As we celebrated Christmas on the 24th and 25th, I used the spare time on the 26th for a hike up to Lake Obersee. I wanted to go there in summer already, but didn't found the time, so I thought it was the perfect destination for today. Starting early in the morning, I arrived in Näfels and passing a monument and a nice church I made my way out of the town. The ascent started right at the edge of Näfels and soon I was swallowed by trees of the adjoining forest. There is also a road to the lake and while I made my way upwards I had to cross that road a couple times. Luckily there was almost no traffic, so besides the occasional car it was just nature and me. :) During the ascent I also had to cross a little creek that overflowed the trail and every now and then there was a nice view of Näfels and the mountains behind it. So all in all the beginning of the hike was very diversified and when the first ascent was over I took a short break to regain my breath. From now on the path led deeper into the forest and mostly walking straight ahead I made good way and soon passed the restaurant Aeschen. I knew that the lake was close now and a couple short ascending slopes later a beautiful view greeted me. Obersee lay in front of me, mostly frozen and surrounded by snowcapped mountains. The only downside was, that the sun was hiding behind the peaks. But I sat down at the shore anyway and enjoyed the silence and the fresh air.
As I didn't hit any snow on the trail so far, I decided to keep on walking upwards and pay Näfelserberg and Boggenmoor a visit. Back into the forest I passed the first patches of snow and ascended further until I reached the tiny village of Näfelserberg. The houses there were pretty scattered and the trail now followed the paved road upwards in long serpentines, passing the houses and barns of the village. After about 15 minutes on the road I finally got some sun for the first time of today. What a nice feeling! The view was also getting better with every step I took and when I reached Boggenmoor, the highest point of today's hike, it was time for a long break to enjoy the marvelous landscape around me.
After the pause, it was time for the descent back to Näfels. Taking a different way back, the first half an hour was walking on snow only. This was doable enough as luckily it was not that steep and the snow had quite some grip. Only at the end of the snowy part, when there was more frozen ground than anything else, I slipped and fell most gracefully on my arse. :) Lucky me, there was no one else to watch. The rest of the descent was on solid ground and mostly in the woods. It was not too spectacular, but I still enjoyed being outdoors and the views that came along every now and then. Towards the end I came once again onto the same trail that I took in the morning and I marveled one more time at the panorama of Näfels. And this time the view was even nicer, as everything was soaked in sunlight. Soon thereafter I arrived back at the railway station of Näfels. I was happy that I did this hike today and went back to Zurich with an overall peaceful feeling. :)
Highlight of the day: the break at the lake and the break at Boggenmoor
This hike is for you if:
- you're looking for a doable hike in winter
- you want Lake Obersee for yourself
- you want to get close enough to mountains without putting snowshoes on
- you're afraid of avalanches (as the risk on this hike is close to zero)
This hike is not for you if:
- you're looking for a steep and difficult hike
- you mind walking in the forest a lot
- you need sunshine all the time
P.S. Of course above is only valid for Winter. In Summer this hike will be a different story. :)
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