Ibergeregg Pass to Oberiberg in the Hoch-Ybrig Region of Canton Schwyz

Wednesday November 6th, 2024 -- Another pleasant, mild and sunny day in the mountains, and still a lot of endless fog at home, so after taking a one-day break from my long trip to the Aletsch Glacier on Monday, I chose a nice area to hike nearer to home in the Schwyzer Alps. 

On the Sunday before, Urs had done a little trip on his own to the Ibergeregg Pass, where we have been several times already including most recently on a winter hike (see photos HERE), where he then walked for just an hour to the Rothenflue cablecar at the foot of the Mythen mountains. On that day he had excellent visibility over the Hoch Ybrig Region, but being a Sunday, there were simply too many people there.

I chose to go up to that same pass on my own on the Wednesday, and to walk down from the pass on its north side to the village of Oberiberg, on a trail we had not done before. The plan was to take the bus from Schwyz to the pass from the south (the fastest way), but the train I wanted to take was cancelled due to technical difficulties. Fortunately for me, there was a connection via Einsiedeln accessing the pass from the north, so I still made it to the start of my hike by 11:30. (Lucky because there are only two or three buses running to the pass from each direction per day).

Unfortunately I did not have the clear visibility I had hoped for, but it was warm in the sun (I had to change into shorts again), above the fog, and good narrow dirt paths the way we like them. Part of the hike was in shadow again (to be expected at this time of year), so I had to change back into pants, but I still managed to make it a 9-km hike (almost three hours). The trip back from Oberiberg was via the pass once again, and down the south side this time, which was an experience in itself (narrow single-lane roads) and by the time we got to Schwyz, the fog was gone, which is unusual at this time of year!

Originally wanting to travel south via Schwyz to the Ibergeregg Pass, I had to go north via Lake Zurich and Einsiedeln due to technical issues on the train. From Einsiedeln, a bus travels to Oberiberg (ultimately the goal of my hike) where we transferred to a bus to the pass. This is as the bus travels along Lake Sihlsee. 

As the bus travels along Lake Sihlsee, this is a look at the mountains of the Hoch-Ybrig region. We are headed toward the valley on the right at the back of the lake. 

A look northwards along Lake Sihlsee

Heading up the side valley to Oberiberg, where about 10 people switched to the bus that will take us up a narrow road to the Ibergeregg Pass. 

After a 10-minute ride from Oberiberg, the bus got to the Ibergeregg Pass at 11:20. There are a whole lot fewer cars here than on Sunday, when Urs was here!

From the pass, the most popular trail in both directions (to the Rothenflue cable-way as Urs did on Sunday, or uphill to "Hoch-Ybrig Sternen") is called the "Ybriger 7-Egg-Weg" (because you pass through seven places ending in "Egg"), but we have done this trail before (see HERE), so I took a slightly different trail to Sternenegg via Altberg. 

Before heading on my hike, I look northwards  from the pass to the landscape which I will be walking down later. 

Starting at Ibergeregg Pass at about 11:30, I headed southwards, originally intending to walk via Laucherenstöckli, but I decided to head north earlier, which was about 100 meters less of an uphill walk. I got to Oberiberg at 3 p.m., for the 15:09 bus back up to the pass (and ultimately down the west side to Schwyz). 

Not long after starting on the hike through a lovely forested section, I found a view bench. Whereas here it is often above the fog, down below the entire lake Lucerne and the town of Schwyz are covered in fog. Visibility is not great, but you can make out Mt. Pilatus in the back. 

Zoomed view of the fog blanket that covers most of these lower-lying regions (including where I live) these days. 

Looking behind me at the trail I walked up, and the summit of Mt.Mythen. By now it was very warm, and here on a bench I removed my leggings and continued in a skirt!

The view to the south into the Schwyzer Alps was unfortunately very hazy (especially compared to the great visibility I have had on my walks in the past couple of weeks). Down below here is the Muota Valley. I am headed from here to Sternenegg. 

On the other side of the Muota Valley is the mountain village of Stoos, from where I had done a recent hike on the north side of Mt. Fronalpstock to Morschach on the Lake Uri side (photos HERE). Stoos is accessed by the world's steepest funicular, opened in December of 2017. 

