Churfirsten Trail to Mounts Chäserrugg and Hinterrugg in Eastern Switzerland

Saturday September 7, 2024 -- Due to the hot summer and the warming up of the Mediterranean Sea, we have been warned of much rain for most of the rest of September, so we were very fortunate to have one of the nicest days in the past couple of weeks this Saturday. It was a hot day again, but not if you were able to get up high. Of course that means all of Switzerland was going somewhere up into the mountains, and we once again had to think of a place where we wouldn't have to wait too long for a cable-car ride, or get packed too tightly in a bus. 

We have done very many hikes in the region around Lake Walensee and the Churfirsten Mountains in Eastern Switzerland, but have never been on top of its most well-known peak: Mount Chäserrugg. We figured that was our best bet, because a challenging 4-hour hike that was of interest to us could be accessed by chair lifts, which don't require being packed with tons of people in large cabins, or waiting too long for a ride in the smaller ones. To get to the start of our hike at Gamsalp, we had to take a bus up the Thur Valley to Wildhaus, and we forgot that there were many popular cable-car accesses there -- AND we found out later there were events taking place there -- so the double-decker bus was packed, but we survived that. 

The hike up to Chäserrugg (2½ hours from the summit of Gamsalp station) wasn't difficult and not at all hot (on the contrary, there was an icy wind!) and the landscape stunning. The summit itself is accessed by a large-cabin cable car, and we had anticipated crowds up there, which there were. But the magnificent 360-degree view totally made up for the overcrowding! The descent to a different cable-car had more people than we expected, especially considering the trail wasn't easy, and required at least three hours of walking! (There were even some kids on the trail!). Toward the end I started to feel it in the knees, and my toes started to hurt, but in all, the pain was totally worth it. 

Heading up the Thur Valley with a view of the Churfirsten mountains in early morning light. It's 8:45 right now (we left home at 6:20 a.m.)

At 9:20 we got to Wildhaus (Lisighaus Bus Stop) and had to walk a few minutes to the first cable car station. (We ran there to beat the large group of people who also got off the bus here... no fun standing in line waiting for 20 chatty women to buy their tickets!) Up ahead is the easternmost peak of the Churfirsten range, namely Mt. Chäserrugg, which is the peak we are hiking up to, coming from the left. There are seven peaks in the Churfirsten range. 

Morning sun on the north side of the Churfirsten peaks. There are seven peaks in all and trails to the summit of each one from this side. 

A view down to the town of Wildhaus as we head up with the first section of the chair lift. The smaller peak with the tower on the left is Mount Säntis.  

Heading up to Oberdorf with the chair lift. 

Summit station of the Oberdorf chair lift. 

From Oberdorf we walk to the next chair-lift station which will take us up to Gamsalp. 

Some pretty Appenzell-style houses. 

Gamsalp chair lift. We started our hike at the Gamsalp restaurant, and these chair lifts saved us 750 meters of ascent (we had another 600 meters to go to get to the summit of Mt. Chäserrugg) 

At the summit station of the Gamsalp chairlift, we study the signs for where we want to go: We are following Trail no. 950: "Churfirsten Trail" and should reach the first "summit" at Gamserrugg in an hour (This is the first 300-meter ascent). 

We started at Gamsalp at 9:50 after riding two chair lifts from Wildhaus The hike via Chäserrugg and Hinterrugg to the Selamatt chair lift takes about 4½ hours or more of pure walking. (The descent was a bit tough and we had to tread carefully). We got to Alp Selamatt at 16:20, so 7½ hours after starting! Also, there is a large-cabin cableway from Iltios to Chäserrugg, which is how most of the people got up here. 

Description of the Churfirsten Trail, although the description is starting on the Selamatt side, which is about 1100 meters of ascent. We preferred the way we did..... 

The Gamsalp mountain restaurant, and a view into the Alpstein Massif, and the large Rhine Valley at the back which is the border between Switzerland and Austria. 

As we head up to Gamserrugg, we get this great view of the Rhine Valley. We could make out the city of Feldkirch (Austria) below the dark hill on the right, whereas the dark hill is actually part of Liechtenstein.  

Just in case we forget which country we are in!

It was not a difficult ascent, and also not too hot, as a cool wind was blowing. On the left in the back is Mount Säntis (for sure there must have been many people up there on this beautiful day!)

We were totally fascinated by this karst landscape with clefts and caves and depressions all over. 

That's a deep hole there! Also, there are many clefts in this karst landscape, so you really have to watch where you walk. 

Poisonous Monkshood (Wolfsbane) seems to be the flower of the season, and I had never seen so many in one place! It was actually very pretty!

