Panorama walk on Mt.Rooterberg East of Lake Zug

Tuesday April 29, 2025 -- This is the second of four walks in a row that I am doing this week, as the sun is shining all week and the temperatures are like in summer, 24 to 27 degrees C. (By the weekend, a drastic drop in temperature is expected, and even snow to elevations as low as 1300 meters).

Not having decided where I wanted to go, I was a bit late in getting started, so I went to Mt. Rooterberg, which is a low range elevation on the west side of Lake Zug, and a hill from where you can get some really good views of the Alps to the south and which only takes me about 35 minutes to get to. I chose the starting point for my 9-km walk at Udligenswil (at about the middle of the range) heading north toward Meierskappel, and then down to the main road to catch the bus back to Rotkreuz.

With this great weather, all the farmers were up in force mowing the meadows so the grass can dry before the weekend, so at some times the noise of the mowers wasn't much better than the construction going on in my neighbourhood. But I saw lots of happy cows and goats, and was surprised that there were still many blossoming trees (I thought the blossom season was over). It was not at all hot, and the views of the mountains and the lake were fabulous. 

I started at the bus stop in the center of the village of Udligenswil at 10:10, after a 35-minute train and bus ride from home. There are lots of pretty houses up here. 

Look at this beautiful flowering bush! These are apparently called Anemone Clematis. 

Before heading north along my chosen trail, I walked up the road in the other direction for a bit, to see this fantastic view of the Bernese Alps! Always a spectacular view which is never boring. 

And always I have to take a zoomed photo of the Eiger North Wall and the mountains Mönch and Jungfrau to its left. 

So much colour now. 

Typical farmhouses in this region. 

Flowers growing in the stone walls. 

Blue Gentians in someone's garden

Past the houses of Udligenswil, I get out into the country landscape, and this is the view to the south!

This walk was about 9 kilometers, 2¼ hours of straight walking. But I started at 10:10 in Udligenswil (35-minute trip to get there), and got to the bus stop at 13:25, so I spent a little over three hours on this trail. In 2017, we did a similar hike along Trail no.3: "Alpine Panorama Trail", also starting in Udligenswil and pasing through Meierskappel. At that time we had more blossoming trees, but not nearly as nice weather! (photos HERE). 

The farmers are busy cutting and drying the meadow grass. 

Because the mowing disturbs mice in the grass, there were many such birds of prey circling the fields. 

The grass is mown, and is now being flipped over to dry. 

I can't get enough of this view. 

Also looking south behind me on the road I have walked since leaving the town, Mount Pilatus looms large in the background!

Always looking for a place to set up my tripod for self-timed photos. 

These friendly goats wanted to say hello. I had to laugh because I'd never seen goats in an enclosure where the grass was so high that they could barely see above the grass!

This is an official hiking trail, and the farmers, who receive subsidy from the government for walking paths through their properties, usually try to make sure that the trails are cleared!

Still some beautiful trees in full bloom here!

A look behind me again at Mt.Pilatus past this spectacular high-growth fruit tree!

The mountain at the back looming behind that house is Mt.Stanserhorn. On the right and further south are the snow-covered peaks of the Bernese Alps, some over 4000 meters. 

The trail took me right through this pasture. The cows are watching me carefully. One of them even got up and came running toward me, not something one really likes to have happen.... 

Here's that mean old cow, facing off with me!

Those are the highest peaks of the Bernese Alps. The one on the very left is the highest, Mt. Finsteraarhorn, 4274 meters a.s.l.

Close-up look at these peaks, I believe they are called the Rosenhorn, Mittelhorn and Wetterhorn. 

And here, Mt. Rigi looms large. 

The buildings at Mittel Robmatt (?)

Every meadow has its resident farm cat (they always think they are hiding from me!). On studying this photo, I see there is a second cat in this meadow. They're probably looking for the mice which were chased out by the mowers. 

A first view of Lake Zug to the north

Here I passed through a large region of meadows where three mowers were hard at work! (It was almost as noisy as the construction going on in my neighbourhood!)

There was a very nice amount of footpaths on this trail!

Looking south to the south end of Lake Zug between Mount Rigi (on the right) and Mount Rossberg on the left. The mountains in the back are the Uri Alps. 

Looking behind me where I had been walking along the fence, the newly-mown grass covering the trail. 

Finally the noisy mower turns around and heads south, after running alongside me for about 10 minutes of my walk!

Such a lovely landscape. 

These cows were so excited to see me! They started mooing and ran in my direction, as far as the fence would allow them!

VIDEO:

The cows are following me!

View to the south end of Lake Zug, past the industrial neighbourhood of Küssnacht. 

Now I'm arriving into the village of Meierskappel, where I had to walk through the outskirts a bit into the center (before then starting on my way down the mountain). 

Another fabulous anemone clematis tree!

I sat on a bench here for a while with this view, and had a snack (at 12:30). I would have stayed longer, but below me were a small herd of cows (about 6) and one of them was outfitted with a sheep's bell (the others had no bells), which makes an annyoing, high-pitched clinging sound. The little meadow is right in the center of town, and the bell would bother simply everyone! (Well, it would bother me, worse than construction noise, in that case)

This is the cow with the little bell, much too small for cows! I think this is a male, and he gave me a mean look! (It was only when he was observing me, that the bell was finally quiet!)

VIDEO:

I have to record the sound of the annoying sheep's bell on this cow!

Next stop: Village church in Meierskappel

Inside of the Meierskappel church

Looking up at the church from the bus stop at the village center. From here I now head downhill eastward toward the lake. 

Another lovely house on my way down the hill. 

The drying grass is shaken up to make sure the lower layers dry out as well. 

Now that's a spectacular farm machine!

A look behind me where I descended from Meierskappel, the white buildings at the back. 

Just short of getting to the main road which runs from Küssnacht to Rotkreuz, and where I caught the bus to the train station in Rotkreuz. 

A heron randomly walking through the pastures. 

A view across the north part of Lake Zug to the city of Zug. 

And to the south we see the summit of Mt. Rigi, past the full-flowering rapeseed fields. 

What my hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. 

All the hikes we have donw in the region of Küssnacht, Mt.Rooterberg and Zug.