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MY
WALKING WORLD
David Preston
The
Alpine Pass Route - Part One - Sargans to Lauterbrunnen
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On the 14/07/09 I set off
with a friend of mine David Swainson set of to complete part
of the Alpine Pass Route in Switzerland - We used the
excellent Cicerone guide - The Alpine Pass Route by Kev
Reynolds, a detailed guide packed with useful information. The
whole route is 326 km and starts in Sargans in Eastern
Switzerland near the Lichtenstein border and finishes at
Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. The route crosses
16 mountain passes during its journey and has some spectacular
scenery along the way. Our plan for this year was to walk
approximately half the route as far as Lauterbrunnen which the
guidebook estimated would take 8 days. Some of the distances
are quite long and sometimes can be alongside a main road so
we took a decision to make use of the occasional Post bus and
cable car where necessary. This proved to be a wise decision
and enabled us to make the best use of the time available.
We flew from Leeds/
Bradford Airport on the 14/07/09 to Geneva Airport and landed
at 1550 hrs, after collecting our packs we made our way to the
adjoining station and caught the 1636 hrs express train to
Sargans with just one change at Zurich. We were in Sargans at
2030 hrs and after locating our Hotel we had a few beers and
something to eat before going to bed.. Next day was the start
of our walk |
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Leaving our Hotel on the first
morning
Zunfthaus zum Lowen -
An excellent
place to stay in the old town of Sargans |
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A view of the Castle which stands above Sargans
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The
village of Mels which we passed through just after leaving Sargans |
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Mels |
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Above Mels
and although its still raining we have a bit of blue sky showing |
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Dry now
and heading for Weisstannen |
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The path along
the hillside passes through some superb forest paths |
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The
well at the village of Schwendi
You can top up your water bottles
here |
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The A welcome pint at the
Hotel Gemse - We did not stay here but it looked very nice - As we had
time to spare we walked on for an hour to Alp Vorseiz which shortened
the next day |
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The Church in Weisstannen |
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15/07/09 - Sargans to
Alp Vorseiz - 17 km
Distance walked 17km - When we
left Sargans it was dry but it started to rain after an hour,
waterproofs were needed for the next hour or so and then the weather
brightened up, the paths and tracks were ideal and we arrived at
Weisstannen around 1530hrs. we stopped for refreshments and as it was
still early we decided to carry on for a while and stay at the Alp
Vorseiz. This would shorten the next days walk by an hour. It was an
excellent place to stay, clean and friendly and we had a dormitory
room to ourselves. They produced butter and cheese on the farm and it
was supplied by pipeline from the high Alpine farms in the mountains
above |
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Ready to leave the Alp Vorseiz the next day- Myself and my fellow walker David Swainson |
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Ready to
leave the Alp Vorseiz |
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The track goes
diagonally up the mountainside above the gorge |
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Our lunch
stop, looking back down the gorge |
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track slants up the small hill in the centre |
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Heading along
the track - note the marker stone in the lower right of the photo |
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| On
the Foopass 2223 metres
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Heading downhill towards Elm |
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Looking down on Elm |
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We stayed at the Gasthaus Segnes
in Elm - Excellent |
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Church in Elm |
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16/07/09 -Alp Vorseiz to Elm
- 17 km
Distance walked 17km We
left the Alp Vorseiz in excellent weather and walked through some
superb scenery, the weather got warmer as the day went on and
when we arrived in Elm we looked for somewhere to stay. There
were several places with signs indicating they had rooms and we chose
the Gasthaus Segnes which proved to be a good choice. It was clean and
comfortable with excellent food.