At 10:50 we got to the summit of Mt. Gamserrugg, which is actually a large table-top mountain. It took us exactly the suggested one hour to get up here! The wind up here was really icy cold, so no worries about the otherwise 27-degree heat at home! From here, the next section of our hike to Chäserrugg should take 1 hour and 20 minutes. 

First view now of the Glarus Alps to the south. The first mountain range across from where I am standing is called Schafberg, and directly below is a valley with a trail leading down to a lake called Voralpsee. After seeing this landscape, it is a hike we would also really like to do. Of particular interest is the second large peak on the left. It is the back side of the stunning Sichelkamm which you can see from Flumserberg across the valley. (A photo from my own blog HERE)

That unique projection is called Tristencholben, and it marks the east side of a large upper plateau called the Rosenböden, easily accessed from the Chäserrugg cable car, with a nice approximately 1-hour trail that tourists can walk and admire the view. (Not part of our plan for the day). 

As we start our way off the table-top mountain and head down to a passage called "Sattel", we see clearly where our next 300-meter ascent is, to the restaurant at the summit of Chäserrugg. 

A look down the side valley which we'd like to hike one day as well!

We reached the Sattel at 11:30, and started right off on the next ascent. Another hour to Chäserrugg, which means we spent 20 minutes on Gamserrugg admiring the view! The highest peak at the back is Mt.Säntis

A close-up view of the summit of Mount Säntis and the weather station!

A look behind us to where we descended from the Gamserrugg table-top mountain. 

Heading up to the place where the arrow is pointing!

Noon time snack break. We usually save the sandwiches for when we have reached the highest point of our hikes, if possible, as ascents are hard when the stomach is digesting... 

A look at Gamserrugg and the Alpstein massif in the back. 

More karst rocks to cross

You have to watch not to fall into the clefts! And what a great-looking mountain-top in the back. At the very far back, we have a far-reaching and very clear view into the Austrian Alps. 

The trail was easier than it looked!

A close-up look past Gamserrugg mountain to the peaks of Liechtenstein and Austrian Alps!

Other hikers heading down where we had just come up.

Another view into the wide flat Rhine Valley to the northeast, where soon past here the river flows into Lake Constance (Bodensee). 

We arrived at Chäserrugg at 12:30 (exactly an hour from starting at Sattel) just in time to watch the large-cabin cable-car head down to the Iltios. There were very many people traveling on this cable-car on this beautiful day!

The Chäserrugg Cable-car heading down the north side of the Churfirsten mountains. Down below is the Thur Valley, and across to the north is the fabulous Alpstein Massif. 

And on the south side of the restaurant, a first view of the Seez Valley east of Lake Walensee. The town in the center is called Flums at the foot of mount Flumserberg, and all the mountains in the back are part of the Glarus Alps and the Sardona Tectonic Arena (UNESCO World Heritage Site). 

That large plateau is the Rosengärten which we saw from Gamserrugg. Most of the people who come up here just for the view can do a nice comfortable walk around there. In winter, the trails are prepared for a nice winter walk as well. 

A look to the north past the edge of the restaurant, to the Toggenburg region.

There were very many people up here! (Compared to only a very few on the first part of our hike). Understandable on this perfect day, of which we have had too few. 

Fantastic cliffs..... 

On the west side of the restaurant/cableway station, the trail continues up to the second peak called Hinderrugg (or Hinterrugg), which is actually the tallest of the seven peaks. There were very many people on this trail. It is not difficult to climb, and there is a fantastic view of the lake on the other side, so well worth it for people coming up here. 

A look behind us at the Chäserrugg station and restaurant, on our way to the next summit: Hinterrugg

Looking eastward up the Seez Valley. At the far back of this valley is the city of Chur. 

It's 1 p.m. and time to look for a spot for our picnic lunch break! (There were too many people in the restaurant, so we didn't want to stop there). 

So many people on this trail! Most of them come up with the cable car and walk around up here. Only a few hike up and down the other side. 

We found a good spot away from the walking trail, and spent half an hour here admiring the view and watching the cable-car go up and down... 

There's the 13:15 cable-car arriving

This view is of particular interest, as the mountains in the back are in Liechtenstein, and we did a fantastic hike in the cliff region in the center, back in AUGUST 2022. 

It's hard to imagine that this tower is solid with only three small points attaching it to the cliff!

1:30 p.m., and time to head back to the trail

Behind me on the right is a large alpine pasture called Palfries, accessible by small cable-car from near Sargans in the Seez Valley. We have been there twice, once for a superb day hike (MAY 2018) and once for an unforgettable two-day hike starting there and continuing just below these Churfirsten peaks (AUGUST 2021)

Summit of Mt. Hinterrugg at 13:40. We are walking on a regional themed trail called the "Churfirstenweg", Number 950, headed to Alp Selamatt, another two hours from here, but all downhill. 

