As I liked it a lot in the area of Glarus the last weekend, I decided to go back there again this Sunday. To change the point of view I started in a different valley this time. After I got out of the bus in the lovely small village of Matt, I crossed the river and the main street and was already on the path upwards to Berglialp. About 500 meters later there was some barrier tape blocking the way I wanted to go. As there was no sign with a reason for this barrier I was not sure what to think of it. Was there still snow further up? Or fallen trees in the forest blocking the path? Or was there may be a chance of loose rocks? Thinking through all possibilities I took the decision to climb over the barrier tape and continue with the hike, agreeing with myself to turn around if I faced any danger along the way. So I kept on walking and soon was reminded of the relentless steep slope from last weekend. I cursed myself and made a note in my mind to do the next hike without a bloody steep slope in the beginning. At least this time the trail was quite lovely as it kept following a small river. The steep slope ended at Berglialp and from there the path continued for some time without going upwards too much. Still following the small river, a blue sky overhead, no one else on the trail and a splendid view before me I enjoyed the hike a lot.
But suddenly the silence was pierced with a cry. Damn, that made me jump. A marmot was calling out to his fellows, warning them from my presence. Once this was done, he vanished in his hole again and I was happy to already have spotted some wildlife. :) The trail now led upwards again and I met the first field of snow. As it was not a steep part and the snow was a big and solid mass I passed the field without any difficulties. On the other side the path led in a wide curve back to the same snow field and I had to pass it yet again. This time it was a bit steeper and the snow was rather icy so I took my time and walked carefully to the other side. About five minutes later I suddenly heard a pretty loud rumbling. Looking upwards I saw some snow and stones break away and rumble down the valley. Safely away from the whole scene, it was quite a sight to behold. Checking my surroundings I felt safe to walk on and came with no further problems to the spot where the snow and stones broke away. Even some of it was gone now, there was still quite a lot of old snow barricading the trail for a couple meters. As I didn't want to walk on that old snow I decided to climb a bit further up and pass the spot on some rocks above. This sounds worse than it actually was. Without any problem I arrived safely on the other side and picked up the trail again. Five minutes later everything was forgotten anyway as a Capricorn jumped out of sight followed a minute later by two little ones. Even though they were pretty far away it was nice to have seen them. Ascending further I soon reached the highest point of the hike today. And what a view that was from there! I was blown away by the scenery and my heart was filled with joy. This is exactly why I love what I do! It was time for a break, so I climbed a small hill nearby, enjoying an early lunch and an almost 360° panoramic view over the Alps of Glarus.
I could have stayed here for hours but after 45 minutes on the top it was time to start the descent. Luckily there was no snow at all, so it was pretty straightforward. The view was lovely, always with Lake Garichti and the Alps behind it in sight. Right at noon I arrived at the restaurant just next to the lake and stopped by for a ... well, I guess you can figure that out by yourself. :) Checking the time, the weather and my map I felt it was a good idea to add a loop on my originally planed hike. So after the refreshment I carried on and soon was walking upwards again, this time on the other side of the lake. The view stayed magnificent and I had a hard time not to take too many pictures. :) Once I reached Matzlenfurggelen the ascent was over. From there the descent started gently, passing farming houses and farming fields. The trail stretched on and it felt much further than it actually looked on the map. But no turning back now, even though my legs started to feel tired and there was yet another, luckily rather short, ascending slope. This one led me to a nice viewpoint and it was time for another break, resting my legs while admiring the beautiful landscape around me.
And then it was time for the hardest part. I stood on approximately 1800 meters above sea level and had to get down to 600... Well, it was definitely not the nicest part of the hike today. It was steep and mainly in the forest, my tired legs and hurting knees making the descent kind of a pain. Only a small pond and a deer somewhere in the trees cheered my spirit up. In the end I had to say that the additional loop was probably too much, but nevertheless I walked all the way down to the railway station of Nidfurn-Haslen. Slumping in a seat on the train I knew it was a good day and that in the end I will only keep the good things in my mind and of that I had plenty today!
Highlight of the day: the wildlife and the view from the peak
This hike is for you if:
- you're looking for an astonishing view over the Alps of Glarus
- you don't mind walking up and down a lot
- you don't want to walk on an overcrowded trail
- you're looking for a possibility to swim during the hike
This hike is not for you if:
- you like it flat and straightforward
- you're not used to covering a long distance or a big difference in altitude
P.S.: If there is a barrier on a trail, it's not adviseable to step over it. Usually there is a reason the barrier is there (like for my example the possibility of rock fall) so it's better to turn around. If you go over and anything is happening to you, it's at your very own risk.
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