Across the Largest Karst Region in Switzerland.

October 18, 2017 -- Three days earlier I was at the Klausen Pass and did a ridge hike from which I could look down into two valleys (one of them was the Bisis Valley to the North) and the high plateau called Glattalp (one of the coldest places in Switzerland), which I could see was snow free. This was our choice for Wednesday's hike.

The Karst Region between Pragel Pass and the Bisis Valley covers an area of about 100 km2 and consists of a bizarre landscape of limestone rock carved through with thousands of fissures, beneath which lies the largest continuous system of caves in Europe (190km).

View of the largest Karst Region in Switzerland, 100 km2 with the largest continuous cave system in Europe beneath it.

Specifically, we started in Braunwald to the East in the Linth Valley, and hiked up and across the Charet Alp to Glattalp in the West, from which we took a very popular cable car back down into the Bisis Valley (this gondola was originally used for cargo transport and was transformed into a person transport, but can carry maximum 8 people in 15 minutes, because there is only one gondola. This destination has become so popular that even in low-season times one might have to wait 1-2 hours to get a transport, usually more).

1 km to the Gumen Cable Car in Braunwald, 13 km across the Charet Alp, and 3 km to the Bus Stop in Schwarzenbach

It was a long 13-km hike over unusually stunning and barren terrain, a hike made even longer by two steep uphill sections partly on frozen muddy trails, and through the rather difficult-to-navigate rocky karst terrain, not to mention the 1-km walk in Braunwald to the cable car UP the hill, and another 3km in the Bisisthal to where the bus currently stops** (in summer it goes all the way to the cable car station).   

**(As it turns out, we hitchhiked and caught a ride out of the valley with an archeologist who works these karst caves who told us about fascinating finds of remains of animals native to this area)

We encountered only about a dozen people along the way, except at the cable car, where we lucked out to be the first to arrive after a full gondola just descended, and had to wait only 15 minutes. Behind us we counted 20 people who arrived in those 15 minutes.... at 8 people per carload in 15 minutes, this means the last of that group would have to wait 60 minutes before getting back to the valley....   Glad it wasn't me, I wouldn't have had the patience!

Taking the Gumen lift to the start of our hike in Braunwald in the Linth Valley

The unusual peak of Mount Tödi at the South end of the Linth Valley

The cable car saves us 400 altitude meters. We have to go up a steep 250 m to get to the Karst Plateau (around the corner on the right)

Wonderful rock formations everywhere

Just before heading steep up the hill to the left, a glimspe backwards to where we started (little building on the slope way at the back)

About halfway to the plateau (access through the low spot on the left)

Finally made it to the highest point. Now we head West.

Another perfect day for another spectacular hike.

The largest Karst Region in Switzerland is covered with fascinating rock formations

It took us longer to walk across this section than expected, because of some snowy sections and all the rock.

It was a relief to arrive at the spongy surface of this alpine pasture (Erigsmatt) about half-way to our destination

More stunning landscapes

This is the valley we just walked along, now we head South across the wide pasture, and up a shaded hillside with some frozen muddy sections. But the trail was mostly snow-free, as the early mountain people knew where the sun shines the longest into the fall and winter months.

Looking back to where we came across the low point at the back, which was about the half-way point of the entire distance.

Before heading down to Glattalp, we climbed another rise for a view North into the Bisis Valley, and at the back, on the left: Mount Rigi;  on the right: the two Mythen peaks, and in between, at the back, is where we live.

Behind me is Lake Glattalp, a parallel valley to the one we came down (which is on the left)

Glattalpsee, a destination for another day, and a warmer season. This alpine plateau measures some of the coldest temperatures in Switzerland in winter

Looking South is the ridge that I walked three days earlier, having come up from the Schächen Valley to the South

Back down from the Pfaff look-out point to the saddle, where we came up from the left and are heading back down on the right

This ground cover looks like carefully-placed tiles!

This beautiful rock formation at the back of the Glattalp valley shows how at one point the Earth's crust was pushed up 90 degrees, where the horizontal striations become vertical ones

The fascinating landscape and rock formations never end up here

As we got to the platform, the single cable car just left with its full load of 8 people. We waited only 15 minutes as we were the first of a large crowd that came up behind us. They would have had at least 1 hour to wait. 

