The Säntis—On Foot Only: Alpstein Traverse with an Overnight Stay at the Summit

Due to renovation work, the Säntis is accessible only on foot this season. We’re taking advantage of this unique opportunity for a fantastic two-day hike with an overnight stay on the Säntis.

Tour Description

A weekend like this comes along only rarely:

Due to railway renovation work, the Säntis is accessible only on foot this summer. We’re taking advantage of this unique opportunity for a challenging, spectacular two-day hike with an overnight stay on the Säntis—including an early-morning hike along the Lisengrat, ibex spotting, and the classic Alpstein traverse all the way to Wildhaus.

Day 1 – Ascent to the Säntis

We’ll start our tour at Ebenalp and ascend steadily toward Säntis along a varied, impressive route. The trail winds through rugged rocky landscapes, scenic ridgelines, and tranquil alpine meadows—always with our ultimate goal in sight.

The final section via the spectacular Himmelsleiter once again requires concentration and sure-footedness before we reach the Säntis summit at 2,502 meters above sea level in the late afternoon.

At the Alter Säntis mountain inn, we enjoy the sunset on the terrace, the sweeping views, the alpine hut experience, and the feeling of having truly reached the top.

Day 2 – Lisengrat and Crossing into Toggenburg

The Lisengrat in the early morning light is an absolute highlight—quiet, clear, spectacular. At this time of day, you’re almost guaranteed to spot ibex near the Rotstein Pass, often just a few meters away.

After the ridge, we follow the “classic route” over the Altmannsattel and on toward the Zwingli Pass. A magnificent high-Alpine landscape accompanies us on the way to Toggenburg before we finally reach Wildhaus.

If you’d like, you can take the leisurely Gamplütbahn at the end to make the descent a bit easier.

September 12, 2026 – September 13, 2026

Distance, Duration, and Elevation Gain/Loss

Day 1: approx. 10 km | 5 h (+ breaks) | ↗︎ 1,280 m | ↘︎ 410 m

Day 2: approx. 10 km | 4½ h (+ breaks) | ↗︎ 395 Hm | ↘︎ 1490 Hm

Difficulty:

Challenging mountain hiking (T3); sure-footedness and a head for heights required.

Included:

Professional hiking guidance by a certified tour leader and full organization; overnight stay at the Alter Säntis mountain inn (limited availability reserved exclusively for our group; no single occupancy). Fascinating insights into flora, fauna, culture, and geography.

Equipment:

The packing list will be provided along with the latest, up-to-date information (PDF) no later than 5 days before the tour.

Not included:

Travel to and from the destination, one-way mountain railway ticket to Ebenalp, daily meals from your backpack, additional beverages in the evening.

Meeting point:

September 12, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. | Wasserauen cable car valley station – group transfer by cable car up to Ebenalp.

End of tour:

September 13, 2026 | Wildhaus, village | approx. 4:00 p.m. | The schedule will be sent to guests along with the packing list.

Getting There:

Public transportation recommended (different starting and ending points)

Hike Leader

Martin Akeret

Phone: 078 779 30 32

martin@wanderidee.ch

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.