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Next day was 22km so we shortened it a bit by taking the bus for
20mins to Ober Erbs
This
saved 2.5 hours of walking up a steep hillside. The weather was not
promising with low cloud and the threat of rain
The footpath started here in
Ober Erbs |
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Swainson standing near a snow bridge over a gully - we decided it was
too risky to cross here so we went lower down the hillside to cross |
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The path climbs easily up the
mountainside but the weather is deteriorating and the rain is falling
steadily
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A sign pointing
back the way we had come |
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A few of the animals near the
solitary Alp farmhouse of Wichlenmatt
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A little bit of luxury in our
Hotel at Linthal |
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17/07/09 Elm to Linthal - 22 km
Distance walked 16 km -
This stage was described as a tough days walk so we decided to take
the Post bus as far as Orber Erbs which would save about 2hrs of
uphill road walking, We left Orber Erebs at 0930 hrs with the weather
overcast and it soon became showery and by lunchtime the rain had set
in. We passed the solitary Alp farmhouse where a farther and his young
son tended the herd of animals and then climbed up to Richetlipass
2261m in wet and stormy conditions. Once over the pass we descended
the steep and twisting pass for over three hours before eventually
arriving at Linthal where we booked into the Hotel Adler. We enjoyed
an excellent meal and a few beers in the restaurant before getting a
good nights sleep. |
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Saturday 18/07/09 |
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The walk today from Linthal to
Aldhorf was 32 km so we planned to shorten it by taking the bus part
of the way. We got off the bus at Urnerboden and then set off walking,
however after 10 mins we realised that walking in the heavy rain and
strong winds was a bit pointless especially as the path virtually
followed the road over the pass. Common sense prevailed and we decided
to catch the next bus to Aldhorf- this photo is from the bus as it
climbed over the pass |
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The William
Tell Statue in Aldthorf near the bus station
The rain had now stopped so we
decided to walk as far as Attinghausen and then take the cable car up
to Brusti. This would give us a good start for the next day for the
walk over the Surenenpass |
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The cable
car from Attinghausen to Brusti
This is a two stage cable car and
you call the attendant by phone and he tells you to get in and he
controls the ascent from the midway control centre
While at the midway point we asked
about places to stay in Brusti. He recommended the Bergghaus Z'
Graggen which proved to be an excellent choice |
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Bergghaus Z'
Graggen at Brusti A
great place to stay and we were made very welcome |
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18/07/09 - Linthal to Altdorf
- 32 km
Distance walked 5 km - As
described above we set off with the intention of walking most of the
way but the weather had other ideas and after a short way we caught
the next bus over the Klausenpass and down into Altdorf. I am sure in
good weather it would have been an interesting walk but given the
circumstances I am sure we made the right decision. The rain then
stopped when we arrived in Altdorf so we walked as far as Attinghausen
and caught the cable car up to Brusti |
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19/07/09
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The rain has
stopped but there is snow ahead, the view behind me is back along the
ridge to Brusti |
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Looking
ahead looks exciting, the mountain Blackenstock is on the right |
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down on an Alp farmhouse, these are everywhere there is pasture for
cattle but there are no roads to them |
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Looking up at the pass we are heading for -Surenenpass 2291 metres |
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Looking up at
Blackenstock. There were constant small avalanches of snow and stones
coming down the mountain face and in the gullies caused by the rise in
temperature. Fortunately they were only small and tended to stop at
the base of the rocks. |
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On the small summit of Angistock
2031 metres on the way to the Surenenpass |
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A small
emergency shelter just below to pass. Enough room for about 12 walkers
to eat there lunch |
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Jim, a
fellow walker from Phoenix Arizona at the Refuge at Engstlenalp |
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A small chapel
alongside the track near Engstlenalp |
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Its very small in the Chapel |
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Our Hotel
in Engelberg
Hotel Banklialp |
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They had no rooms left at the
Hotel Bankliapl so we ended up in the dormitory, however we had it to
ourselves, all 16 beds |
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19/07/09 Altdorf to Engelberg - 28
km
Distance walked 23km - Brusti to
Engelberg. We set off from Brusti after a good breakfast with the
occasional shower but the weather soon brightened up, as we climbed
higher the snow from the previous day became deeper. It was an
exciting climb up to the Surenenpass and as the day became warmer
there was a constant clatter of small avalanches of snow and rocks
falling down the steep rock faces on our right. Luckily the steep
ground on our right absorbed the falls and we were perfectly safe.
