You may wonder how I usually find the hikes I do. Well, most of the time I decide in advance in which region I want to go and then take a look on the map. While in the beginning I mostly used Google Maps or MapsMe, I now almost solely use https://map.geo.admin.ch as it is the official map of the state of Switzerland and has every single hiking trail on it. So when the restrictions were loosened further, I decided to pay Central Switzerland a first visit. Looking at the map with all the trails, I soon found some in the area of Kerns that I haven't explored at all so far and as there were a couple peaks and a ridge walk in the vicinity, I thought it a good idea to check them out. :) Once I know my goal for the day, I usually also read a couple reports of other hikers to get an idea of what will be awaiting me. The best source for this is definitely https://www.hikr.org/ which has loads of experiences from other hikers. Having prepared myself properly for today’s hike, I made sure to avoid the rush hour once again and took the very first train in the morning to head to St. Nikolausen in the canton of Obwalden. Hüser, Gräfimattstand, Gräfimattnollen and the Arvigrat were my goals for today and don't worry if you never heard of them before, because neither had I. :) Arriving with the bus at 8 o’clock in St. Nikolausen, the way at first led me along a concrete road until a turnoff took me into the forest. I was still walking on a road however and surprisingly enough there was quite some traffic for such a remote place. Not only cars overtook me, but also a truck full of logs and so I was happy when I finally had reached the next turnoff that led me away from the road at last. The walk was still not very pleasant though as there were no views at all, the sun wasn't yet high enough to warm me up and the trail wasn’t really a trail but more like an abandoned and overgrown dirt road. It took about an hour until suddenly the trees receded and I got a first view of my surroundings. Only now I noticed that I had gained quite some height already and was able to enjoy a magnificent view over Lake Sarnen to one side and the Pilatus to the other.
While I was surrounded by trees again shortly afterwards, the view didn't really disappear and quite often I turned around during the rather steep ascent to admire the stunning panorama. Loads of grazing cows were my companions in that part, as I had to cross several meadows on my way upwards.
Coming upon the Linderen Alp, it was time to take a break and so I sat down on a rock to catch my breath and enjoy the shining sun. Moving on, the walk was much more pleasant now, as the ascent wasn’t as steep anymore, there were plenty of views into all directions and I was eventually walking on a proper hiking trail. One of the reasons why I chose this hike for today was that I expected it to be quieter than on many other hikes I did over the last few weeks and luckily I was proven right. The first person that I saw was a woman that appeared to take a break in a gap between some rocks a bit above the actual trail. As the markings pointed straight ahead and not to the left where she was, I just said hello and continued my walk. Something felt wrong though and my gut feeling was just about right. Checking the GPS, I noticed that I had walked past my first goal, the summit of the Hüser. :) The woman didn’t take a break in that gap, she was preparing herself for the scramble up to the peak. Realizing my mistake, I retraced my steps and climbed up the short ascent to the top of the Hüser. Already sitting on the summit bench, enjoying the view and feeding her dog, I joined her for a while and we started to chat. As she was a local, she had some useful tips for me and could also point out the places I wanted to visit later on.
Saying thank you for all the information and the chat in general, I walked on after some time towards the second peak of today, the Gräfimattstand. Another 200 meters of altitude difference lay ahead of me, but at first the trail went more or less straight ahead. Walking along a rocky path, I suddenly saw something on the ground that didn’t really fit into the scenery. A snake? A root? I couldn’t tell and only realized that it was definitely a snake when I almost had stepped on her. Whereas usually a snake moves away as soon as someone is approaching, that one just lay there petrified and the thought that she must have been dead crossed my mind. Only when I came a little bit closer to take a proper picture, she started to move and disappeared in a hole under a nearby rock.
As an encounter with a snake always releases some adrenalin, the final ascent towards Gräfimattstand turned into a piece of cake. :) One of the reports that I had read, had wondered why the Gräfimattstand had the honor to be called a peak, as in their opinion it was rather a big plateau. Frankly speaking, I could only share that point of view, as the peak was quite vast and also a ledge that led from it couldn’t really give the impression of a proper summit. Nevertheless, I sat down in the grass to enjoy the view, while I had a little appetizer before lunch. Unfortunately, large clouds had gathered in the meantime and a thick fog moved in from the valley to the left. It was therefore hard to see into the far distance and I was glad that at least the nearby mountains were still visible.
When the weather got worse and worse, I moved on to the peak of Gräfimattnollen. That one looked like a hump and at least deserved to be called a summit. :) It wasn’t too far away from Gräfimattstand either and when I scaled the top about 20 minutes later, the views started to get a bit better again. In fact, it opened up a lot during my one hour stay on the summit and not only could I see the Arvigrat, the Stanserhorn, the Lake of Lucerne and the Pilatus, but also the sun broke through the clouds to warm me up once more.
Descending from the peak after that long break, it was time for some ridge walking again. :) Already after the peak was a short ridge to cross and not much later, the Arvigrat began. It was a pretty spectacular ridge with a lovely trail and even though the clouds were back again, I cherished the views that I got a lot. With good weather, the whole hike must simply be gorgeous.
Coming upon the middle of the ridge after passing a few other hikers, a short detour to a viewpoint presented itself and so I took the opportunity to sit down again and marvel at the beautiful scenery for a little while longer. :) Back on the track, the trail soon entered the trees and only leading downwards from now on, even some scrambling was necessary a couple times. It was kinda an arduous part anyway, as the descending slope was wearing on and on and only when I had reached the end of it, the views of the surrounding mountains were back again.
Leaving the higher mountains behind, also meant leaving the clouds behind and when I started the descent towards Kerns I did it under a once more shining sun. It was a fun downhill walk, although I had to follow a busy road again in the beginning. Once I was off the road however, the path passed a couple farms, led through some lovely meadows full of grazing cows and the farther I went the better were the views towards Lake Sarnen and its surrounding mountains. As the signage was only so-so in places, I lost the trail a couple times but on the whole it was no problem at all and the first houses of Kerns appeared soon enough. Making my way to the center of the village, I hopped onto the next bus to bring me back home. While I hadn’t known above trails at all, it had been good fun to explore the area and today's hike definitely had everything a good hike should have. :)
Highlights of the day: the view from Gräfimattnollen and the walk along the Arvigrat
This hike is for you if:
- you’re looking for a hike off the beaten track
- you want panoramic views over the Alps of Central Switzerland
- you don’t mind a little scramble here and there
- you want to combine a couple peaks with a lovely ridge walk
This hike is not for you if:
- you’re out of shape
- you only want to explore the popular trails of Central Switzerland
- you’re scared of snakes :)
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