Churfirsten-Weg
Overview
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Distance 10 km
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Duration 4 h 35 min
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Ascent 1100 m
Intro
Let’s go to the colourful, flower-filled Gluristal Valley and to the top of Hinterrugg, the highest of the seven Churfirsten Mountains. A stop at Chäserrugg is a must to let your eyes wander across six countries and 500 peaks. The tour ends with the informative Geology Loop Path around Gamserrugg.
Description
The attractive tour begins at the plateau of Alp Sellamatt, where you can see the seven peaks of the Churfirsten Mountains. To get to the starting point, take the chairlift/gondola from Alt St. Johann. Through the woods, across wide alpine pastures and karstic landscapes, the path leads up the Gluristal Valley. The area between the Schibenstoll and Hinterrugg mountains is known for its wide variety of flowers, including the rare Hungarian gentian, which blooms in early summer.
All the way at the end of the Gluristal Valley, a mountain trail climbs up a steep hill via a number of switchbacks, leading to the top of Hinterrugg. At 2306 m, it is the highest of the seven Churfirsten Mountains, towering over the Thur Valley and Lake Walen. The reward for the steep ascent is an amazing view of the lake, the surrounding mountains, and the hang gliders taking off nearby. It takes just a few minutes to cross the ridge that connects the peak with the top of Chäserrugg Mountain. The summit restaurant - designed by no less than architects Herzog & de Meuron - is a good place to take a break and look out across six countries and 500 peaks.
The trail continues, first slightly downhill over alpine pastures, before a steep decent leads across rock formations in the direction of Sattel. In the midst of the karstic landscape, the route then follows the Geology Loop Path around Gamserrugg. Information panels are provided, for example to explain how Chäserrugg Mountain was formed. An easy downhill trail finally takes you to Gamsalp. Before you hop on the chairlift going down to Wildhaus, make sure you take another look across the Toggenburg and the Rhine valley. If you wish to rest for a while, refreshments are available at the Gamsalp mountain station or in Oberdorf, where you have to transfer.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Alt St. Johann, Selamatt
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Wildhaus, Gamsalp
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| Ascent |
1100 m
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| Descent |
720 m
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| Distance |
10 km
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| Duration |
4 h 35 min
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| Duration back |
4 h 10 min
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| Technical requirements |
Medium
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Signalization |
Signalisation in both directions
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| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/r... |
Quick Facts
Route number