Once over the pass we had lunch and then carried on with our descent
to Engelberg. Today was an excellent walk which we both enjoyed. We
stayed at the Hotel Banklialp - another good choice despite ending up
in the dormitory |
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Monday 20/07/09 |
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On the way up to Jochpass we
passed the small lake at Trubsee |
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On the Jochpass we passed the
Hotel - Berghaus Jochpass which has rooms and dormitory accommodation |
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Once over the pass we headed down
past the lake called Engstlensee |
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Mountains and Cowbells |
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Looking along the track above the
Gental Valley - We are heading for Meiringen |
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Further along the track |
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Looking across the valley, there
are Alp farmhouses up there with no roads to them |
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In the small town of Meiringen we
stayed at Simons Herberge - Excellent place to stay |
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20/07/09 - Engelberg to Meirengen
- 31km
Distance walked 26km Trubsee to
Meiringen - Today was a long day so we used the cable car to get up to Trubsee which saved about 2.5 hours of uphill walking. The weather was
excellent and the walk up to Jochpass was pleasant and not to steep,
we then followed the path down past the lake at Engstlensee to
Engstlenalp where we stopped for lunch. Afterwards we followed the
track high above the Gental Valley which gave us superb views of the
valley bottom and the mountains on the far side. Our route took us
eventually to the village of Reuti high above the town of Meiringen
where we took the cable car down saving an hour of steep downhill
paths. We stayed at Simons Herberge which was excellent. |
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Heading along the track above the
road towards Gross Scheidegg |
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The mountain scenery ahead looks
impressive |
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The Grosse Scheidegg pass in the
distance |
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The Hotel on the Grosse Scheidegg
Pass with the Eiger in the distance |
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The Eiger in the distance |
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The wild flowers are incredible as
well as the butterflies that pollinate them |
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Looking ahead along the track |
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At First we took the cable car
down to Grindelwald after a long day |
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Tuesday 21/07/09 Meiringen to
Grindlewald 21km
Distance walked 18km -
Meiringen to First
We left Meiringen at 0845hrs and
followed the valley upwards heading for the Grosse Scheidegg Pass, it
was a pleasant walk, not to steep but quite long and we eventually
reached Grosse Scheidegg by 1430 hrs where we had a break at the cafe
on the summit. We then followed the scenic path along the mountainside
to First for 1.5hrs which provided excellent views of the Eiger and
surrounding mountains. At First we took the cable car down to
Grindelwald where we looked for accommodation. Eventually staying
at Lehmans Herbege where we booked in for two nights. |
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The next day we took the train
from Grindelwald as far as Alpigen which saved 2hrs 10 mins and
then set off walking to Lauterbrunnen |
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This was my first attempt to climb
the North Face of the Eiger - I turned back after 20 metres and
decided to save it for another day |
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The routes up the North Face of
the Eiger - There's no Preston route yet |
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A gas powered fridge at the side
of the track with Cheese and Yoghurt in - help yourself and leave the
money in a tin |
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Kleine Scheidegg Pass
It has a railway station, shops
and cafe's |
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The mountain railway goes through
a tunnel in the Eiger and climbs to Jungfraujoch at 3453metres
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More wild flowers |
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Heading towards Wengen |
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Looking down into the valley |
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Looking back at the Eiger on the
left and Monch on the right |
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Heading down to
Wengen |
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Heading down to Lauterbrunnen - a
spectacular waterfall plunges down the rock face |
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Lehmanns Herberge
We stayed here for the last 2
nights of our trip - in the centre of Grindelwald and it was excellent |
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Journeys end for this trip
Lauterbrunnen Station
We
had walked 133km from Sargans
To David Swainson my
companion -thanks for your company on the
walk
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23/07/09 Grindelwald to
Lauterbrunen 19 km
Distanced walked 15 km Alpigen
to Lauterbrunnen - Today was our last day and gave us close views of
the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. We took the train as far as Alpigen
which saved over 2 hours of uphill walking and gave us a good start
for the walk up to the pass of Kleine Scheidegg. The pass was busy
place with many Cafes, shops and railways tracks. We then followed
the track to Wengen, a village perched on the mountainside above
Lauterbrunen. There followed a steep track winding down through the
forest where we eventually arrived at Lauterbrunen. This was our
journeys end for this year. We had walked 133 km out of 188 km from
Sargans to Lauterbrunnen.
