Hiking in Switzerland – Gabrielle and Urs

June 12, 2015

Long Hike from Lake Klöntal to Lake Wägital over the Schwialp Pass

(This item published on June 26, 2023)

Friday June 12, 2015 -- Just returned from a week in Sicily on the 11th of June but the weather is supposed to get bad here in Switzerland in the next few days, so we headed out on another long hike to take advantage of the good weather.

We hiked a pass we've never done before, from just above the gorgeous Klöntalersee (Lake Klöntal), then climbing almost straight up 400 altitude meters to the Schwialppass and then down to the dam on the lake called Wägitalersee (Lake Wägital). We lucked out on the weather and this is totally my favourite kind of hike: No other people, steep mountains all around, cow bells, green pastures, alpine flowers.

But it was long, 17 km and almost 5 hours, plus the hike uphill was pretty steep and hot and the downhill steep and gravelly....

The trip starts with a bus ride from Glarus into the Klöntal (Klön Valley) and along the beautiful Lake Klöntal

VIDEO:

A short stretch along Lake Klöntal with the bus.

Before reaching the final bus stop, a look behind us at the west end of Lake Klöntal

We started our hike at the restaurant in Richisau, the final bus stop in this stretch. The time provided here to Lake Wägital on the other side of the Schwialp Pass to the North is approximate only. It's about 3 hours to the south end of the lake and 4-1/2 hours to the nearest bus stop at the dam at the north end. We started here at 9:30 a.m.

This was a long hike for us, nearly 5 hours. The section over the pass to the south end of the lake, about 3 hours, was not too bad, but the additional almost two hours along the lakeshore really stretched out too long for me.

As we head to the start of our hike along the Pragel Pass road, this view is up the Klön Valley (Klöntal). The more popular hike here is over the Pragel Pass, at the back on the left. We are going to ascend near here on the right.

Lots of very large maple trees here. There are so many nice greens at this time of year.

Another look behind us to the west as we go up the road. The range of mountains on the south side of Lake Klöntal are called the Glärnisch.

What is a hike in Switzerland without the cows in the pastures!

A short break before starting on our 400m climb. The climb was very steep and mostly through forest, so not much to photograph

An hour of climbing and then we finally get this first view to the Pragel Pass and the Schwyzer Alps (the snow-covered ones) in the Muotatal region of Switzerland.

Finally, a relatively level stretch of road with this panorama view of the range of mountains that separates this valley from the Sihltal (Sihl Valley). The tallest peak in about the center is called the Fläschenspitz

Very happy to have the first long climb behind us!

The first alpine roses

The view toward the Pragel Pass, across this upper plateau with several farms makes me want to walk here instead of toward the north!

Heading north along an easy wide mountain road toward the Schwialp Pass

This farm is called Brüschalp

Such a beautiful landscape with so many meadow flowers

Here we are at the Schwialp Pass

We arrived at the pass shortly before noon. The village of Au is the first one you come to when you reach lake level, another 1 hour 40 minutes from here! (And from there, another 1 hour 15 minutes to the bus stop!)

Several of the pretty flowers in the meadows!

A whole "Rock Garden" of yellow buttercups!

Our first view of the Wägi Valley (Wägital) and Lake Wägitalersee as we round a corner near the pass, on the north side now. There is still snow in the avalanche couloirs.

Another look at the mountain range separating us from the Sihl Valley to the west. This range is called the Firsten. This is just north of the Schwialp Pass

We spotted a marmot!

We found a spot here a little off the path, where we had our picnic lunch and enjoyed this fantastic view, before heading down the wide mountain road below.

Ah, these flowers were so pretty! I just had to take a photo among them. Another "Rock Garden"

Babies resting in the tall meadow grass on the way down from the pass

Here we are at the south end of Lake Wägital, at about the level of the village of Au. It is now 14:30, 2.5 hours since getting to the pass. We spent a long time up there, we liked it so much

Heading north along the west side of the lake, this look is across the lake to the small village called Innerthal.

On the road along the lake

And now we've made it to the dam, it's now 15:40, an hour and 15 minutes from the back of the lake.

Along the dam on the north side of Lake Wägital

There is a bus stop here at the dam on the route from Lake Zurich (Siebnen-Wangen) to Innerthal, the main village here on the East side of the lake. We had walked enough by now (5 hours or more) and were catching the bus right here!

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps, including the bus ride along the north shore of Lake Klöntal, and the bus ride back down to Lake Zurich.

Location of the two lakes Klöntalersee and Wägitalersee in Switzerland, in relation to where we live.