I love studying the landscape from different perspectives, remembering landscape features which we passed through on previous hikes. For example, on DAY 1 of the two-day hike in August 2021, we started on the Palfries plateau on the left, and overnighted in a small mountain village in the circle just below. 

For a very long time, this glider flew back and forth above the lake, so close that we could see the pilot waving to us!

The fellow in the glider was having a very good time!

And now the first view of Lake Walensee below us, and the rest of the Churfirsten peaks to the west. 

There were many people up here having picnics and taking breaks and enjoying this fantastic view of the Glarus Alps. We also sat here for a long time studying all the places we have walked in this region, recognizing various landmarks which we passed at the time. 

Past the next three peaks of the Churfirsten range is the peak called Mt. Speer near Amden. Although we have never been on that peak, we have done several hikes in the hills below it and below the cliffs on the left. Most recently Sept.2023, photos HERE

Another look across the Thur Valley and Toggenburg region to the northwest. 

At 13:50 we started our descent from Mt. Hinterrugg. About a dozen other hikers descended as well, but mostly we were surprised at how many were going uphill, including small children like this girl! It was about a 3-hour hike of almost 1000 meters from that side! This view is across the Toggenburg region to the northwest. 

A fantastic view on our way down the mountain

VIDEO:

Panorama View of Lake Walensee, the Glarus Alps, and the Churfirsten Mountains.

Down below is basically what we walked on the second day of our two-day hike in AUGUST 2021. 

We were surprised at how many people were hiking up to the top. It was very difficult to pass each other on these narrow paths. Especially annoying is when you have to pass an entire group of people, having to step aside and wait for them, as uphill has the right of way. But not all of them walk the same speed, so you have to wait quite a while sometimes. 

This is the east end of Lake Walensee, with the city of Walenstadt. 

A steep drop to the mountain community of Walenstadtberg, where there is a Rehab Clinic, and where we ended our two-day hike in August 2021

This valley which we are now descending is called the Gluristal

Heading down the Gluris Valley toward Alp Selamatt. The trail was wider here, but rocky and gravelly and you had to be cautious finding your way along the trail. 

We have come from way up there!

This part of the trail was very overgrown and not so much fun to traverse. 

Further down and we can see the northern slopes of the Churfirsten peaks again, in the afternoon light. 

Looking back up the Gluris Valley again. These are the only mountain farm buildings we passed on the way down. 

Rounding the base of the Hinterrugg, we can once again see down to the town of Wildhaus, and the Alpstein Massif with Mt. Säntis on the left. 

And looking up above us, the summit of Mt. Hinterrugg on the right, with the Chäserrugg summit station and restaurant in the center. 

We got to Alp Selamatt at 16:20

Close-up of Mount Säntis past the roofs of Selamatt

And another real close-up of the observatory at Mount Säntis. There is a very large cable-car which takes loads of tourists to the viewing platform up there, from Schwägalp on the Appenzell side. 

Hurrying now to the Selamatt chair lift, as we need to catch the 16:46 bus in Alt-St.Johann on the valley road below. 

The view as we head down with the Selamatt chair lift

The chair lift runs only till 5 p.m., so we were surprised at how many people were still headed UP to Alp Selamatt at 4:30 p.m. We inquired when we got to the bottom, and found out that there was an orienteering event taking place up there the next day, and all these people were spending the night in tents and in the hotel. There are entire orienteering clubs, and some people make a living out of participating in these events. 

Looking down the Thur Valley where we will be continuing by bus to the Nesslau train station. 

The village of Alt St.Johann below. The bus stop is at the little yellow building behind the flags on the left. 

The lovely landscape here with the small farms spread all over the hillside. Mt. Säntis in the center with the observation tower. 

One of the two churches here in the village. No time to stop by, as the bus leaves in six minutes!

As the bus arrived, it was more than full, and we were worried we could not get on. But it turns out these were all people still heading up to Alp Selamatt for the Orienteering Event, so the bus emptied out quite a bit, luckily! (The Orienteering Event might also have been the reason for the full buses in the morning, as there was another event this Saturday in one of the other villages nearby)

What our hike and the three chair lifts look like on Google Satellite Maps

We have done many hikes in the region around the Churfirsten Range, and Lake Walensee. 

To get home, we have to take a train from Wattwil to Rapperswil on Lake Zurich. This is a favourite view of the Churfirsten mountains as the train leaves Wattwill, and now for the first time I realize we can actually see the cable car station at the summit of Mt. Chäserrugg from here! And I can now recognize Mt. Hinterrugg (to the right of the building) as the tallest of the seven Churfirsten Peaks, all of which are captured on this one photo. 

Location of the Churfirsten mountains within Switzerland.