On the Crest of Mount Schwyberg, Lake Schwarzsee, Canton Fribourg

Saturday June 4, 2022 -- We weren't originally planning to return to Canton Fribourg this day, having only recently been here to see the Narcissi in Les Pléiades... I usually like to switch things up a bit. The plan was to walk along the Hohgant Range (Emmental Region) into the Entlebuch region, closer to home. But along the way there, even though webcams showed nothing but blue skies and no indication of any clouds that might be the forewarning of the predicted thunderstorms, we quickly changed our plans to hike somewhere where there was no forecast for an electrical storm. Urs is very cautious about any chance of being caught in the mountains during an electrical storm, and he didn't want to take the risk.

So Plan A is postponed to another day, and Plan B wasn't so bad: We returned to Lake Schwarzsee (Black Lake) on the western edge of the Gantrisch Nature Park where we've been on two other occasions, and even though it is a popular area for family vacations -- being the first mountainous area near the "flatlands" of the West -- we encountered surprisingly few people.  (NOTE: Photos from the other two times --> 2016 and 2020)

We walked a themed trail called "Auf dem Rücken des Schwyberg", or "The Schwyberg Crest Trail", the mountain to the West of the lake. The official loop trail takes almost six hours, but we didn't need to do that, we only wanted to walk over the crest (nevertheless, it was still a 4.5-hour hike). Considering that it was a very hot day, we were surprised at how well we managed the initial 600m ascent. The view was not too bad either. Unfortunately though, the forecast storm clouds gathered over the Gantrisch mountains to the East, so even though we had the sunshine, the view of the mountains wasn't as great as I'd hoped. But there was a cool breeze, the crest trail was pleasant, we stopped for a cold drink at a mountain farm, and we even surprised a chamois on our way up through the forest, but he was gone faster than I could get my camera  ready. So a good hike just the same. 

But in the Hohgant /Emmental Region? Pretty perfect hiking weather all day...

Passing Lake Schwarzsee in the bus, we are getting out at the final stop on the South end of the lake to start our hike. In July 2020 we hiked in that side valley on the left.

Starting at the South end of the lake, we followed Trail no.274 to the summit, Fuchses Schwyberg, a 1 hr. 40 minute uphill hike, 570m ascent all in one section, some through forests, but otherwise quite a warm uphill climb!

Information about the "Schwyberg Crest Trail"

The official loop trail returns to the South end of the lake, an 18-km hike that takes almost 6 hours! We ended the hike in Zollhaus along the road further north, a 4.5-hour hike.

A look down at Lake Schwarzsee as we head up the hill

These are some of my favourite alpine flowers. This is the Globeflower, very poisonous

Out of the forest, now it's getting really warm!

Typical farmhouse in these hills

We also love the cottongrass, common in marshy areas in the mountains

Lucky for us there was an intermittent cool wind blowing, otherwise the heat would have been unbearable.

Here is the Fuchses Schwyberg farm, we still have 25 minutes to go to the summit! (1 hr 15 minutes from the lake)

We came up from the left, the direct way. There is another popular trail which comes from the ridge in the back. 

As we climb toward the summit, more of the Fribourg Alps appear in the South. 

I'm not familiar with the Fribourg mountains, so I don't know the names of these peaks

A well-earned rest at the summit of Mt.Schwyberg! After our picnic lunch, we decided on the longer tour along the crest behind me. We also could have descended directly back to the lake from here, toward the right. 

Packing out the picnic lunch

A glimpse of the lake below, and the West end of the Gantrisch Nature Park to the East

I'm pretty sure the peak on the right is the Moléson, Gruyères' mountain. 

From the summit, the view to the North along the top of Mt. Schwyberg

Heading out for the next 2-1/2-hour part of our hike, along the crest of Mt. Schwyberg

We had to navigate through countless such stiles

A really nice narrow trail around a hill gave us this lovely view over the "flatlands" to the West. Somewhere over there is the city of Fribourg, from where you have to take a bus for about an hour to get to and from Lake Schwarzsee

We were pleasantly surprised that the alpine roses are flowering here

Alpine roses, a weed to the farmers but a pleasant sight for hikers!

 A look backwards to our picnic spot at the summit of Mt. Schwyberg

There was a farm called Gross Schwyberg, just before our descent, they had set up a restaurant of sorts where we could get something nice and cold to drink! Panaché of course (Shandy), and we shared a half-liter. 

From the Gross Schwyberg Farm, we still have 1 hour and 40 minutes to descend to the main road at Zollhaus. 

Heading down the mountain now

A look at the town of Plaffeien in the "Flatlands" north of Mt. Schwyberg. The bus to and from Lake Schwarzsee goes through Plaffeien. That "hill" is the popular Guggisberg.

More of the pretty globe flowers

Heading downhill we came to another restaurant/inn called Gurli, accessible by car and popular with motorbikers! Our trail continued parallel to the forest edge. 

Some interesting peaks in the Gantrisch Nature Park

Several farm houses along the way

Being observed again from the shadows....

We were in a hurry to get to the road, as we had only another 5 minutes to the bus... and had to get past these cows through the gate. We respect the cows, and waited for them to move. Luckily, that's what they just had in mind!

Down in the hamlet called Zollhaus, we were lucky to catch the bus, as it was running a bit late coming down from the lake on its way to Fribourg. Had we missed the bus, we would have only had to wait 30 minutes. The restaurant next to the bus stop actually served ice cream sundaes, so that would not have been too bad!

