Ofen (2873m)

Route: Nieder Alp, Grischsattel (and Ofen), Alp Nagens

Difficulty: T3

Climb: 1400m

Time: 6 hours (breaks included)

Photo Album

This was a vaguely planned walk towards Grischsattel. Possible options included Mittaghorn (aka Mittetaghorn), Piz Grisch (aka Laaxer Stockli) and Ofen, with two possible routes to Piz Grisch, either from the west or via Grischsattel. We were also unsure of whether to cross to Grisons or go back to Elm.

The Martinsmad-hole

The difficulty of the routes was unclear, as my 2004 guidebook said that MIttaghorn was a T5, and not to be attempted when wet. However, hikr reports said that it was a T4. We then discovered that in 2007, the route was fitted with cables, substantially lowering the difficulty.

View from the hut

We took the convenient lift from Elm to Nideren. This is quite spectacular, as it flies over deep gorges. We then walked for about an hour to the very impressive and well-maintained Martinsmad hut. The way there presents no difficulties, apart from the sheep.

The steepest section of the path to the saddle

Final path to the saddle

The way south-east to Grischsattel is first through a grassy field. This is followed by a long slog through shale, which was quite muddy, as it had rained a lot overnight. The steepest parts of the route are well secured via a cable, and so the hike qualifies as at most a T3; especially in dry conditions. One hour later, the path flattens out and one can follow the wide ridge to Grischsattel and then Ofen.

Ofen

The views from Ofen are spectacular, especially of the imposing Tschienglihornen.

It is also possible to attempt a direct ascent of Piz Grisch from Grischsattel (T4). We debated the correct route for quite some time before realising that we should rush to get the bus from Nagens.

The way to Nagens was straightforward, with a mild decline that made fast movement effortless.  When we got there, we had a nasty surprise: (1) there were too many people waiting to fit in the bus and (2) the bus down the valley cost 15 CHF (!). Still, it's worthwhile to visit the Grisons side, if only to enjoy the spectacular views of the mountain range. I think it would also make for an excellent easy ski tour.

Chli Chärpf (almost)

A resonably paced run to Chli Chärpf. I started from the reservoir:

Most of the way is pretty easy, through cow fields.

The way becomes slightly steeper near the hut. I took the left road to Chli, not going through the pass. This is more interesting in some ways.

I stopped just under the peak, where there is a short climbing session with a doubtful rope. 

The route from the east also has a climbing section, but I think that one is less exposed. The views were pretty good, even though it was a bit cloudy.

More photos here

Vorder Glarnisch

GPS map
Photo album

This is one of the classic T4 hikes, good for an introduction to alpinism.
In some ways, it's preferrable from a grassy T4 (like Wiggis) or a lengthy one (like Haute Cime).

The access point is through Glarus. Then one can:

(1) Walk up from 500m.
(2) Take the bus to Klontal (851m)
(3) Drive to a small farm at 1051m.

Since we only reached Glarus at 8:45, we took option (3).

This gave us a full 7 hours for the round-trip. The projected time to Vorder Glarnsih from the farm is 4 hours, but we did it in a bit more than 3, going quite slowly in the more delicate bits.

The beginning of the trail is an ascent of 200-300m through a
forest. We then hit a wide, flat rock trail, secured with a chain
(which is helpful more psychologically than anything else, as the path
is trivial). Later on, one reaches a small cave. A slightly narrower
and steeper path, with a pank-covered gap over a sheer drop, also
secured with a chain, follows.

Most of the other delicate parts are easy scrambling or walking
sections, almost always secured with chains. Those that are not
secured are manageable with some care.

The last climb is on a modest scree slope (much easier than Haute
Cime, by comparison) before reaching the top. The last 20m of climb
are not on a completely obvious path, but it is definitely possible to
find an easily walkable route to the top.

The peak itself is quite wide, with plenty of room to sit for a
snack. We were luck with the weather, with mixed sun and clouds, and
little wind.

Finally, the views are great.

Wiggis (2281m) and Rautispitz (2283m)

Start: Rhodannenberg (Klöntal) 848m - bus from Glarus.
End: Obsersee 992m - no bus. Hitchike or walk.
Climb: 1622m/1486m
Distance: 12km
Time: 7:13.
GPS Map
Photographic Album

The Wiggis is a prominent grassy peak in the Glarus alps. There are many ways to reach it, but I took the path starting here:

There are two ways to climb Wiggis. The long way goes through Dejenstock and is clearly signed at the bus stop. The short way requires descending slightly and then going directly up the grassy slope.

