From Lohn to Wergenstein

The PostBus once again drops us off perfectly on time in the quiet little village of Lohn. The snowshoe route is not usable due to a lack of snow; the bare fields are a bit too uneven. It’s therefore better to follow the existing hiking trails, which are treacherously slippery with ice at the start.

Unknowingly, this puts us on a route that is closed in winter. Anyone following in our footsteps would be wise to walk a bit farther southwest. The summit of the Zwölfihorn is our goal. Up there we gaze across a steep north-facing slope with white, snow-covered rock faces, while below the fresh green of spring is already emerging. Two different worlds.

After this beautiful detour, we head toward Wergenstein and practice reading the topographic map along the way. A navigation app may tell you where you are, but not where you should go. Reading a snow-covered landscape is done on the basis of contour lines. In a sheltered sunny spot, we take our time to use map and compass and to recognize our route in the terrain.

The snow quality is noticeably better here, and we thoroughly enjoy breaking trail through a pristine landscape. Once again, we hardly meet anyone today. You clearly don’t need to travel halfway around the world for mountains and tranquility.

Unfortunately, the white gold disappears during the last few hundred meters of descent, and it’s a matter of trudging through heath and grass on the way to our mountain hotel. Ankles have to work hard on the bumpy and steep terrain. Tired but satisfied, we tuck our feet under the table in the evening for some Swiss gastronomy.