Today's tour is the orange trail from the south end of Lake Schwarzsee, over Mt. Schwyberg, to Zollhaus. In 2020 we did a walk in the Brecca Gorge, and in 2016 we walked toward Charmey

In the circle is the location of Lake Schwarzsee, in the Gantrisch Nature Park near Fribourg

This is what the weather was like for most of the day in the Emmental, where we had originally planned to walk. We could have risked it....

Hiking in the Breccaschlund (Brecca Gorge) at Lake Schwarzsee, Fribourg

Saturday September 5 -- After 12 days of no hiking for me, we decided to start again with a less "strenuous" hike, only four hours instead of the six we had originally planned. That is, weekend weather in the Valais region was forecast to be marvelous and ideal for a 2-day hike, but all the mountain hostels we might have considered were fully booked out! So we decided on a day-hike in the Fribourg area of Switzerland (French/German), in the region of Lake Schwarzsee (Lac Noir, or "Black Lake") where we had been once several years ago, and it was time to visit it again.

Lake Schwarzsee is a popular hiking and camping destination for the people from Western Switzerland, so we knew there would be plenty of people there, especially on the popular Panorama Trail. But it was nowhere near as mad as it must have been in the Bernese Alps (or in Valais obviously) judging by the MASSES of people waiting on the platform in Bern for connections to those areas! Never have I seen so many people on the move, as if the entire country was taking advantage of the "final weekend of summer" (or so it seems).

Here at Lake Schwarzsee, most people do the shorter loop starting with a ride up to Riggisalp with the chair lift (saving 450m of ascent on foot) and returning to the car park, but we chose a longer loop which took us right to the back of the Brecca Gorge, and which included some very nice mountain trails at the base of some imposing crags, and most wonderfully, the sighting of a herd of maybe 30 chamois moving along the base of these cliffs.

Even though the geology of the gorge is mostly karst rock, some of the area has been cleared for pastures, and there are several farms up here all of which offer some kind of food or refreshments, or cheese for purchase, and most offer basic accommodation as well. We chose to have a late lunch at one of these mountain alpine farms, because we had read that they offered Rösti besides the more common cheese-and-sausage platters. 

The only negatives on this trip: Of the 3.5 hours it takes us to get to the lake, one full hour of this is on a bus, usually too full of chatty people. And the other negative: The first hour of our excursion was unfortunately without sun, as usual for us that all the hillsides far and wide have sunshine, and only where we are walking is where the clouds obscure the sunshine....

The excursion starts with a peaceful ride up to Riggisalp with the chair lift. It must often be windy up here, because looking down I counted five hats of a large variety littered in the pasture below!

Looking to the South end of Lake Schwarzsee, into the Brecca Gorge to the right of the craggy mountains (on the ascent with the chair lift)

Heading South first, then back on this side of the peak, and around again into the gorge

There were lots of people onthe trail this day, but they managed to spread out. 

A couple of the farms here. At the back on the left at the farmhouse is where the trail switches back to head North again along the other side of this valley

The first autumn crocuses, a sure sign that summer is soon over!

VIDEO:

The goats can give themselves massages!

Sunshine everywhere except where we are walking!

Pleasant trail to walk

It's always fun when there are stairs involved!

After rounding the massif, we head South again into the Brecca Gorge. At the base of the cliffs is where we saw the chamois

Finally, the clouds are moving away from the sun, and we get to see the lake with a bit of sun shining on it

This trail is part of several regional and national trails. But we are mostly following no.267, the "Breccaschlund Panorama Trail"

A nice look to the back of the gorge. Heading in we are walking below the cliffs on the left. Heading out will be along the road down the middle

Way down below us are a couple of the farms. It's the one on the left where we ate our late lunch

The trail in on the left, the road out below. And the tiny building in the middle, another farm with restaurant, we passed on the way out as well.

Way above on the patch of rocks and in the trees is where we caught sight of most of the chamois.

Zoomed view of a few of the many chamois making their way along the base of the cliffs

VIDEO:

A large herd of chamois moved across the base of the cliffs

(The video is very shaky because the camera is hand held at high zoom, and it is difficult to hold the camera completely still)

A look North out of the gorge

Zoomed view out of the gorge. Most of the way out was along the road below

A look to the back of the gorge. We still had quite a way to way up here to the left, before turning along the road that led down to that farm.

Some nice mountain trails into the back of the valley

Actually, up to this point we had already been on the trail for three hours, and there are still two more to go! But we also spent a lot of time watching the chamois, and took a detour off the trail to look for where they might have come from. 

So many rocks in this karst landscape

Beautiful cliff formations. At this point we are heading North again, with the crags to our right.

The alp-farm called Marbach-Brecca is where we had a late lunch

Rösti with ham prepared by the farmer

Our view as we enjoyed our lunch at the farm

Heading down the road to the lake, one more hour to go. This view is to the back of the gorge again.

Looking back at the craggy mountains where we walked just a bit below the cliffs on our way into the valley

We got down to the lake with about 30 minutes to spare before the bus came up this way. On the left side of the lake is the final bus stop, or alternately the first stop on the one-hour trip back to Fribourg. The chair lift is on the North side of the lake. So we were the first to get seats, and SO many people got on at the car park.

And this, this is called a camp ground.

A four-hour, 13-km walk from the Riggisalp chair lift into the Brecca Gorge and back down to the Lake.

Our trail as viewed on Google Earth