Climbing Säntis – A Hike into the Clouds and a Surreal Surprise at the Summit
- Starting point: Schwägalp (1,350m)
- Arrival: Säntis (2,502m)
- Altitude gain: 1,150m
- Duration: ~3 hours (ascent)
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Technical difficulty: Moderate (some steep sections with ropes at the end)
I left after work one evening and camped near Zug to get a head start. The hike itself isn’t particularly long, and under normal circumstances, there would be no need to camp beforehand. However, since I had a 6-7 hour drive to Nevegal after the climb, I wanted to start early to make the most of the day.
I woke up to the fresh morning air by Lake Ägerisee, packed up my tent, and headed towards the mountains.
The Ascent – Steep Trails and Changing Weather
I arrived at the Schwägalp parking (1,350m) around 8 AM. The weather didn’t look promising, but I could clearly see the imposing rock wall of Säntis looming ahead.
The weather was getting worse, and I didn’t want to take chances, so I decided not to stop and push on before the rain arrived.
After the hut, the trail makes an almost U-turn and ascends through a rocky valley. At this point, there were no technical difficulties, but with 700-800m of elevation already behind me, fatigue started to set in.
Into the Clouds – Cold, Wind, and an Unexpected Discovery
About half an hour later, I passed under the cable car and, 15 minutes after that, I reached the final stretch: a short sort-of via ferrata. Though not difficult, the metal cables are mostrly there to help with balance on the exposed rocky section.
Here, I entered the clouds, and despite it being July, the temperature plummeted.
Visibility dropped to almost zero, and I had no idea where I was going. My hands started to hurt from the biting cold, but I knew I was close to the summit, so I pressed on. There wasn’t much risk of getting lost—the metal cable provided a clear guide.
After 15 minutes of climbing blindly in the fog, something completely surreal happened.
A Bunker in the Sky?
Just as my hands were starting to go numb from the cold, I saw a wooden corridor emerging from the mist.
I stepped inside, and suddenly, the howling wind vanished. The wooden passage led into a tunnel carved into the rock. Already, this felt strange—passing from the freezing chaos of the mountain into something that felt like an old war bunker.
But that was only the beginning.
As I followed the corridor deeper, I found myself in a network of tunnels with spiral staircases winding up through solid rock. I had no idea this even existed! Säntis was once a military base, and much of the infrastructure from that time still exists hidden beneath the mountain.
I was back in civilization.
Wait… What?
On the other side of the door was the cable car station—warm, modern, and…, after the storm outside, completely surreal.
There was light music playing, a post office, a luxury restaurant, and even a museum. Moments earlier, I had been battling the elements in a freezing cloud, and now I was surrounded by tourists sipping coffee in comfort. The contrast was mind-blowing. Here you can see a picture I took of an installation inside. Very different than the tunnel just above.
It took me a moment to process the absurdity of the situation. Was I dreaming? Had I somehow walked into a different world?
But no, this was real. After shaking off the shock, I took the stairs up to the summit terrace, where I was once again hit by howling winds and near-zero visibility. I snapped a quick photo to prove I had made it and rushed back inside.
The Descent – A Quick Escape to Warmth
And just like that, in 10 minutes I was back at Schwägalp, my hike complete.
Final Thoughts – The Säntis Experience
Säntis was an incredible experience, not just for the scenic climb but for the bizarre and unexpected summit.
Climbing through fog into military tunnels, emerging into a luxury station, and then stepping back out into the elements—this was a hike unlike any other.
What an adventure!
Comments
Post a Comment