Most of the way here is easy going, but later the grass becomes steeper and a bit more slippery. Poles or an axe are recommended to make progress at a reasonable pace. Then the path goes through a forest, but it remains quite easy.

There is also an interesting hut under a rock

There are virtually no problems until ones approaches Oberes Butzi. Close to the crest the path becomes significantly steeper, and some care must be taken, especially when descending. At the point marked Tor, there is a pair of cave holes which are interesting. The peak itself is pretty cool, with views to two nearby peaks. The first, lower peak, can be reached via a moderate steepness path. 

Turning left takes us to the next peak, Rautispitz.

Part of the path between the two peaks is a bit narrow and steep, but secured with cables. Afterwards, the path becomes a standard T3. However, there are still some steeper sections, secured with cables.

Eventually one reaches Obersee, which is a smaller lake, but quite popular with hikers.

Parpaner Rothorn (2899m)

Start: Parpan Obertor (1515m)
Peak: Parpaner Rothorn East Peak (2899m)
End: Lai (1473m)
GPS Route on map
Complete photo album

I've been looking for a higher altitude hike around Zurich for a while, and one that seemed relatively convenient was Parpaner Rothorn. Parpan Obertor is around two hours through Chur, so a start about 7am means you are at the trailhead by 9:30.

The winter lifts are not working, so I took the steepsest route to the ridge (2693m). However there is a lift further south taking one directly from Lai to either the midpoint or Parpaner Rothorn proper. The route on the west flank is ideal for a summmer morning as there's quite a bit of shade. Most of the way is quite easy, if steep.

It only becomes slightly more delicate around 100m before the ridge. There the way is a bit more slippery and the ground looser, and snow starts appearing on the ground. In fact, once I went over the ridge I realised there was some recent snowfall.

The restaurant was only another 30 minutes away. I thought I was doing good time, reaching it in 2:20 instead of the projected 4:30, but I was passed by a breezily moving older man and his dog.

To be sure, dogs and kids were aplenty on this day. The restaurant also included a rooftop with sunbeds, which I used to have lunch. Then I took a 10 minute walk to the top of the east peak. I was originally planning to go a bit further to Aroser Rothorn, and then climb down to Arosa over the ridge, but there was a bit too much snow.

So, I decided to go back down to Lai via the 'Panoramic' route, instead of going down the valley to Arosa (which would be longer, but would have less of a descent). That was a good choice, as Lai is a beautiful little village, and the route has many varied sights. 

But I guess, at the end of the day, what really makes a good hike is a great Zuricher Rosti.

Fuji (with overnight stay)

Start: Yoshida trail 5th Station (2300m)
Stay: Yoshida 7th Station (2700m)
End: Fuji-san (3776m)
Return: Subashiri trail 5th Station (2000m)
Time: 1:20 to 7th station, 4:00 to the crater, 1:00 around the crater, 3:00 to 5th Station
Water used: 6l
Temperature: 5-25C
Photos: My Photo album

Being in Japan for the summer, I of course had to climb Fuji. After a lot of communication problems, we managed to all get into a very strange train going to Kawaguchiko, whence we could get a bus.

A prospective Mt. Fuji climber

Four of us then met with another part of the group at the 5th station, though we disbanded again due to lack of agreement on the schedule. A subgroup moved on to the 7th station to rest overnight, while the others remained at the 5th station.

The climb to the 7th station was surreal and a bit annoying, as it was very crowded and there were too many people with completely unnecessary lights (it was a clear night). Most of them seemed to be intent on climbing to the top, whence to look at the sunrise. As the perspective difference is infinitesimal, we thought it wiser and more enjoyable to relax at the hut overnight.

Sunrise from Fuji

In addition, given the crowding and partial queuing already in evidence at the lower, wider parts of the trail, we thought it'd actually be faster to climb in the morning. However, two of our group members didn't agree, one of them planning to get up at midnight to continue to the top and the other suddenly deciding to do the same without telling us. So in the end, our group was reduced to two.

Surviving group member

As you can see, the main question about whether or not you're going to get a good view of the sunrise or not is what the cloud cover is relative to you. A partial sea of clouds somewhere below you is ideal, so that features on the surface are also visible.