The farm below is called Ober Altberg. I took this photo by setting my camera up on a bench....

...and this was the sign on the bench. It translates to "Senior's Bench". Almost fitting!

Final view on the south side of the Ibergeregg Pass. Mt.Rigi in the center back, and the Greater Mythen mountain on the right. The Rothenflue summit station is just to the left of the Mythen peak. 

Back on the main trail now, I have reached the "Egg" called "Sternenegg". I sat on a bench in front of that building and ate my sandwich, and continued from there to the left. 

Looking behind me at the Schwyzer Alps as I head north now. Unfortunately, the visibility wasn't as great as I had hoped. At this point I had to put pants on again, as there were several shadowy sections. 

Heading north, I get a good look at the Ibergeregg Pass (there are more cars now than when I first started there) and the beautiful Greater Mythen. (There is a popular trail to the summit where there is a restaurant!)

Heading north now on trails that I really like!

I decided to take a mountain trail to make my hike a little longer. A lot of it was on the shadowy side of the mountain (Laucherenstöckli).

As I rounded the mountain, I saw the summit station of the Oberiberg chair lift (where I was headed). In the background are the mountains of the Hoch Ybrig region, a popular ski area. We hiked across that entire flank once. (Pictures HERE). My trail is on the very right.

Directly below me is the road I ended up walking (coming from the right). The goal of my hike is in the lower part of the village of Oberiberg, at the arrow. The mountain here is called the Roggenstock. 

Even though this was in the shadow of the mountain, it was a narrow dirt trail, my favourite kind of trail. 

This is the summit station of the chair lift, from where the rest of my hike is downhill. The chair-lift is currently in revision and not open for public use. 

An easy down-hill walk now with lots of sunshine 

The village of Oberiberg in the background. 

There is an interesting little church high above the other side valley, a church which we visited on a hike in February 2023. 

A close-up look at that cute little church one valley over!

Always lovely to watch the kites flying overhead. 

Arriving in the south part of the village of Oberiberg. 

I was too early for the 15:09 bus, so I sat here on this lovely bench for a while. 

Heading down into the village to where the next bus back to the pass was leaving.

Cute little house. 

These are all the hikes we have done in the area around the Ibergeregg Pass. The purple trail is the popular "Ybriger 7-Egg Trail". The pink one is the one I did this day, starting at the Ibergeregg Pass and ending in Oberiberg.

This is the second time this day that I rode the bus back up to the Ibergeregg Pass. At 3:20 p.m. it is already looking like late afternoon. 

From the pass, another look at where I had walked around the Laucherenstöckli peak. 

From here the bus descended the long, narrow and winding road to Schwyz. For a change, the fog had now moved out of the valley and was only covering the lake. The mountain in the back is Mt. Rigi. 

Passing the two Mythen peaks as the bus neared the town of Schwyz. Earlier in the day, this region was all full of fog. 

Typical farm houses of this part of central Switzerland. 

From the train station in Schwyz, I head home, a total of only 90 minutes by bus and train from Oberiberg. There is still some fog on Lake Zug as the sun is setting here at about 4:30 p.m. 

The sun is near setting over Lake Zug. 

The location of the Ibergeregg Pass in Switzerland. 

These are Urs' photos from the same region from three days earlier (Nov.3), with much better visibility:

On a Sunday, cars are parked all the way down the pass road (and up on the other side past the restaurant). Too many people up here! (To get up to the Ibergeregg Pass, Urs took the bus from Schwyz, the same route I took on my way down). 

The visibility on this Sunday was much better, as you can see more detail on the Stoos mountainside, and even to the Uri Alps. The fog is much higher into the Muota Valley, though. 

There are several mountain restaurants here, all of them packed full of people on the sunny patios! This was also the case when we did the winter walk this year in January, which was on a Saturday. 

A lovely clear view of the beautiful peak of the Greater Mythen. (Urs' photo from Nov. 3rd walk). 

A look behind him to the east, this shows the region where I had walked this day, from Ibergeregg Pass to the north (the left). Visibility was much better on this Sunday, than three days later!

At the end of Urs' one-hour walk from Ibergeregg Pass to Rothenflue cableway, Urs had to decend to the town of Schwyz with the gondola cable-way through very dense fog!