April 26, 2015

The Grand Canyon of Switzerland, from Ilanz to Reichenau

(This post made on January 23rd, 2025)

Sunday April 26, 2015 – The largest landslide of the Alps took place 10,000 years ago about 60 km from the source of the Rhine River. This is known as the Flims landslide and was apparently one of the largest landslide events in world history. The valley that existed at the time was filled with 8000 million cubic meters of rock.

In these past 10,000 years the Rhine has been carving out this massive volume of rock to create a canyon which is known as the Grand Canyon of Switzerland (stretches from Valendas to Reichenau, approx. 14 km). On Sunday we walked through this canyon along the impressive white cliffs some several hundred meters high. It was truly wondrous. But somehow I can’t imagine that it ONLY took 10,000 years to carve it out, seems it should take much longer….

The canyon can only be discovered on foot or bike, by train, or river rafting. The trail mostly follows the railway tracks except for one 4-km piece where you'd have to hike up out of the canyon. So we took the train for that piece (from Versam to Trin) and got out where we could walk again, to the town of Reichenau-Tamins.

On the train heading toward Ilanz, we travel over the portion of the Rhine Gorge that is not accessible on foot.

These are the cliffs of the Rhine Gorge near Versam Station.

This is the little red train from the Rhätian Railway, making its way through the Rhine Canyon toward Ilanz, where we started our walk.

In Ilanz, the trail markers show us the way to the Ruinaulta, the Romansch word for "Rhine Canyon". The next train station within the canyon is called Castrisch. We started here at 10:35.

The first part of our hike from Ilanz to the canyon takes us through forests and along the Rhine riverbed.

At 11:15 we got to the train station at Castrisch.

Across the river to the north is a village called Schluein, and all those little barns on the hillside look so pretty. Further up the mountain is another village called Falera.

A look behind us as we leave Castrisch. The mountain at the back is called Piz Mundaun, and the village on the hill is called Luven.

Walking along the Rhine River.

Walking along the Rhine River. This is now the start of the canyon with its bizarre cliff formations.

Rhine River in the Rhine Canyon. Carved out from the massive landslide 10,000 years ago.

The next little train station along the river as we head northwards is called Valendas-Sagogn. (Valendas is a village further up the mountain).

We got to Valendas train station at 12:30, and spent about half an hour here for a lunch break.

The train of the Rhätian Railway passing through Valendas. We continued on from here just after 1 p.m.

This is the north side of the gallery/tunnel from Valendas.

Lathyrus vernus (Frühlingsplatterbse) - Something in the pea family.

This is a small delta where a side river (Carrerabach) enters the Rhine River.

A bridge crosses the Carrera River where it enters the Rhine River. It's now 1:30 p.m. and according to the train schedule, there should be a train passing here soon!

Here's the train passing us at 13:35, on its way toward Chur.

While I took a photo of Urs as the train passed on the bridge, Urs also took a photo of me as the train passed by!

A look behind us as we continue down the canyon.

At a place called Isla, we had to leave the riverside for a while, and head slightly uphill.

Looking down at the Rhine River from slightly higher up at Isla.

Heading back down toward the river.

A very interesting section along cliffs

Another train heading through the canyon, this time from Chur toward Ilanz.

The cliffs carved by the river are spectacular, as we head to the next train station called Versam-Safien.

Fantastic.

Starting in Ilanz at about 10:30, we got to Versam Station at about 2:30 p.m. From there you can only walk another 30 minutes along the river before you have to hike out of the canyon on the Flims side. As there was a train headed eastward a few minutes after we got to Versam, we rode the train to the next station at Trin, where we then continued our walk to the Reichenau-Tamins station.

At 2:45 p.m., we got to the train station at Trin, from where we continued walking along the river toward the Reichenau station, another 1¼ hours of walking from here.

At this point in September 1927, the waters of the Rhine were as far up as the railway line.

VIDEO:

The small red train from the Rhätian Railway passes us

as we walk next to the railway track.

The sign across the river shows the high-water level reached in 1927.

The trail takes us up and across the train bridge over the Rhine near Reichenau-Tamins.

Addendum: The trip toward Chur and the Rhine Gorge is always a scenic ride, especially when visibility is good, as it was this day. Here are photos from the trip to the canyon after we left home at about 7:45 in the morning:

This is the train journey from home to the Rhine Gorge via Lake Zurich, Lake Walensee, and the city of Chur.

As we head northwards, this is a look south past the town of Zug to the Bernese Alps which are clearly visible this morning. On the left is Mt. Rigi, on the right is Mt. Pilatus.