds of tourists were still waiting for their turn to go up the mountain! (I had to check something at the ticket counter and heard the agent tell someone that if she didn't have a reservation, she could forget about going up that day). 

So after spending about four hours in this beautiful landscape, I was back home in just over an hour!

A quick photo of the old town of Luzern across from the main train station, as I wait for the bus to Kriens. 

A look behind us as the gondola cable-way heads up from Kriens near Luzern toward the summit of Mount Pilatus (Pilatus Kulm). It's now 10:35

One of several quaint houses on the Pilatus north flank

Looking up ahead to the summit of Mount Pilatus. The gondola ride from Kriens to Fräkmündegg, where you change into a large-cabin cableway, takes 20 minutes.

The summit station of the gondola cable-way is called Fräkmündegg, and there is a large restaurant here and lots of activities for families, including this rope park and a bobsled run. 

From Fräkmündegg you change into a large-cabin cable-car and reach the summit of Mount Pilatus in another four minutes. 

The view over Lake Luzern (Vierwaldstättersee) from the cable-car just before reaching the summit of the mountain from the north side. 

The old hotel at the summit of Mount Pilatus. 

Just above the hotel is one of three look-out points (this one is called the "Dragon's Path) that can easily be accessed by all the tourists who come up here. I walked up to this look-out point, and the one called Esel, when I did a similar hike in 2019, those photos are HERE

And this is where I am going, to that mountain in the middle of the photo. For sure there's a view there, and no people! In fact, there were only a handful heading down the hill. Many more came up shortly after I started. Those are die-hards who challenge themselves to climb to the summit of Mount Pilatus right from the valley bottom, a climb of about 1700 meters. 

A close-up look to the south at the highest peaks of the Bernese Oberland Alps, namely Mounts Finsteraarhorn, Lauteraarhorn, and Schrekhorn. Also, this is the summit of the mountain I am climbing, along the vertical cliff and on the sloping hillside to the arrow at the left. 

From Pilatus Kulm (Summit), it's less than an hour to the top of the Matthorn, the smaller summit I am planning to go up. From there another about 90 minutes to the Ämsigen station of the Pilatus cogwheel train, so not a really long hike, but lots of fantastic views for sure!

Starting at the summit of Mount Pilatus, I walked to the cross at the summit of Matthorn, and down to the middle station of the cogwheel train. To get to the summit I took the cableway on the north side of the mountain. 

Panorama view of where I am headed. Those are the Bernese Alps to the south. I started here at 11:20

A look at the summit station of the Pilatus cogwheel train. The peak behind it is called the "Esel" and it is a popular look-out point for the tourists, easy to access and providing fantastic 360-degree views. 

VIDEO:

Watching a paraglider (tandem) take off from the summit

The trail I need to take is visible behind me. Only not clear from here is how to get up the vertical cliff to the green pasture on the west side of the mountain. The goal is the cross at the arrow. The zigzag trail on the left is the faster way down the mountain. Several people were hiking uphill from there.

The cogwheel train travels up/down the mountain every 35 minutes (always two such trains at a time). This is the steepest cogwheel train in the world. The wagons are fairly new, in operation only since this summer of 2023. Apparently they use less electric power than the original wagons, which I preferred. (A photo from my blog, of the old wagon at the same place is HERE) 

Awww, isn't this the cutest baby!

Typical picture of Swiss countryside. 

A look upwards to the Pilatus summit station of the cogwheel train, as the next train makes its way down the mountain now. 

The new Pilatus cogwheel train heading down the mountain

A stunning landscape, easy to reach. On the right is the look-out point called the "Esel". Then next to that the summit station of the cogwheel train. Then the new tourist center, then the old hotel, and you can see a long level trail near the top of the peaks heading to the left. This is a fairly wide and level trail that you can walk for 30 minutes to another peak called Tomlinshorn. Many visitors walk there as well. 

The trail down the mountain which many people like to ascend. Below is Alpnach Lake, separated from Lake Luzern to the north by a small channel. 

Studying what might be the most feasible way up to the summit of Matthorn!

Before heading up on the left side, a look down the valley which I descended when I did the other hike here alone in 2019 (again, those photos are HERE)

At first this looks difficult, but really it wasn't. It's easy when you have the cables to hold on to. It was harder to find a place to put my camera to take the photo of myself!

A really fun part of this hike!

This view is actually into the Entlebuch region of Switzerland, past the first couple of ranges. 