We then caught the train back to
Grindelwald to our accommodation. We ate at the Hotel Spinne that
night, an excellent meal and there was a lively night in the town
for us to enjoy. They have entertainment in the street on Wednesday
in the summer
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24/07/09 After an early breakfast
we left Lehmans Herberge and walked to the Grindelwald railway station
and caught the 0949 hrs train to Geneva Airport with changes at
Interlaken and Bern. We arrived at Geneva Airport at 1324 hrs which
gave us ample time to catch the 1620hrs flight back to Leeds/Bradford
Airport |
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Summary- This was an excellent
walk with some quite long stages and as suggested in the guide book we
occasionally used the Post Bus, Cable car and railway to shorten some
of the long sections. The Alpine Pass Route uses footpaths and tracks
that have been used for centuries by farmers and traders and the
signposting from village to village was excellent. The maps and
directions in the Guidebook were sufficient for our walk although in the
case of bad weather and poor visibility a compass and appropriate maps
would be necessary. During our walk we generally had good weather but
there were several wet days when our waterproofs were needed. The
hotel in Sargans was pre booked but all the other accommodation was
found each afternoon when we arrived in the town or village at the end
of the days walking. All of the places we stayed at were listed in the
guidebook except Lehmans Herberge in Grindelwald which we happened to
find when we arrived in the town. My mobile phone worked in all the
towns and was invaluable for booking accommodation and getting
directions. We had no language difficulties despite not being able to
speak German and everywhere we went the people were very friendly and
helpful. We flew from Leeds/Bradford to Geneva and used the excellent
train service to get to and from the start and finish of the walk |
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Summary of costs
for the trip |
Exchange rate 1 GB pound to
1.66 Swiss Francs |
| Air
Fare |
Jet2.com |
£129.33 return |
| Train |
SBS Swiss Transfer ticket |
£78.50 for return rail travel |
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Insurance |
The British Mountaineering Council |
£26.50 |
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Accommodation |
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Sargans |
Hotel Zunfthaus zum Lowen |
65 CHF each for B&B |
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Vorsiez |
Alp Vorsiez |
54 CHF each for half board |
| Elm |
Gasthaus Segnes |
86 CHF each for half board |
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Linthal |
Hotel Adler |
48 CHF each for twin room B&B |
| Brusti |
Berggasthaus Z'Graggen |
55 CHF each for twin room B&B |
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Engelberg |
Hotel Banklialp |
40 CHF each for dormitory
including breakfast |
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Meiringen |
Simons Herberge |
40 CHF each for twin room B&B |
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Grindelwald |
Lehmanns Herberge |
40 CHF each for twin room each
night (stayed 2 nights) |
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Equipment |
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Lowe Alpine Walkabout Rucksack
Rucksack 35 litres |
2 pairs of walking socks |
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Meindle Borneo Walking Boots |
3 pairs lightweight socks for evening |
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Mountain Equipment Fleece |
4 pairs of underpants |
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North Face zip off walking trousers |
Sleeping liner (silk - very light and pillow case |
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Lightweight trousers for evening |
Lightweight waterproof jacket and trousers |
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Spare pair of walking shorts |
Travel towel and toiletries |
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Lightweight shoes for evening |
Compass, whistle and guidebook |
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3 T shirts |
Headtorch and sunglasses |
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Short sleeved shirt |
Suncream |
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1 long sleeved shirt |
Mobile phone and charger |
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Sweatshirt |
Hat and gloves |
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Food purchased daily |
Leki Malaku walking pole |
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2 litre |Platypus water container |
Nikon 5600 compact digital camera |
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1 litre Sigg bottle |
Spare AA batteries |
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The weight was just over 20lbs without food
and water and everything carried was necessary |
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This is my account of the trip I made
with David Swainson of part of the Alpine Pass Route - If I can be
of any help in answering any questions please e-mail me at
davidpreston@mywalkingworld.com
The Guidebook we used was The
Alpine Pass Route by Kev Reynolds and published by
Cicerone
Many thanks to David Swainson
for his company on this trip and a special thank you to John Foster
for the parking of our cars, the lift to the airport and collecting us
the following week |
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