Taking a day off to visit the Diethelm and the Turner

Having ended my “Tour de Suisse”, the time had come to start looking for a job. So I was sitting behind the desk all day long, not only to catch up with my blog posts, but also to update my application and browse the internet for jobs in the outdoor industry. Well, it took three days until my head was aching from staring into the computer screen and I decided that I needed to get some fresh air. :) As the weather was pretty reasonable as well, it suited perfectly to visit a couple peaks in the vicinity that I had read about a while ago. Turner and Diethelm they were called and with a short climb to reach the latter one, it all sounded like a good day out. :) Making my way on a lovely weekday to the hamlet of Ochsenboden where I intended to start and end my hike, a yellow sign at the bus station instantly pointed me into the right direction. Walking on the main street, a second signpost soon appeared, leading me further along the main road that also bordered on a golf course. That that course wasn't a common one I had figured out rather quickly, at the latest however when I saw a chapel residing on the lawn. :) I'm not sure if that is the norm, but at least on that very golf course, the golfers can go for a prayer during their game. :) Approaching the parking lot of the golf club, a turnoff led me to the left, away from the main road and towards the nearby forest. Passing by a herd of jumpy sheep, trees surrounded me before long and I started to ascend steadily.

Traffic jam :)

Walking on a wide gravel road, it didn’t take long until I heard a first shot, followed by a loud explosion. On the map I had seen that the military was close by as well and therefore immediately knew that they were practicing. The shooting and explosions continued for quite a while and when there eventually was a gap in the trees, I was curious where and with what they were shooting. Unfortunately, it was too far away to figure out the what, but the where was pretty obvious. A street could be seen in the middle of the golf course and that was exactly where the weapon stood, firing right across the lawn into the mountain on the other side. :) Definitely something I had never seen before and I wondered if the golfers enjoyed their early morning round as much as I enjoyed my early morning hike. :)

Looking down to the golf course. The street to the right was where the military was practising their shooting

The shooting luckily ended shortly afterwards and more or less at the same time, I came upon the end of the gravel road. Turning left, a steep slope started to lead the way upwards and finally walking on a proper hiking trail, it didn't take too long until I had left the woods behind me. A few other hikers were ascending as well, but that didn't bother me at all and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk under the shining sun.

The view I got when I was out of the forest. :) The bushes already showing a first sign of the oncoming autumn

Thanks to a steady walking pace, my two goals of today came into view soon enough and with it also came a change of scenery, as the bushes around the trail disappeared and only grass with some grazing sheep remained. Approaching a small saddle, I realized that I only had views into one direction so far, making me wondering what there was to see on the other side of that saddle. Well, probably nothing could have prepared me for the sight I got. A remarkable mountain stood there like a needle pointing into the sky and being flanked by the Lake Sihl as well as the Great and the Small Mythen, it was just a stunning panorama to behold.

The mountain is called Wändlispitz and apparently there is a trail that goes right over the top of it...

Moving on, after enjoying the view for a few minutes, I followed a ridge that led upwards to another saddle where I eventually came upon the turnoff to the Diethelm and the Turner. Deciding to visit the Turner first, I turned right and started to walk along a beaten track. Actually, that trail wasn't an official one, but so many people visit the peak that the path was clearly visible and pretty easy to follow. All the same, there were quite a few places where I had to use my hands and once more I was glad that I don't suffer from vertigo, as some of them were rather exposed.

Walking along the ridge towards the peak of the Turner

Overall, it wasn't too much of a problem however and around noon I stood on the tiny peak of the Turner. Unfortunately, clouds and fog had started to build up in the distance, making sure that the mountains at the horizon could barely be seen. But at least the surroundings were still visible and I enjoyed a good view towards the Wägitaler Lake, the Alps of Glarus and the popular skiing region of Hoch Ybrig.

Looking at the Wägitaler Lake

During my half an hour break though, the view became more and more obscured and when I retraced my steps to the saddle, the sun couldn't be seen anymore. Not really minding that, my attention was solely on the task at hand: the climb up to the top of the Diethelm. From the saddle, it took only a minute to reach the ladder that announced the start of the scramble. Chains could be seen further up and while it all looked pretty difficult, it actually turned into one of the loveliest climbs I ever had. :)

Scrambling time :)

The slope wasn't too long and there were many chains and rocks to hold on to, but it was still challenging enough that I had to be careful where I placed my hands and feet. Reaching the top about 10 minutes later, I was surprised to see that I was the only one there, but to be honest, that suited me fairly well. :) Unfortunately however, the clouds and fog were worse than before and only from time to time I had a view over the surrounding area.

Taking a well deserved break on the top of the Diethelm

All the same, I stayed for a good hour before I once more retraced my steps to the saddle. Deciding to return to Ochsenboden in a loop, I turned left and started to descend towards the Fläschlipass. In theory, the Wägitaler Lake should have been visible for the whole descent, but all I got was the whiteness of the clouds and fog around me. :)

A picture taken at the beginning of the descent

So for once I rather focused on my thoughts about the ongoing job search than on my environment and just steadily descended until I had reached the Fläschlipass. Taking a left turn there, I left the mountainous area behind for good and once more entered the forest. Coming upon a signpost shortly after the turnoff on the pass, it proclaimed that there was a new way to take and following the direction the sign pointed me to, I started to walk along a wide gravel road. Not seeing any other turnoff for a while, I opted to quickly check the map and realized that I was about to make a fairly long detour. But right then, another signpost appeared, leading me onto a path that wasn't on any map. Knowing for sure however, that that was the way I was looking for, I descended on a lovely trail through the woods until I was back at the bottom of the valley. Arriving at the bus station in Ochsenboden about 20 minutes later, it definitely had been the right decision to do this day hike, even though the weather could have been a bit better. As usual, I really had enjoyed my time outdoors and was now ready to sit behind the desk once more. :)

Highlight of the day: the climb up to the peak of the Diethelm

This hike is for you if:

- you’re looking for a doable hike in late spring or early autumn

- you don’t mind a scramble and a walk across country

- you’re looking for panoramic views over the Wägitaler Lake and the Alps of Glarus

- you want to play a round of golf before or after your hike :)

This hike is not for you if:

- you have vertigo and/or no scrambling experience

- a long ascent and descent is too exhausting for you

- you want to be far away from civilization

This hike is pretty straightforward from the beginning to the end. The trail is marked fairly well and most of the time, there is only one way to go anyway. Once you reach the signpost proclaiming a new way down to Ochsenboden, just follow the sign that points you along the gravel road. It will take some time until you reach the next turnoff, so don’t worry if you think you’re going into the wrong direction. Just make sure that you don’t miss that second turnoff, as otherwise you’re bound to make a pretty long detour. Unfortunately, the new path is not on the map yet. The one I marked above is still the old one and I guess that this one is impassable now, as otherwise there would have been no need for a new trail... Well, long story short, just follow the new signs to make sure that you get down to Ochsenboden safe and sound. :)