I got to the summit at 12:20, so less than an hour, as I stopped to take a lot of self-timed photos along the way! That person was just leaving, so I had the bench to myself for a while.  

From the summit of Matthorn, a look back at Pilatus Kulm. Fantastic!

A zoomed view of the Pilatus Hotel and the Dragons' Trail (named from some myth about a dragon crash-landing here in 1421)

And the view to the East from the summit of Matthorn

View to the south past Lake Sarnen to the Bernese Alps

A closer look past Lake Sarnen and Lake Lungern, to the highest peaks of the Bernese Alps, several over 4000 meters high. 

Zoomed view of several peaks I now recognize and know by name. Finsteraarhorn is the highest of the Bernese Alps (4273 meters), although Eiger and Jungfrau (4158 m) are more well-known. The Titlis in the Engelberg Valley still currently offers year-round skiing, and is also a popular destination for Asian tourists. And the final one are unique peaks in the Uri Alps far to the East, our favourite hiking region.  

I had my picnic lunch here, and whenever there is food, there are the curious Alpine Coughs. (In German they are called "Alpendohlen"). 

The Alpine Cough taking flight. 

A final look down the east side of Mount Pilatus to Lake Luzern (Mount Rigi in the center back) before heading down the mountain myself at 12:45. (I would have stayed longer, but another hiker showed up with a stinky panting dog. I'm not fond of dogs in the mountains). 

Some intriguing Karst landscape up here as well. 

The sign indicates another 1 hour and 20 minutes to my destination (Ämsigen)

This ridge separates the "valley" which I walked down in 2019 (on the right) with the side I am walking down this time. 

For a while I had to follow a section of trail messed up by the cows summer grazing up here. There were hundreds of these butterflies, they seem to enjoy cow poop. 

The valley bottom below (south end of Lake Alpnach) opens up more now. The main mountain straight ahead is Mount Stanserhorn, also a favourite destination for the views, and because you ride up on the first ever built open-topped double-decker cable car called the "Cabri-O". (See HERE)

These are the cows that messed up my trail!

Passing a couple of mountain farmhouses on my way down

Another look down the eastern side of Mount Pilatus. 

Heading north now along a level dirt road, I get a look up to the summit of the Matthorn where I had my picnic lunch. 

My trail is the upper one, heading around the corner. Now the main mountain on the right is Mount Buochserhorn, another one where we have been on the summit, in 2018 

Harvesting mountain grass on these steep slopes is a hard and sometimes dangerous job. This is the first time I have seen them bring the grass down the mountain in large bundles on a cable. (The mountain on the left is the Matthorn)

The south end of Lake Alpnach (Alpnachersee) is a pretty protected moor and marsh landscape of national importance. We've walked here as well, in 2019. 

And now the final descent to the railway stop at Ämsigen

There is barely a single hike we have done where we have NOT encountered leaf blowers, the most annoying sound in the mountains (and elsewhere). As I got here 20 minutes early for the train, I had to listen to this noise as the railway personnel were cleaning the tracks...

Passing the time waiting for the train to come down the mountain. There was a picnic table here and it wasn't too hot, so I could sit for a while. I got here at 2:30 p.m.

There is a farm here at the Ämsigen station. You can also buy their self-made cheeses here. 

Farmhouse at Ämsigen with the "cheese-fridge" below the balcony, among the firewood!

The Pilatus Cogwheel train arriving at about 14:50. There are two trains in each direction, and they cross here, so it takes a bit of manouevering. The train wasn't really packed for the trip downhill at this time, but with the roof windows in these new "wagons", I found it unbearably hot in there. 

At least these farmers are raking their hay the old-fashioned way, instead of with noisy leaf-blowers! This kind of farming is a tough job. 

Down at the Pilatus station at 15:10. A large group had already boarded the train I came down on. These people are waiting for the next one at 15:45. It's a long time to wait to take a 30-minute ride on the steepest cogwheel train in the world. 

Advertising the world's steepest cogwheel railway. This is what the old wagons looked like. I caught a train here at 15:30 and was home by 16:30 p.m.  

What my hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps

All the hikes we have done in the region of Mount Pilatus and Lake Alpnach (Alpnachersee). 

A couple of days later, we did a hike near Mount Stanserhorn and had this nice view of Mount Pilatus to the west. The summit of Mount Matthorn is difficult to distinguish as separate from the Pilatus crest but it is the summit in the circle. The line is the approximate path I took to the middle station of the railway line.