At this part of the trail, the mountain itself is quite bare, and under the morning sunlight, it presents a rather Martian landscape.

The north-east face of Fuji

Nevertheless the temperature was not very high. We managed to reach the crater in around 4 hours, and the going was not very tough. Sometimes you had to take large steps to climb bits of rock and use hands for balance. Carrying 4l of water made for a heavy pack. I think I might have felt the lack of oxygen after 3500m, but I was never actually short of breath. We actually climbed at a very even pace of 250m / hour, mainly to reduce the chances of altitude sickness.

For the more photographically keen among you, here are two shots of the same mountain range at dawn (4:30) and later in the morning.

Anyway, we made it to the crater at a reasonable time; it was quite windy there, so an extra layer was necessary. The views from the top were nice.

Kita... I think

Crater porn

Me?

Sand run

We went down the Subashiri trail, which is easier as it's a 'sand run'. You have to descent to 2000 rather than 2400m, but it takes about the same time. The main problem, of course is that darned sand. It seems to have embedded itself in my boots.  Towards the end, the trail enters some greenery, which is a welcome change from the dreary blackness of everything else.  However, there are very few stations on the downhill portion of this trail, so make sure to stock up on water, and the ones that are there are expensive. The cheapest one is a small shed at 2350m offering water for 600 yen / l.

Water: I had 3l with me, but I consumed 1l of water just getting to the bus stop, so I bought an extra liter there. Total 4. Then I also drunk nearly another liter while in the bus and while in the hut, which was warmer than I expected. So I bought another liter plus a coffee. The water consumption was overall not very high during the actual hike, but you should not forget to account for water use elsewhere in the schedule, as buying water on the trail is quite expensive (up to 1000 yen per liter). The temperature was not actually high during the climb itself, and it only got really hot while descending.

Overall, I recommend staying at a hut overnight, waking up just before dawn to relax with a coffee and starting early to get to the top before noon. There is little to gain by climbing up in the middle of the night. I also noticed that most of the people that were doing that were foreigners, while the Japanese seemed to prefer to follow the schedule that we did.

Aka Dake (赤岳) [in Mt. Yatsu-ga-take (八ヶ岳) range]

I had been thinking about it for a while to go to Aka Dake. At 2899m, it's high enough for me to maintain some acclimatisation, and also close enough to Tokyo for it to be doable as a day hike. The other times I wanted to go there, I was either feeling tired or had no wish to wake up at 5:30 to get the train.

Transport is good. The express train (~6,000 yen) takes 2 hours to Chino, whence a bus (~1,000 yen) brings you to Minotoguchi (美濃戸口), at 1500m. There you have a choice of three paths to Aka Dake. The North and Middle paths follow a stream and are the most popular. There is also a South path following a ridge line, which is tougher as it has a lot of ups and downs.

I took the middle path, which follows the stream, and it is cool and shady. It was recommended to me by one of my fellow passengers. After you emerge from the forest, you can climb steeply up to the ridgeline via ladders and chains. Then it is an easy walk to the base of the last climb to the top, which is quite steep and may require the use of hands for balance.

This hike was quite fun, as I met quite a few people at the bus queue, including some which I had already seen in other hikes and I talked for a long time with a retired Japanese trader who happened to live in my neighbourhood. Perhaps we'll go for a beer? Virtually everybody recommended sleeping in the huts, especially on weekdays, as it's not too crowded then.

The weather was quite cool today, so I ended up not needing a lot of water; the tree cover initially and the cloud cover near the top also helped. Sadly, the clouds wouldn't disperse, and a thunderstorm was approaching, so I went back down to catch my bus. On the way down, some people apparently recognised me from another mountain (they were pointing at me and saying the name of that mountain, but I had not met them before as far as I can remember).

This time I took it at a reasonably fast pace, lightly jogging at the more boring flat places, and otherwise moving at a respectable pace. It took me 2:45 to reach the top: the final section was quite a lot of fun.

I arrived in a total of 5:00 after I started (indicated time on the map is roughly double - one could probably do it in less than 4:00, but I took it at a comfortably fast pace); about an hour before the bus, so I took the chance to have a shower, use the onsen, and have a nice big meal while waiting. I also went through half a manga about a high school climber or something of that sort. 

More photos here:  Photo Album