Author Topic: Gross Schwyberg  (Read 2893 times)

snowslider

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Gross Schwyberg
« on: 08:45:25, 23/09/08 »
Caution : this contains no extended scenes of peril, it's the pre-alpes  :)

The pre-alpes areas of Switzerland are pretty much totally unknown outside the country and yet they offer some of the best walking, summer routes can include some scrambling but there's no permanent snow or ice so you need no special skills or equipment. I've had a touch of flu and we wanted an easier day out so a 10km with 600m ascent stroll around Gross Schwyberg looked just great. Really I wanted to do a bit of a reconnaissance for winter snow shoeing as the terrain seems ideal.

It's pretty quiet on a weekday around here, more so as with some ceremony on occasion the cows have mostly been moved down to lower pasture. Yesterday was perfect weather and with perfect terrain it was a great day out. The scenery is just amazing around here, classic pre-alpine, high meadows with views into the nearby bigger slopes.







Skinny Walker

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Re: Gross Schwyberg
« Reply #1 on: 10:10:53, 23/09/08 »
SS, can you tell me more about the Pre-Alps, best places to stay best areas etc. I am looking to widen my horizons but am unsure where to go. This looks like a good middle ground between the the UK hills and the big mountains?
You need special shoes for hiking - and a bit of a special soul as well.  ~Emme Woodhull-Bäche

snowslider

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Re: Gross Schwyberg
« Reply #2 on: 10:23:16, 23/09/08 »
SS, can you tell me more about the Pre-Alps, best places to stay best areas etc. I am looking to widen my horizons but am unsure where to go. This looks like a good middle ground between the the UK hills and the big mountains?

It is good middle ground, you could spend time here and then do the odd day on bigger mountains and that would work really well as a way to get experience.

I would suggest somewhere like Château d'Oex, Gstaad or Leysin as being good bases but Switzerland's full of this sort of terrain, it's a hobby horse of mine that people come here and go to Zermatt or Grindelwald and miss the best bits. Funnily enough someone posted a comment on my blog the other day asking just the same question.

Some hut to hut tours are fairly easy as well, I'm going to post some photo's shortly of a trip I did in Graubünden near the Swiss, Austria and Liechtenstein borders although a couple of sections there are a bit hairy.

muymalestado

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Re: Gross Schwyberg
« Reply #3 on: 10:33:59, 23/09/08 »
... it's a hobby horse of mine that people come here and go to Zermatt or Grindelwald and miss the best bits ...
So much like the real nice hill regions in Spain, some only a few miles from lager soaked beaches.

Nice site SS; and where you are when exactly is a good non-snow time of year to walk? 
I think this next one will be the top ...

snowslider

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Re: Gross Schwyberg
« Reply #4 on: 10:42:34, 23/09/08 »
So much like the real nice hill regions in Spain, some only a few miles from lager soaked beaches.

Nice site SS; and where you are when exactly is a good non-snow time of year to walk? 

Where I am is a bit complicated, we're split between two locations. Currently I'm down near the pre-alpes not up in the high alpine area. Season for the pre-alpes runs from June to October or so, that varies as to how much snow we have though. Typically what lifts are still running in the summer will run from mid June to mid October though.

Winter's good though, you need some specialist skills in terms of avalanche safety and some other basic winter skills, travel is only really possible with snow shoes or skis of course but snow shoeing is a movement skill that only takes a short time to acquire. Again, it's not all about 3000m or 4000m peaks although that's all fun obviously :D

Skinny Walker

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Re: Gross Schwyberg
« Reply #5 on: 08:27:11, 24/09/08 »
Thanks for the info SS
You need special shoes for hiking - and a bit of a special soul as well.  ~Emme Woodhull-Bäche

 

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