Once down in the valley, we had to walk 3 km to the bus station. The Bisis Valley was dark with shadow at 4 pm (this view is looking behind us to the South... we came down with the cable car from the left)

We would have had to wait 30 minutes for the bus, so we hitched a ride to Muotathal, where we got an earlier bus back home.

From Linthal to Braunwald with the funicular, 1 km walk to the Gumen chair lift, a steep uphill climb and then 13 km from East to West across the Karst Landscape of the Charetalp, with another steep uphill to cross over to Glattalp. After a cable car ride into the Bisis Valley, another 3 km to Schwarzenbach, as the bus no longer goes all the way to the cable car station. From there we hitched a ride out of the Bisis Valley to Muotathal.

Stunning Ridge Hike near the Klausen Pass

Sunday October 15, 2017 -- Today is the last day that the yellow Post Buses run up to the mountains passes. Another fabulous hiking day (which I had to do alone) which I didn't want to miss out on, so which mountain pass to go to?

I picked the Klausen Pass, as we hadn't been here for over a year. My plan was to hike straight up for an hour to a ridge I had seen on a map, with the hope of being able to look into both valleys (Schächental and Bisistal). And I was not disappointed! The climb was hot but not hard (I had to strip to tank top and skirt as soon as I started) but popular. I heard a fellow climber call it an "Exodus" and rightly so. (In fact, the bus headed up to the pass had to call in TWO additional buses as reinforcements, although only a few of the people were going my way).

When I looked up at the start of the hike to the ridge I was headed to, on the sunny side of the mountain, there was no way I could anticipate the amount of snow on the North side! It was a surprise and a very cool effect to walk along the ridge with snow to the right of the trail, and none to the left. It was like having one foot in summer and one foot in winter... Only at one point was it slightly difficult to navigate. But the narrow trail winding along magnificent rock formations was exhilirating. 

This is a hike I will do again. Probably with a descent into the Bisis Valley, which is on the North side of the ridge. On this Sunday there would have been no point, even if there had been less snow, as the buses don't run out of that valley any more. 

On the bus ride up to the pass, beautiful morning light and fall colours.

The bus has to navigate steep and narrow roads to get up to the pass

Two ADDITIONAL Buses had to make the drive to the pass, because there were so many people coming up here on this beautiful day.

First part of my hike: one hour uphill to the narrow ridge (Balmer Grätli), from which one can look down into both valleys

Starting at the Klausen Pass Hotel at Unter Balm, it took me about an hour to walk up to the ridge, then at Ruosalper Chulm I headed down to the Schächentaler High Trail, but left it soon afterwards to descend to the bus stop along the Klausen Pass road. Altogehter almost four hours of straight hiking!

It was a hot steep one-hour hike to the ridge, but worth it

In that box on the ridge is a "guest book" that you can sign to show you made the climb!

The ridge was narrow and there were so many people, that I stepped over to the "winter side" to get away and to make some photos. 

Fantastic rock formations.

I waited it out till all the people had moved on

Part of the trail was along the ridge, part of it on a narrow trail along the cliffs

Looking back towards the East, below is the hotel where I started my hike

This mountain to the South is one of my favourites, it is called the Schärhorn, which means Scissor Horn. We have also walked below that mountain and right down to the valley bottom.

The ridge was narrow but not dangerous, although you had to tread carefully.

Photo at the top is looking to the East, photo at the bottom is looking West

 

Heading down from the final ridge back to the Klausen Pass road

Up ahead is a little alpine farm that serves refreshments. A little past that I headed back to the pass road to catch the 4:30 pm bus.

 

The little alp restaurant was very busy this afternoon

Heading West along the popular "Schächentaler High Road"

Before heading down to the road, a lovely glimpse into the Brunni Valley, a side valley of the Schächentaler Valley. We walked this valley in Spring of 2016. The dark cliff at the back is the largest North Face in the Swiss Alps

As I got back down to the road (steep descent) I had to pass through some pastures. This barn has a typical avalanche protection built on the slope side.

Fall colours against snowy peaks, just superb.

What my hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. Starting at the hotel along the Klausen Pass Road, I hiked an hour up to the ridge, then descended again for a section along the Schächental High Trail before descending back to the Klausen Pass Road. 

On a side note: I found out that evening that only one week earlier, a group of three people working on the cliff walk circled below were swept off the face of the cliff by a rock slide. Two of the people have not been found yet, one was able to extricate himself.