The Old Schwyz Road over Ibergeregg Pass

June 15, 2017 -- Next Canton to the South of here is Canton Schwyz, home of the striking and recognizable twin mountains called the Greater and Lesser Mythen. At the foot of these hills is the town of Schwyz (same name as its Canton) and the start of our excursion: a special bus trip East along a narrow winding road over the Ibergeregg Pass (1406m) and down into the Hoch Ybrig region (popular skiing area).

As the bus neared the end of its route we got caught in a torrential downpour, and it looked like our plans for a hike were pretty well over. But the downpour was short, and the sun came out, and although that made for humid and wet walking conditions, it seemed to fit well with the soft, marshy moor landscape. The bus driver had told us this was a bit of a wet microclimate area, and promised us good weather for the day, which we had. He also told us that the trail we were hiking was called the "Old Schwyz Road" which earlier was the original thoroughfare before the current road was built.

Our actual hike started at the end of the bus ride in Oberiberg, westward uphill into the vast high moor landscape, over the same mountain pass and back down to Schwyz. Altogether we walked 13 km in just over 4 hours, as the 900m descent to Schwyz was pretty steep and somewhat slippery. As we approached the city of Schwyz, we passed South of the Greater Mythen, a popular mountain both to ascend and to paraglide from. At this close range, the rust-coloured sections high on the rock are plainly visible. This section of rock is much older than that lower down, indicating the flipping of Earth's crust as these formations were created so long ago.

On the bus ride up to Ibergeregg Pass, this is the view over the pastoral landscape of Canton Schwyz

This narrow winding road and all the stuff that fills it, makes the going rather slow for the bus.

There is a 6-km stretch of the road that is "Open Pasture", and the cows have the right of way. Here we got caught in the torrential downpour.

Our hike starts in Oberiberg, after a heavy but short downpour.

This view is eastward into the Hoch Ybrig region, a popular skiing area. The town of Oberiberg where we started is at the back. 

After an hour and 20 minutes of uphill walking we get to the Ibergeregg Pass. Our original plan was lunch at the restaurant, but dark clouds were forming behind us, and we wanted to keep ahead of them.

At the Ibergeregg Pass.

Right after the Pass, the descent starts to Schwyz and we get the first glimpse of the Greater Mythen.

Today the clouds were thick in the actual Alps, but here just North of them, we had nice weather.

West of us: Lake Lucerne and the city of Brunnen below.

  

Behind us to the East the storm clouds were looming, but we kept ahead of them.

Most of the trail back to Schwyz was through this moor landscape. (At the back is Mount Fronalpstock and the new Stoos Funicular)

The peak of the Greater Mythen. It is a challenging ascent.

The top of the Greater Mythen shows rust-coloured rock which dates much further back than the rock below it.

Some of the descent was through steep but welcoming cool forest

Finally back down in wider spaces, near Lake Lucerne.

View to the West as we emerge from the forest.

The Greater Mythen and its reddish cap. Also popular for paragliders.

 

The city of Schwyz, the end point of our hike (bottom left is the public high school).

13 km from Oberiberg, over the Ibergeregg Pass, to Schwyz.

We rode the bus from Schwyz to Oberiberg, then walked back.

Neumühle to Lüderenalp in the Emmental

June 10, 2017 -- We had a plan. We picked the trail and figured out the train schedule. And then... good thing we checked the Engelberg website because we saw that the trail we wanted to walk is closed. Maybe still icy on the shady sections? Or maybe a land slide? They didn't say.

Plan B, a hike in the Emmental region of Switzerland, one I've been wanting to do for a while. But when we got closer we saw the dark clouds hanging low to the South and blue skies to the North, so after a quick look on my hiking App, we took a chance on something unplanned to the North.... and it was a pleasant success.

Also in the Emmental, we walked North 11km along a ridge from which we had views into valleys on both sides, such a picturesque landscape with typical Emmental houses. The first part was through a forest called the Dürsrüti forest, known for its very large and tall fir trees. At the end of our hike after an icecream treat at the pass restaurant Lüderenalp, we marveled at the "longest bench in the world" made entirely of the trunk of such a white fir, 38 meters in length.

The bus ride back was along a road so narrow that it is closed to opposing traffic for 30 minutes for each of the bus's four runs each way. 

And best of all, at the start of our trip we discovered the most fantastic second-hand book shop I have ever seen! The owner has packed over 210,000 books and records and DVDs into four storeys of the old mill, built shelves into and around the old mechanical works, with labyrinthine nooks and old carpets and reading corners... and musty musty smell, that we almost got lost and didn't make it on our hike.

Definitely going back there one day, just to walk the labyrinth again. Don't know how one could ever decide on a book....

This is the typical style of Emmental houses

Düsrüti forest has lots of large fir trees. According to an information placard, the largest (Number 165) is 42 m high and 156 cm in diameter, and is 350 years old. We didn't see it.

We started late in the day, and had lunch at 2 pm., in the Fir Forest

The village below is approximately where we started the hike.

Our view West was all the way to the Jura foothills and the French border

We got a few glimpses of the Bernese Alps from here (South of our location)

Mowing the meadows is hard work in Switzerland, and this isn't even really a steep slope.

This house has a drive-through section!

The air wasn't clear but we did get some views of the Bernese Alps

Another well-earned rest after a steep uphill section

Admiring the view South across the vast Emmental landscape

This branch broke off recently, it crashed into the public fire pit. I wonder if anyone was there at the time?

Urs is laughing because I just stepped into a cow pie.

Not much more than 5 minutes to the Lüderenalp Pass

Ice cream reward for a successful hike

The world's longest bench made of one entire tree trunk = 38 m

If you come by car and you want to drive this road, and you just happen to come at 08:10 or 10:10, for example, you have to wait 30 minutes till the bus arrives. There are special "waiting places".

The red path is what we had planned to walk, the green one is what we ended up doing (11 km, 3 hour 15 mins.)

At the start of our hike was this large old mill, no longer used as a mill, but as a huge second-hand book store (Urs is talking to the "owner" of the project)

On four storeys are over 210,000 books and records and CDs in "The Book Mill"

On four storeys are over 210,000 books and records and CDs in "The Book Mill"

Most of the inner workings of the mill were kept here, and shelves built all around them.