Säntis: Conquering Our Nemesis

Hut hiking is truly one of the great, unique opportunities that Switzerland has to offer. Who wouldn't love being able to hike through the Swiss Alps on an overnight trip without being bogged down with big backpacks filled with tents, sleeping bags and cooking gear. Why do you need that when the Swiss have all that for you in a cozy little hut at the top of a peak? We can't get enough of it. That's why we returned to one of our favorite areas, the Appenzell region, for an overnight trip on our way to Säntis. We stayed at the Gasthaus Schaefler (a "gasthaus" is a little more like a b&b and not quite as small or rustic as a traditional hut). That night, we ate a homecooked meal, took in a spectacular sunset and played cards and Yahtzee over some rounds of beer. The next day we prepared for our ascent to Säntis. We should mention that this was our second attempt to climb to the summit. We initially had planned a hike there a year but were unable to complete the trek, as a week's worth of rain had made the trail too perilous for us to manage. The hike to the top of Säntis is about 4 hours from the gasthaus, which includes a traverse over a narrow ridge, a spectacular journey through a valley surrounded on both sides with sharp, jagged mountain peaks, a walk over snow, and last but not least, a terrifying climb up a mountain face. This last piece of the hike was by far the most challenging, both mentally and physically. We had to use all fours to scale the peak and frequently, the only thing we had to put our feet on were old pieces of rebar that had been lodged into the rock. Once we committed to going up, there was no turning back because there were other hikers right behind us. This was not for the faint of heart. Once we settled on stable ground and lost our sense of vertigo, we rewarded ourselves with a view of our trek and a hearty lunch. For those who like the stats, Säntis rises to 2,504 meters or 8,218 feet. The summit has a extensive panorama that takes in the Bodensee and the Black Forest to the north, the Zürichsee to the southwest and the Glarner Alps to the south.

Hut Hiking - Family Style

Our most frequent visitors to date, Kathleen's parents returned to Switzerland for their second trip in early July. This time, we had a bit more time to get to know the country better. (On their last visit, we hadn't even received our furniture from the U.S. yet!) We knew more about the ins-and-outs of Zurich and for that matter, the whole country. And that's where we took them to! From a fun Saturday trip to the nearby waterpark, Alpamare, to a hike overlooking the city from the tower of Uetliberg, we explored Zurich.

And after Mr. and Mrs. Z took a side trip to Muerren to explore the famed town of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", we all packed our belongings in what we could each fit in a small hiking backpack for what would be the true highlight of the trip, a hut hiking experience to the Trift Bridge by the Trift Glacier. The morning we left, we took a short detour to explore an amazing gorge with a rushing river. Then, it was off to catch the amazingly small cableway up to the start of our hike to the Windegg Hut. Can anyone say claustrophobia? Dad? The hike pushed our limits: steep terrain gave way to steeper terrain, then the steeper terrain gave way to rock climbing, and then finally rock climbing gave way to rain! But never fear. The Swiss make it all worth it. At the end of the journey was our long-awaited hut which came complete with a full service restaurant and a warm-cooked family style dinner. And a view to match. With hospitality like that, who minds sharing a bunk with two complete strangers? :) The next day we completed our journey with the harder route (I mean after the tough conditions the day before, this was a piece of cake, right?). How could it be harder? Well, to give you an idea, one of the pictures included here shows you how trails are typically marked in Switzerland, with white/red paint. If you look at the photo, you'll notice that these white/red markers are pretty much straight up a rock face. We had to use cable that was connected to the rocks with rebar. Initially, we were all terrified. But by the end, Kathleen's mom actually said, "Why is there a rope here? I don't need a rope!" She was a photo op waiting to happen for AARP magazine with a caption, "So how are you spending your retirement?". The payoff was stunning. A close-up view of the glacier (which sadly is shrinking at a very rapid rate due to quickly changing environmental conditions) and a Nepalese-style suspension bridge. In the end, Todd was the only one brave enough to cross it. That night we rewarded ourselves with a stay in a great hotel at the top of a mountain pass which overlooked a huge dam. But the real reward was treating ourselves to a spa at the sister hotel of the one we stayed in the next day! You can't beat sitting in a hot tub looking at the mountains! And there's nothing like the tub to work the kinks out of a gruelling hike. The whole weekend was a blast!

Kathleen's parents took a quick daytrip to Lucerne to take advantage of the sunny weather and their train tickets and passed the time on a boat on Lake Lucerne and exploring the city in the afternoon. It was definitely a fun-filled trip! We really enjoyed having them and are looking forward to their return at Christmas!