Last year I promised my friends to take them on a hike with an overnight stay in a mountain hut. Doodle decided that we should go on the first weekend of July and 5 friends happily joined in. I also promised them that the hike wouldn't be too strenuous and for that the Etzlihut seemed the perfect spot to stay overnight. After a longer journey by train and bus we arrived on Saturday morning in Golzern and decided to have a coffee first. While we were drinking the coffee we saw some other hikers taking our intended path and we all swallowed hard. Basically from the beginning we went upwards super steep, the path vanishing into the forest a couple 100 meters later. Luckily the steep part was over after about 15 minutes and we kept on walking on a paved road that led us upwards much more gently. Following the Etzlistream we soon entered the Etzlivalley. Surrounded by mountains on either side we hiked at the bottom of the valley all the way to the end where we started the ascent towards the Etzlihut. But first we had to do some shopping. :) After buying some locally found stones and mountain crystals as well as a self made walking stick from a box just next to the path, we continued a bit further up and made a stop to have some lunch. Strengthened by the food the ascent that followed was not too strenuous. In winding curves the path led upwards steadily and we took our time to enjoy the view, to have a good look at all the blooming flowers, to check out all the blue bugs that we found on tons of leaves and of course to take some pictures.
Luckily for us there were some clouds covering the sun, so it was not too hot to walk. Passing the mandatory herd of cows we came upon a small hut with a nice lookout over the valley that we were walking along before. Right there would have been the perfect spot for a beer, but as we didn't had any with us, we carried on. The Etzlistream was right beside us all along the way, only for the last ascent to the Etzlihut we left the stream behind us. Arriving at three o'clock in the hut we celebrated the first day with some beer, wine, good food and a bath in the hot tub on the terrace of the hut. What a lovely end of the day that was indeed. :)
After a more or less comfortable night in the sleeping bunk of the hut we got up at around 7.30 and enjoyed a nice breakfast. Stepping out of the hut a bit after 8, we were greeted by a blue sky and a blazing sun. What a change to yesterday and what a nice panorama right in front of us.
The day before, we already agreed to walk all the way to Sedrun and soon we had to take the decision which way exactly we wanted to take. It turned out that our intended route was inaccessible at the end because of the danger of stone fall. As we didn't want to do the detour around the stone fall area, we chose to walk along a different path which led straight ahead over the pass of Mittelplatten. Looking up we were not really sure what to expect. It looked steep and full of stones, but the decision was taken, so we started the ascent without further hesitation. And soon it turned out that it was not a bad decision at all. Hiking over stones and snow and sometimes through mud and water we walked steadily, searching for the next sign as they were a bit hidden sometimes. The higher we got, the better was the view. Looking back towards the Etzlihut we enjoyed a marvellous panorama of the Alps around us. Only during the last part of the ascent things were a bit tricky. It was quite narrow and we had to cross a couple of bigger snowfields, but in the end we managed those parts without any difficulties. Reaching the top about two hours after the start, we enjoyed a long break, some snacks and the amazing view of the valleys before and behind us. The start of the descent towards Sedrun was rather steep and we took our time, walking and talking, all the time appreciating the panorama and the nice weather. Soon enough the slope straightened out a little bit and the only problem left were a couple of snowfields. Because of the shining sun the snow was quite slippery already and we looked kinda hilarious, descending through the snow with the speed of a snail. Luckily there was no one else to watch us. :) Not much later we arrived at a rescue hut and decided to have our lunch break there.
The sky still as blue as possible, a stream rushing close by and a marmot crying out from somewhere, we carried on and followed the path downwards to the end of the valley. As we weren't walking that fast it took us longer than expected to get there. Battling with sore legs, a never changing view and half dried cow droppings we were glad to reach the end of the valley about an hour later. From there the end of the hike was near. Descending through the forest, we had Sedrun in sight soon. Reaching the village tired and sore we headed to the railway station to take the train back towards Zurich. Even though the end was a bit painful it was a great two day hike. The weather, the scenery, the hut, the company of my friends, it couldn't have been better. :)
Highlight of the Weekend: that my friends enjoyed the hike as much as I did :)
This hike is for you if:
- you're looking for a demanding but not super strenuous two day hike
- you always wanted to take a bath in a hot tub that is surrounded by mountains
- you're looking for panoramic views of the Alps of central Switzerland
- you want to see a lot of different flowers and insects along the way
This hike is not for you if:
- you mind walking up or downwards a lot
- you never hiked in the Alps before
- you don't like narrow and steep paths
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