High Altitude Cappuccino

🗺️ Overview Starting point: Horneggli (reached by chairlift from Schönried) Highest point: Horneggli – 1,760 m Total elevation gain: +300 m Total distance: 6 km Total time: 2–2.5 hours (we took around 4 hours with lots of stops) Technical difficulty: Easy – suitable for families and children Download GPS file The Horneggli to Rinderberg hike, near Gstaad, is a beautiful family hike that is perfect for kids but still enjoyable for adults. I did it with my 5-year-old daughter. We started in Schönried, where a chairlift takes you up to Horneggli at 1,760 m. From there, the path is always wide, easy to follow, and well marked. The sign indicates 2 hours 10 minutes to Rinderberg. We actually took almost 4 hours with many, many stops, but I think adults could comfortably complete it in about 1½ hours. The first section passes through a sort of wild flower garden, with small panels identifying the different flowers. Shortly after the start, the trail splits. The main path continues to ...

🗺️ Overview Starting point: Arnensee dam parking Highest point: Approx. 1,550 m Total elevation gain: 30 m Total distance: 3.2 km Total time: 1 hour (without stops) Technical difficulty: Easy – suitable for families and strollers Download GPS file The tour of Lake Arnensee near Gstaad, in the canton of Bern, is a perfect family hike. It goes around the artificial lake on a path that is accessible with strollers, even though you'll struggle a little in a few places. I went with my 5-year-old, Gaia. To get there, turn onto the small road in Feutersoey. Just beyond the village you'll find a toll booth where you have to pay CHF 7 to reach the lake. You can pay either by card or with coins. Once you arrive at the dam, there is plenty of parking, but the area is popular, so it's better not to arrive too late. We got there at 10 a.m. and had no problem finding a space. You can walk around the lake in either direction. We started to the right, going clockwise. There is a bea...

🗺️ Overview Starting point: Small parking before Refuge La Saletta (approx. 1,400 m) Highest point: Dent de Lys (2,014 m) Total elevation gain: 650 m (from the described start) / 900 m from Les Paccots Total distance: Approx. 7 km round trip (from 1,400 m start) Total time: 3h–3h30 round trip Technical difficulty: T3, with short exposed sections and chains near the summit Download GPS file You can start the hike to Dent de Lys from several locations, either from Montbovon or Les Paccots. From Les Paccots it is easier to reach from the highway and there are paved roads up to around 1,600 m, allowing you to decide how long you want to make the hike. To get to the trailhead, continue beyond Les Paccots and then turn right towards Refuge La Saletta. Before reaching the refuge, the path starts at a bend in the road. As parking spaces are limited, I started from a small parking area a short distance before that, at around 1,400 m altitude. After the first 100 m on the road, a path bra...

🗺️ Overview Starting point: Jaun lift parking (1,030 m) Highest point: Gastlosen ridge (1,940 m) Total elevation gain: ~910 m Total distance: ~14 km Total time: 5 h (from the valley) / 3.5 h (using the lift) Technical difficulty: T2–T3 (short exposed sections, one chain-assisted passage) Download GPS file The Gastlosen tour is a classic in the Fribourg region that can be done in many different ways. Starting in Jaun, the only German-speaking commune in the Gruyère district, you hike around the impressive rock ridge of the Gastlosen. You can do this hike either by taking the lift or by starting all the way from the valley floor. It took me about 5 hours from the bottom, including lunch. Starting from the lift would reduce the hike to around 3.5 hours. In this post, I will focus on the longer version. I started the hike at the lift parking (1,030 m), where a gravel road passes the station and continues toward Jaun. After a while, it becomes paved. About 10 minutes later, you reach...